NYC duo take clowning around seriously

Jonathan Niel, left, and Joe Kolbow will bring their ‘Super Spectacular’ production to Knoxville for one night only on Wednesday, March 25 at Theatre Knoxville Downtown.

Jonathan Niel, left, and Joe Kolbow will bring their ‘Super Spectacular’ production to Knoxville for one night only on Wednesday, March 25 at Theatre Knoxville Downtown.

Someone forgot to tell Joe Kolbow to stop clowning around. After studying theatrical clown with his pal Jonathan Niel in France a few years ago, they had the idea to create some characters and put on a show. Now, at 31 and 40, respectively, Kolbow and Niel are trying to make careers out of it.

"We've been taking clown workshops in New York since then, developing our 'clown personas,' " said Kolbow, whose day job in New York is working in product development for a handbag company. And with inspiration behind them, the trained thespians got to work and developed 10 minutes of material.

"We performed that first 10 minutes at a couple cabarets in the NYC area and got a good response, so we decided to develop an hour-long show," said Kolbow, who along with Niel are part of a touring theater company called The Donovan Ensemble.

The show they came up with, "Super Spectacular!," is like a comical nightmare for any aspiring actor - hopefully something Kolbow and Niel have never experienced.

"The show is about two idiots who want to put on the best show ever, but it ends up being a complete disaster," said Kolbow. "They try to put on this spectacular variety show with singing, dancing, 'serious' acting and tons of costume changes, but it all gets the better of them. It's all a bit too ambitious for their small brains."

Suzanne Curtis, artistic director for the theater company The Water Series, which is hosting "Super Spectacular!," thinks audiences will love the performance.

"The show is really entertaining and funny. It's a new play - the performers will be developing it up to and even after the Knoxville performance - which means the approach is really fresh and exciting," said Curtis, whose Maryville, Tenn.,-based company is hosting the performance.

Curtis, who's a longtime friend and colleague of Kolbow and Niel, also thinks the show's sophisticated humor will attract audiences ages 14 years and up.

"This type of performance has its roots in physical theatre, with an emphasis on character and space," explained Curtis. "It isn't quite the same thing as circus clown. You won't see a tiny car or any lions in this performance. Just two really funny guys at their worst."

Stephen Woodward is a freelance contributor to the News Sentinel.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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