'A Thousand Clowns' at Seattle's Intiman Theatre

Herb Gardner's comedy "A Thousand Clowns" at Seattle's Intiman theater, while not a brilliant evening of not to be missed theater, is definitely an enjoyable night out with a funny yet introspective show.  Plus it demonstrates Gardner's gift with wonderfully witty dialogue. 

Set in 1962, the show centers around Murray Burns (played with lighting fast comedic timing by Matthew Boston), a former comedy writer for the "Chuckles the Chipmunk Show" who quit when he felt he was losing his artistic edge, and his nephew, Nick (endearingly performed by Nick Robinson) who lives with him.  Murray and Nick are visited by agents of the Child Welfare Office when some of Murray's anti-establishment ideas find their way into Nick's work at school.  Now Murray must find a way to make himself seem more "conventional" to keep his unconventional family from being ripped apart.

Boston plays Murray with comic genius.  Think of his character as a cross between Steve Martin and Robin Williams.  The quips and jokes never end and Boston's energy and timing is flawless throughout.  But through all of the laughs he also displays real feelings and warmth towards Nick and we know right away that he really cares about him, even if he cannot show it.  He manages to really make us care about this anti-hero which is not always an easy thing to do.  Robinson is fantastic as the 12 year old Nick who is a little too smart for his own good (and probably smarter than some of those around him).  And the two of them have great chemistry together.

Rounding out this magnificent cast are Bradford Farwell and Julie Jesneck as the welfare workers investigating the case, David Pichette as Murray's Brother/Agent, Arnold and Tim Hyland as Leo Herman, aka "Chuckles the Chipmunk".  Jesneck is quite likable (if not always grounded in reality) as the welfare worker caught in a situation she doesn't like.  And Farwell is hilarious as her by-the-book partner.  In fact one of the shining moments of the play was Farwell's brilliantly understated, silent double take when looking in a closet containing his hiding partner.  Farwell truly understands the subtlety of comedy.  And Pichette and Hyland practically steal the show with minor scenes.  Just goes to show that there are no small parts.

I recently was fortunate enough to see Pichette and Farwell in ACT Theatre's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", in very different roles than they had here.  It's good to know we have such talented and versatile actors right here in Seattle.

The show itself, while full of rich dialogue and tons of laughs, has it's problems.  At just under 3 hours (including intermission), it's a little too long.  But, I don't see how it could be trimmed down without losing it's heart.  And it tends to get a little frustrating watching this anti-hero get himself into these situations.  But not all stories can be sunshine and kittens.  Even comedies can have pathos.  So while it may be a little long winded, it's certainly good for a laugh.

"A Thousand Clowns" plays at Seattle's Intiman Theatre now through June 17^th.  For tickets and information contact the Intiman box office at 206-269-1900 or visit them online at www.intiman.org.

 

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