REVIEWS: Yay America!

Penelope the Clown carries the heart of the audience through the anger, joy, sadness, and confusion of a nation struggling with justice and identity. A performance that deftly skewered my willful disengagement from the experience of others. A necessary show and one of the hits of PortFringe 2019.

–ASHLEY KOTZUR, PortFringe 2019 Review Team

I’m not the type of person who lets a clown make me cry but, when they have a heartfelt story of poignance and reality in America to tell, I will no doubt gladly let a tear fall. From the moment house opened, it was obvious that ‘Yay America’ was going to propel me into this ‘magic space’. Laughing along with the audience at the perfectly timed, well-crafted comedy of Penelope The Clown and their bright colored outfit, we were all instantly engulfed in the world of this hyper-aware human being. Presented in the high-toned voice of a toddler, a few moments with a clarinet, a lot of audience participation, and the awareness of the powers of the American flag, ‘Yay America’ is a hit that I would highly recommend. Strongly written and excellently delivered, I am definitely going to see this show again.

— CHRISTINA W. RICHARDSON, PortFringe 2019 Review Team

It’s been years since I experienced childlike wonder at a patriotic event. The artist’s masterful clowning perfectly encapsulated the circus of todays political climate, complete with juggling the harsh realities of what is perpetrated in the name of our home with the simple pleasure and overwhelming joy of what a vast, and beautiful country we live in. Grand and simple, harsh and fair, Yay America! leaves you with an equivalent amount of discomfort as Thanksgiving with Traditional Family members – the most valuable difference is that the artist understands and so fully expresses the hurt, distrust, beauty and fear that America (as it is) can give us. I couldn’t recommend it enough.

–TARRA BOUCHARD, PortFringe 2019 Review Team

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