Thursday, August 8, 2013

Fringe Festival: "A Clown in Exile"

Day: 5

Show: 14


By: World Wide Clown

Created by: Mohamed Yabdri and Noah Bremer

Location: U of M Rarig Center Proscenium

Summary: One man (a clown) navigates the issue of travel, love, flight, home, and other facets of daily life.

Highlights: Clowning is one art form with which I am not very familiar. The Fringe Festival is a great place to experience those sorts of things, because the shows are short and sweet. While I'm still not sure clowning is my thing, it was an amusing show. Mohamed Yabdri is incredibly expressive, and even though he only speaks a few words, manages to convey a range of emotions and stories. The use of a coat on a hanger to represent his wife, the repeated motif of a paper airplane, and a suitcase full of props are clever. A little too much audience participation for my taste (maybe because I was one of the unlucky audience members chosen), but worth checking out if you're interested in the art of clowning.