Box of Clowns to Play Gorilla Tango Theater, 8/25

Box of Clowns, a trio of performers from Portland, OR, will perform in Chicago during their summer tour to perform their show "Mom?" A Comedy of Mourners, Tuesday, August 25th at 8 PM, at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago 60647. Tickets are $15; to purchase tickets call 773-598-4549 or visit www.gorillatango.com.

Death can be scary. So can clowns. But what if they weren't? Clown siblings Victoria, Frank and Mango mourn the loss of their mother by daring to find joy. It's ok to laugh at this funeral, and it's ok to cry at this clown show. Audiences have taken to twitter to describe the show as "brilliantly funny", "hilarious", and "exhilarating", but The Oregonian says it best: "Box of Clowns hits us over the head - and smacks us in the face, and nearly knocks us off the edge of a cliff - with the idea that humor can and does exist in death, and everywhere else for that matter."

The red-nosed clowns in "Mom?" stem from the three performers' personalities, and bear little resemblance to horror movie villains or birthday party special guests. "We don't twist balloons, but we're very good at popping them," says Laura Loy, who plays Victoria, the boss clown. She's joined by Jeff Desautels and Anna Sell, playing the heroic Frank and barbaric Mango, respectively.

Box of Clowns is a physical theatre ensemble that devises visceral performances through ruthless play and fierce editing, delighting the public by finding humor in unexpected places. The ensemble met while training at the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre, where their production, "Mom?" started as a final project. Two years later, Box of Clowns is bringing their premiere work on a summer-long, continent-wide tour, after generating rave reviews and exciting buzz around the Pacific Northwest

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