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Oct. 25, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
A new comedy play following a rag-tag troupe of clowns is set to run at Woodside’s Secret Theatre next month.
“Funny: Not a Comedy, Actually Kinda Tragic”, by New York-based actor, playwright and producer Caroline Festa, will run from Nov. 7-10 at the Secret Theatre, located at 38-02 61st St.
The play, which is being workshopped and produced by Headwall Theatre Company, tells the story of a rag-tag troupe of Ccowns, as they rehearse for their mainstage production.
Candice, director of the troupe and the play’s protagonist, battles to free herself from under the thumb of an ignorant producer and must learn to skirt the fine line between artistic values and commercial success.
The play breaks the norm of a traditional production by combining contemporary text with clowning, a type of comedic performance that portrays exaggerated characters through a mix of physical performance and costuming.
The play will run at 8 p.m. on Nov. 7-9 and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10. The production lasts 90 minutes with no intermission.
Promotional poster for “Funny: Not a Comedy… Actually Kinda Tragic.” Photo: Headwall Theatre Company
Michelle Orosz, artistic director of Headwall Theatre Company, said the upcoming production will benefit from the intimate surroundings of the Secret Theatre.
“The whimsical, intimate setting of the Secret Theatre really lends itself to staging a play about a troupe of clowns putting on a play. Come clown around with us,” Orosz said in a statement.
Festa, whose recent credits include CBS’s “Blue Bloods” and “Ships”, which enjoyed its world premiere at the Soho International Film Festival, said she is looking forward to returning to her familial roots in Queens. “Funny” is Festa’s first full-length play in production and she said she is excited to bring it to audiences in Queens.
“As someone with familial roots in Queens, working at The Secret Theatre is a dream. Not only is the space amazing, but knowing that we can connect with the Queens community makes it a home-run,” Festa said in a statement.
Headwall Theatre Company, a Queens-based production company, aims to make theater accessible to both theater-makers and audience members alike by providing the necessary guidance and tools to aspiring theater-makers.
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