This is definitely a play I would not be able to see with my wife. She hates clowns.
One thing this series has allowed me to appreciate is how much I have missed all these years by neglecting drama in my literary studies.
Usually, emphasis is given to the classic works, but I have discovered incredible treasures in contemporary drama. I thank you for that.
I have fond memories of clowns performances in circuses that visited my home town. Slapstick humor can be very funny, especially for children, but we know how much tragedy is involved in the clown business itself. We have an old salsa song that talks about the "poor clown who laughs to avoid crying".
I am not surprised the author wrote this play as a result of his reflexion on political matters resulting from an oppresive regime. Politics do that to people. It ruins their spirit, but it also inspire reactionary art.
Politics ruined most of the comedy shows in my country. Some standup comedians even stopped performing to avoid political persecution.
The message of the play is a poignant one. We all perform to gain life’s approval, to be liked and loved and recompensed and often times people fight their competition and plot to destroy anyone who might represent a threat, even if imaginary. People kill for attention every day.