Under St. Mark's Theatre
94 St. Mark's Place, NYC
Tickets: (212) 279-4499 or (888) FringeNYC (Outside NY) or www.FringeNYC.org

Friday, August 8 @ 10:45 PM, Saturday, August 9 @ 5:15 PM
Sunday, August 10 @ 12:15 PM, Friday, August 15 @ 3:45 PM
Monday, August 18 @ 11:15 PM, Thursday, August 21 @ 8:30 PM

Created and Performed by Hilary Chaplain
Directed by Patricia Buckley
Dramaturge -- Larry Coen
Lights -- Kristopher Anton
Sound -- Ian Murphy and Hilary Chaplain
Set and Costume -- Hilary Chaplain
Publicist -- Karen Greco Entertainment
Leg -- Therese Schorn

Clown shows are not my bag.  To be perfectly honest, I've often feared and loathed the whole "Bo-Bo" lot. So it was with trepidation that I went to see A LIFE IN HER DAY.  But, from the moment lights went up, there was something so natural, appealing and human about Hilary Chaplain's unnamed character, I let down my guard and joined in her imaginative journey. 

The storyline of the piece is this -- a nameless woman wakes up and lives out the course of her life in one day.  (It's all a dream really.  Or a nightmare, as the case may be.) Sure, Chaplain is outrageous, and, like a true clown, goes for the big gags.  But Chaplain also shows moments of great subtlety, ripe with humanity and humor -- and it is in these moments when Chaplain is most powerful. 

Clearly a skilled improvisational performer, Chaplain's interaction with the audience was a happy surprise.  Audience participation is a part of her
act, but unlike most performers who demand audience participation, often in an annoying fashion, Chaplain is so approachable and non-intrusive, the audience doesn't cringe when she steps toward the front row. Her work with the audience was smooth, and made one feel a part of the show, on the journey with Chaplain, rather than a mere spectator.

I guess the song's been right all along, "Everyone in the world loves a clown."

-- Kate Kolendo --

Listings    Archives