A Thousand Clowns

Herb Gardner's first full-length play, A Thousand Clowns, a 60s comedy, has been included in Best American Plays Fifth Series 1958-1963. It was first presented on stage in April, 1962 with Jason Robards, William Daniels, and Sandy Dennis. The play has great, and at times, lengthy dialogue, with a large amount of stage directions. It's clear that it can easily be engaging to theatre audiences and it is typical theatre style that is ripe for a movie version, which there was A Thousand Clowns. The 3-act play focuses on carefree Murray, an out of work TV writer who wrote a children's show. His 12 year old precocious and smart nephew Nick, has been living with him. As the play opens, Nick watches the kids' program that Murray used to write for. Nick takes on the adult role as he confronts Murray about the need to get a job! Nick's stay is in jeopardy as the New York Child Bureau makes a visit to determine if Murray is eligible to keep Nick. The employers, Sandra and Albert, of the bureau make their visit and dispute each other's work style, Sandra is offended, emotionally uneasy and she spends the night at Murray's. She then moves into the one-room apartment. From here on, the other few characters attempt to get Murray back to work. For the love of his nephew, Murray conforms. Although this was not one of my favorites, some readers will enjoy the mild humor, engaging characters, and the emotional child welfare issue. It is well-done. Rizzo

Reviewing A Thousand Clowns is tricky, it's the kind of work that would only make sense to someone who happens to admire a well-made pastrami sandwich ...in New York, maybe while also wearing a hat. I think a fedora. If you qualify as a person who understands the importance of all of this, then this is the play for you. Murray Burns is the main character in the play, which is set in the very early sixties, before things got political. He is a man who has just quit his job in New York as a writer for a silly television show because he can't face any more the idiots he works with. The problem is he has a nephew, Nick, who lives with him. The nephew, a very grown-up 13 year-old was left with Murray by Murray's sister, a woman of questionable values and a lifestyle "somewhat to the left of whoopee", who dumped her son on Murray's sofa six years prior to the beginning of the story. A guardian without a job is not acceptable to the school Nick attends. Nick is very smart and they pay special attention to him. Hence the arrival of the social workers, in Murray's apartment, and we get to watch a gloriously funny, heart-grabbing story unfold. The movie based on the play was made too long ago, with Jason Robards as Murray. It was in black and white and although utterly wonderful, deserves a really, really well-done remake.

Gardner tackles some big ones here: the role of the artist in society, the tension between family obligations and personal fulfillment, and the dumbing-down of popular culture. And he does this in one of the definitive comedies of 20th century American theater. Murray, a writer, having quit his job scripting an inane kids' TV program, doesn't want a "real" job either. So he doesn't get one. Sadly, the bureaucrats at the State Welfare Board catch on, and they decide to take away Murray's young nephew, Nick, who has lived with Murray for seven years. To prevent this, Murray must make sacrifices. But the play isn't really about the need to "get a job"--at least not just for the sake of getting one. Murray's view that life isn't just what happens on weekends makes sense, but he's got to pick the lesser of two evils. Gardner's language is so fresh that *A Thousand Clowns* could have been written yesterday instead of forty years ago. It's no surprise that this play is still frequently performed.

I first was introduced to "A THOUSAND CLOWNS" in a directing class I was taking in college. Just because it was a comedy I was already and willing to check it out. I have to admit, this is one of the most funny plays I've read yet. Don't let the comedy fool you though, because in between the cracks, there's an important issue that's trying to be resolved. After reading this, check out the movie "BIG DADDY". You'll find that "A THOUSAND CLOWNS" and "BIG DADDY" have similar characteristics.