These Clowns Want to Play

Raymond Lee as Angry Clown, Amir Levi as Nervous Clown, Alexis Jones as Sad Clown
and Kevin Klein as Mischievous Clown.

 

Angry, Mischievous, Sad and Nervous, the characters in Studio SCR’s Four Clowns, may not be fit for a kid’s birthday party, but they definitely will make you laugh. The show’s creator, Jeremy Aluma, gives us a sneak peek:

Alexis Jones as Sad Clown

Q: With which clown do you most identify?

A: I am the mischievous clown in my work as a director, but I use the angry clown to fuel my passions. I feel the sad clown when I am in need of a good cry, or as an audience member at a good play. And I am the nervous clown on the rare chance that I perform!

Q: Why clowns?

A: I have always been interested in the relationship between the audience and the actors. As we push towards watching our entertainment on smaller and smaller screens and in more isolated places, the need for a dialogue between audience and performer grows stronger. Clowns get to live completely in the moment, and they get to bring the audience into the moment with them.

Raymond Lee as Angry Clown

Q: What kind of audience interaction can we expect?

A: We like to play with the audience, and we will play with those who want to. Those who don’t are welcome to enjoy from afar. We take suggestions, we talk to the audience. We play with them, and we pursue their laughter.

Q: What if we have a clown phobia?

A: Well, I’ve learned to not try and talk coulrophobists into coming to the show. I think they would enjoy themselves but it’s not easy to shake a phobia. We’ve had many people who are “scared of clowns” come to the show and love it. Our pursuit is of laughter. The clowns are violent, vulgar and sexual, but they aren’t scary.

Four Clowns runs Feb. 17-19 in the Nicholas Studio.

Photos by Cameron McIntyre.