Clown House

Devised by the Company. Directed by Jordan Reynosa. Premiered: The Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival, Jul. 29, 2022.

This production won the Best of F Fringe award voted by the audiences of The Great Salt Lake Fringe.

Original Cast Members

Jack Cobabe, Guest Artist (STAGE MANAGER)
Jordan Reynosa, Company Member (DIRECTOR/NIM)
Tom Roche, Guest Artist (TINY)
Kaitie Smith, Guest Artist (SPARKLES)

“The clowns do not speak one word but their message is compelling and philosophical. The clown is an archetype of humanity. Wading through the wads of paper might be our search to find the bits of our souls, ideas and thoughts that we have discarded or have lost in the rush to fulfill the routines of our lives. Thus, the artifacts of juxtaposition that drive Clown House become the carnival of paradox and ambiguity that gives the trio and, hopefully, the audience the chance to comprehend the nonsense of our contemporary lives. The humorous antics do not need to be explained but on their own they can spark the awareness we would love to discover on our own. The clowns are trying to envision a life of soulful freedom beyond the walls of the Clown House. In the circus or carnival, the answer might be clearer than sitting in the somber setting of a chapel and waiting for the magic of prayer to deliver the epiphany.”

Les Roka, The Utah Review

“What was most fun about this production is that all of this was done without any dialogue. While I am of course familiar with the art of good pantomime, I found the level of use in this show to be impressive. Something else that was well used in this production was audience participation. Two moments in particular they even pulled me out of my comfortable seat but in ways that were not intimidating, just fun. What was even still more impressive in this production was an actual storyline that came through all the jokes… I did not expect a deep level of storyline to come through clown tricks and physical jokes and comedy, but the direction of Reynosa and the acting of the three have done an excellent job of helping the audience connect to the characters so there were some cheers and specific happiness at certain parts of the story that I do not want to give away.”

Maren Scriven, Utah Theatre Bloggers

“As they go on this journey of repetitive daily tasks they slowly unfold into a frenzy where they must get out, while also being unsure of what might happen after they do. The clowns in relationship to each other seem like a family. They pull jokes on each other, they irritate each other, they comfort each other, and they play so so much. It’s very warming to watch and they invite you, the audience, to play too."

Leo Lynn, loveDANCEmore

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!!! A blaring alarm wakes three clowns in an infinite room without an exit. They live the same mundane routine every day. Their clothes are uncomfortable. Someone is watching them. And there’s something that they’re hiding from each other. Prepare yourself to enter the mysterious world of Clown House, where everything is upside down, left is right, and the clown’s world spirals into chaos. The only question is, where is the door and what lies on the other side?

Promotional Photo: Jack Cobabe