‘500 Clown Trapped’ at Edison April 12

Madcap trio returns for ovations for young people series

500 Clown returns to Edison Theatre on April 12.

At once bouncy and philosophical, 500 Clown combines acrobatics, circus arts, commedia dell’arte and in-your-face improvisation to create a unique brand of physical, action-packed theater.

Over the last decade, the madcap Chicago trio has won critical acclaim for “500 Clown Macbeth,” “500 Clown Frankenstein” and other inventive performances. On Saturday, April 12, the troupe will return to Washington University in St. Louis with “500 Clown Trapped,” its first all-ages show.

The special, one-afternoon-only matinee is presented as part of Edison’s ovations for young people series and begins at 11 a.m. Tickets are $12.

‘500 Clown Trapped’

Conceived by artistic director Adrian Danzig, “500 Clown Trapped” is a slapstick rumination on themes of ensnarement and escape. The show begins with three simple questions:

• How might you define the word trapped?
• How do you feel when you are trapped?”
• What sounds might you make when trapped?

Amidst a clamor of bells, cymbals and drums, the three clowns — Danzig, Molly Brennan and Paul Kalina — march confidently to the stage but soon find themselves encaged in a room-sized pile of shredded paper. Bantering with the audience, they attempt to dig, climb, claw, improvise and even sing their way to freedom.

The New York Times called 500 Clown “exhilarating,” while the Chicago Daily Herald said “There’s pathos behind the pratfalls and real drama underscores the well-conceived, broadly comic and carefully choreographed productions.”

“Many performance and comedy artists — Blue Man Group is a fine example — shape and hone every moment, discarding everything that does not elicit a sensorial reaction from the paying customers,” the Chicago Tribune wrote. “Not so 500 Clown. Improvisers and risk-takers to the bone, the clowns are perfectly comfortable trying things for the first time in front of an audience and seeing where they go.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZIMYdgk7Qo

Tickets and sponsors

500 Clown presents “500 Clown Trapped” at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 12. Tickets are $12.

Tickets are available at the Edison Box Office, located in the Mallinckrodt Center, 6445 Forsyth Blvd. For more information, call 314-935-6543, email edison@wustl.edu or visit edison.wustl.edu.

Edison programs are made possible with support from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency; the Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis; and private contributors.