DIRECTOR’S NOTE

A Thousand Clowns is at its core a love story, a love story about a rather unusual uncle, Murray Burns, and his twelve year old nephew, Nick. Herb Gardner’s play opened in New York in 1962 and was made into a movie released in 1965. Some of you will remember Jason Robards’ seminal performance as Murray. He starred in both the Broadway show and the film version. It was nominated and won several awards in both forms. I’ve loved Clowns since I first saw the film. Unfortunately, I never got to see the stage version. I’ve been hopeful of directing it here for years, and finally got the chance. The play is set in Manhattan in the early 1960s. It was a time period on the verge of those seismic shifts in society still to come. Almost gone was the hangover from World War II, but the sort of how-you-should-be rigidity imposed on men and women was still in place. Murray, the protagonist of the piece, is a clear example of someone caught in the middle. This societal stew becomes the recipe for the laughs, longing and love that make A Thousand Clowns so wonderful. I think you’re gonna have fun. Theatre is a collaborative art. I’ve been blessed with six talented actors and a sensational crew and design staff who put all the meat on the bones. Thanks to all of them. By the way, the movie is on YouTube. If you’re motivated to see it after experiencing our stage version, have at it. It might make for an interesting evening of conversation.

—Bob Cohen, Director