Pictured From Old Clown Wanted.
Playwright: Matei Visniec
At: Trapdoor Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland
Phone: ( 312 ) 384-0494; $20
Runs through: Jan. 14
BY RICK REED
At first glance, the kind of paradoxically dark, giddy atmosphere Old Clown Wanted conjures up might seem quite removed from the foibles of the modern-day world. At first, this play about three over-the-hill clowns alone in an anteroom waiting to audition for a circus that may or may not even exist ( Beckett, anyone? ) , would seem to lay claim to its own strict, disturbing little universe. The fact that the play is universal and has something to say to all of us makes it quite remarkable. When Romanian playwright Visniec penned his absurdist tale, he was doing more than simply creating an evening of confounding, beguiling, engaging, and often very funny theater, he was making astute commentary on aging and redundancy … and the relentless march toward death. These three old clowns are past their prime and it's with great sadness and pathos that we watch them wait for an audition that might never happen. When the waiting becomes unbearable—or futile—these old acquaintances turn to one another, trotting out the desperate shticks that no one has use for any longer.
Director Gregory A. Fortner has smartly staged Visniec's piece, keeping it simple but never simplistic. An essentially bare stage, a trio of suitcases, three cheap-suited men ( costumes by Beata Pilch ) , and some subtle, but evocative shifts in lighting ( by Richard Norwood ) are all it takes to transport us into the playwright's dark universe, where life's gradual decline is magnified, made comic, and finally horrifying. Fortunately for Fortner ( and for us ) the threesome that brings Old Clown Wanted to life are deft, smart performers who know exactly how to play the style of this complex work. Each actor brings a complete characterization to his part and differentiates his clown from the next through a thorough manifestation of personality, with weaknesses, flaws, and attributes shining through. Although both John Gray and Bob Wilson deliver stellar performances, it was the aptly named Circus Szalewski who really drove the humanity and tragedy of his character, Nicollo, home. The final image of Nicollo falling asleep outside the audition room door, even after knowing what lies beyond that door, was simply shattering.