What I liked
“Alien hoop clown” are three words I’d never heard together before this show, but the music, lights, and RM’s presence in the room teach us how to watch the show and to relate to this sweet clown. RM is great at stepping outside of the performance and letting us know how they think the show is going, adding a layer of meta-commentary that lets us know we’re in the good hands of a super-sharp, present, and funny person.
I really responded to the yearning (“I don’t know what that is but it sounds cool”) behind the playfulness. I’ve seen a lot of Fringe shows where the performer tells you what the show is about in Act 3 and tells you exactly how to feel about it. This show took a different route by showing a touching backstory and letting us close the gaps. They stick the landing on a story about finding joy goddammit, despite all the ways the world tries to keep us all isolated.
What I didn't like
It’s a work in progress show – it will only get better over time. I’m hoping it will give the audience even more chances to connect with the performer and with each other. It’s hard to get folks to open up and be vulnerable about places where they feel disconnected, but I think this show could get more powerful with time!
My overall impression
A mystical clown show about the ways we feel overwhelmed by the distance between ourselves and the world around us, RM plays the role of an alien here to fix the holes with genuine joy and curiousity as well as a surprising amount of anger and sadness.
