Four Clowns presents That Beautiful Laugh

What an amazing piece of theater! The seven (not 4) clowns brought tears of joy to the eyes of everyone in attendance at this premiere, sold-out show. The energy from the entire cast was breathtaking, as they drew the entire audience into their show. They truly knew how to get maximum audience participation, and obviously drew much energy from the crowd. This is a MUST SEE show, and set the bar high for the rest of the Festival. I enjoyed every minute of it. Great job!... full review

I would recommend this jovial piece of theater to absolutely everyone. I felt it was timely and really timeless at the same time; on the topics of life, love, emotions... You will laugh, you will reflect, and you'll walk out of the theater feeling lighter. So creative and inventive, the clowns make you feel like you're part of the production, like you're playing along with them. They had the audience completely enthralled, all the kids loved it. Such a blast! Just make sure to let yourself be involved an interact with the clowns, it MAKES the show!... full review

There is something brilliant about this group's approach to the stage. They take chances, inverting conventional wisdom, and translating it into an entirely new language. I am so wowed by a group that can create a scene using so few words, or in the case of 4 Clowns (7 not 4) using only expressions, noises, gestures, and a well placed sentence here and there. That Beautiful Laugh does this and so much more with aplomb, giving the audience a loosely structured arch with a wide range of emotions to digest. I laughed a lot and I cried a little, and the entire time I enjoyed myself. True performance artists deserve a good audience, so go and join this rambunctious bunch and witness as they breathe life into a world all their own. ... full review

Just go. Have a great time, feel that the world is beautiful for 80 minutes and leave with a magical lilt. There's good reason that 4 Clowns have the reputation they have.... full review

WOW! Full range of emotions, silly, deep, innocent, irreverent... for all ages! What a concept! The physicality and improvisational skills of the actors were something to behold. I laughed, cried, gasped, felt embarrassed and so much more. Wish we would have sat on the end aisles or in the front row. The 7 clowns so obviously fed off the audience's energy. I was happy to have experienced this hour of entertainment with my kids. Loved the intimate setting of Open Fist theatre, no bad seat in the joint. THANK YOU - RoBecca, Peking Duck, Tom, O' Precious, Loretta, Marvin and Krumpitz!!!... full review

I was entertained from the first moment of That Beautiful Laugh until the intriguing conclusion. Seemingly incidental events in the show build into monumental life experiences for these (seven?) clowns and they're not shy about taking us along for the ride. And - not to harp on too many details - I loved the use of music, clever set, costume and prop design, shadow puppetry... there was so much to enjoy. That Beautiful Laugh reminded me that, at its root, theater isn't meant to be a passive experience. I'll remember this show for a long time, and I can't wait to see more from 4 Clowns.... full review

THAT BEAUTIFUL LAUGH is a must see show. The seven talented actors are engaging skillful clowns. Each one presenting themselves to the audience after they pop out of the same trunk. Happy, fearful, competitive, and joyfully aggressive, they are in our face and in the audience. They keep us laughing. There is a tear or two also, but that's life. They do it all beautifully. It's a delightful evening. Colleen Kelly-Eiding ... full review

I love live theater. I enjoy the possibility of audience confrontation and the threat of the evaporation of fourth wall separating performance and a passive audience. That was exactly what I witnessed with The Four Clowns performance of "That Beautiful Laugh" at the Open Fist Theater. I experienced laughter; full blown, unadulterated, reductive, tear inducing laughter, the kind of pure joy I haven't felt since childhood. I was presented with wonderful performances by all seven clowns, where words lost value, subjugated by action and sound, and beautifully demonstrated was the symbiotic nature of actor and audience, with laughter as regenerative sustenance. Audience and performance became one. For me, "That Beautiful Laugh" is the one that re... full review

An excellent show for all ages. Folks, buy your tickets soon! The house was packed and completely sold out and you don't want to miss it. That Beautiful Laugh is tender, raucous, hilarious and at times very magical, especially in the exploration of Scary Town! I fell in love with these clowns and their energy and their sincerity. One small note is the pacing in the beginning can fly, it felt a little slow. And at times the clowns seemed to want to create a narrative rather than a string of little skits... All in all a fantastic show. Direction by Turner Munch is strong, inventive and articulate. ... full review

I had originally seen That Beautiful Laugh in Long Beach and after seeing it again in its revised format Friday evening I’d like to report that it was absolutely as entertaining, perhaps more than, my initial viewing a few years ago. Phenomenal performance! ... full review