A Review of A Thousand Clowns at Intiman Theatre
by Aaron Moncivaiz
Intiman Theatre's A Thousand Clowns concerns eagle-statue-collecting, ukulele playing Murray Burns, a free spirit of the first degree. "More of an experience than a person," Murray lives so freely, in fact, that he has quit his job as a joke writer for a children's show, giving up his career despite his responsibility as guardian of Nick, his equally charismatic and intelligent 12 year old nephew. Murray feels no conflict with his life changing decision. The day to day simply didn't agree with his pursuit of life and his unchecked enthusiasm/oversized id.
Jobless for months in early '62, Murray's unemployment insurance is just enough for him to care for his young nephew, who has long been abandoned by his mother and regularly changes his own name. With Murray, Nick lives a life of singing, Hollywood impersonations, and endless joke cracking. Nick is the perfect straight man to Murray's eccentricity, and the two form a spirited bond living together in a one room New York City apartment.
Nick has something Murray does not, though, a glimmer of responsibility. So while Murray is out every afternoon going to the movies instead of looking for work, Nick lays out the classifieds in hopes of finding Murray a job. Murray's joblessness and lack of motivation to grind it out for "the Man" catches the attention of the Child Welfare Board, which sends two agents to the apartment to evaluate the "unconventional" family. When the hammer drops, Murray is forced to decide whether to remain anchorless and lose Nick, or sell out in the name of familial health. The choice remains black and white through the very end.
Written by Herb Gardner and first produced in 1963, the script remains fresh and entertaining. Many lines garnered big laughs from the opening night Intiman audience. Pleasantly, there are few lulls in the comedic, dialogue rich production. When things necessarily slow down, mostly due to Murray's near monologue reflections, things quickly pick back up and the jokes stream in.
The success of Intiman's presentation of this nearly 50 year old Tony and Academy Award nominated story stems less from the writing than wonderful direction, set/costume design, and exceptional acting. All feel perfectly appropriate for the early 60s comedy.
Director Sari Ketter makes good use of the restricted setting, moving the actors and transforming the space so that a potentially cramped stage has a wealth of character instead. One misstep involving confetti had me internally booing, however, and I never imagined I would boo confetti. A dramatic moment near the end between Murray and Nick felt very rushed, hopefully due to opening night nerves and not the standard.
The vertical juxtaposition of the apartment and downtown office sets not only spreads the space but also accentuates the difference between a warm, mid-century modern home and the cold of concrete and colorless industry. Unfortunately, I have never seen this play before, so it is unclear if the set design is original or second hand. Either way, the creative set does great service to both the story and Murray's character.
Of course it's the acting that brings it all home. Matthew Boston is fantastic as Murray Burns, capturing the character's unbridled energy and charisma. Nick Robinson confidently wisecracks around the stage, doing a fine job as Nick Burns. His voice highlights the single musical number. Accolades to the supporting cast, Julie Jesneck as child psychologist turned love interest Sandra. Bradford Farwell plays the villainous social worker Albert Amundson. David Pichette as Arnold Burns is skillful and funny. And Tim Hyland brings the slapstick as absurd Leo Herman.
A Thousand Clowns plays at Intiman Theatre through Wednesday, June 17. Tickets range from $40 to $50 with discounts for youth, seniors and groups. Visit www.intiman.org for more information on show times and tickets. read more
