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What does it mean to live in one of the poorest cities in the nation? How do people from different walks of life relate to one another in such a city? Are people living in poverty benefiting from the resources of anti-poverty programs? HartBeat’s newest play, Rich Clown, Poor Clown, Beggar Clown, Thief, will tackle these challenging by asking very real questions using one of theater’s most accessible styles: Clown Theater.

“Rich Clown, Poor Clown, Beggar Clown, Thief will find its way to the audience member’s heart through their funny bone,” says director Dic Wheeler. “By creating its own unique world – a kind of ‘parallel universe’ – Clown Theater provides a forum for addressing difficult issues through the fun of juggling, tumbling and slapstick.” Mr. Wheeler is a graduate of the Dell’ Arte International School of Physical Theater and has been creating Clown Theater throughout the U.S. and Europe since 1980.

“This show is not for kids,” laughs co-founding ensemble member Gregory R. Tate. “It’s a bawdy, outrageous cabaret complete with cash bar and torch songs.”

Like most of HartBeat’s work, the script for Rich Clown, Poor Clown Beggar Clown, Thief comes from interviews with a wide range of people in the community. “It’s been a wild process of taking what we learned from the interviews and turning it into broad, twisted comedy” says Steven Ginsburg, co-founding ensemble member. “Because everyone is a fool in the clown world, we can be equal-opportunity offenders and thereby

get past the uneasiness that comes with such sensitive subjects.” In the last seven years, HartBeat Ensemble has employed several diverse theater styles such as Commedia, Hip Hop and Realism to create it original mainstage productions.