Article by Kora Marvin
Clowns tell the story of grief through physical actions and no spoken words in the Adams State University Theatre Department production of “A Clown’s Guide to the 5 Stages of Grief.” The play opens at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22 in the Xperimental Theatre, and continues nightly through Oct. 25.
“A Clown’s Guide to the 5 Stages of Grief,” is an original play created by the ensemble and directed by Jay Lobeck, a senior theatre major is “a traditional clown show, meaning there is no spoken dialogue. It is multiple stories told about grief through body language and physical humor.” Lobeck said that she came up with the idea because she has always been interested in clowns and circuses, and one day she thought, “Well, what would happen if we put clowns into really difficult, awful situations?” The play evolved from there.
The cast is made up of five different clowns, each representing one of the five stages of grief. Lobeck says, “Everyone got to feel like they played a significant role in the idea generation and the content. It was really cool seeing everyone’s ideas merge together into one thing.”
Lobeck said that during her time in high school, she was always part of the acting department rather than the crew. “When I came to Adams State, I was like, you know, lighting sounds cool. And I’ve been a lighting designer for the last three years.” Directing this play is a requirement for Lobeck’s graduation, serving partially as her senior thesis capstone.
General admission tickets are $13 with free admission for Adams State students and faculty. To purchase tickets visit Theatre Tickets or in person at the Theatre Box Office between 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by calling 719-587-8499.
