Humor Abuse

By J. Cooper Robb
Add Comment Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Oct. 6, 2009

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There is a lot of clowning in Lorenzo Pisoni and Erica Schmidt’s Humor Abuse. However, in this intriguing solo play the art of being a clown is definitely not all fun and games.

Starring Pisoni, the intermissionless play is based on his life growing up in the Pickle Family Circus. The star of the circus is Lorenzo’s father Larry. Described as “a silent clown who never laughed,” Larry is an accomplished performer but a distant father. Instead of playing catch in the backyard, Larry teaches his son the art of clowning. Overly demanding, he instructs his son with all the compassion of a particularly snarly drill sergeant. For his part Lorenzo both worships and fears his father, who lives by the creed that “tragedy inspires comedy.” In this alternately disturbing and amusing play we get plenty of both.

Performed with reckless abandon by the athletic Pisoni (his falling down the stairs gag is painful to watch); Humor lags in spots, but in this strikingly original play Pisoni allows us to peer beyond the red nose and funny wig to discover the tears of a clown.

Through Oct. 25.  $48-$59. Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Broad and Lombard sts. 215.985.0420. philadelphiatheatrecompany.org
  

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