FRINGE REVIEW: Gardi Hutter's JOAN OF ARPpO

(PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS REVIEW ARE COPYRIGHT © 2007 BY PHOTOGRAPHER JIM MOORE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. USED BY PERMISSION.)


I saw Gardi Hutter's show yesterday, and can highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. The show is original, creative, playful, physical, and downright wonderful. You should definitely see it if you have the opportunity.

Gardi starts with a simple concept-- a set of washing machines on stage, and a large pile of clothes. Enter Gardi as an old washerwoman lady-- clown nose and stuffed body. She notices us and is slightly surprised by us, but then goes about her business. She reads a little from her book JOAN OF ARC & OTHER HEROINES, and starts to let her imagination go. By the end of the show she's fought in a war, caused the destruction of innocents, created and destroyed a golem made of clothes and a washerwoman's tub, and entertained the entire audience. In between she's explored a number of different comedy ideas, including getting stuck in her washer-tub, getting stuck in the washing machine, walking a tightrope/clothesline, and infinite hilarious variations on clothing and laundry gags.

Part of what makes Gardi's clowning so wonderful is her inventiveness and her openness. She takes simple ideas and makes them understandable, but does it in a way that continually surprises and delights. At the end of the show I was sitting there feeling inspired, and trying to figure out how I can make my show more like her show. And that is one of the best compliments that I can pay to this show-- it gives you license to let your imagination run wild.

Click on one of the dates listed below to purchase tickets online.

JOAN OF ARPpO
Gardi Hutter
Writer: Gardi Hutter - Ferruccio Cainero
Director: Ferruccio Cainero
Sloppy laundry woman dreams of becoming a heroine like Jeanne d'Arc, but lacking worthy enemies, she transforms her washhouse into a grotesque battlefield. A tragicomic parable of the today world with a tousled, fury, nasty, touching and poetic female clown.
1h 10m Lugano Switzerland Clown/Mask Solo Show
VENUE #2: The Cherry Lane Theatre
www.gardihutter.com
Sat 11 @ 9:30
Wed 15 @ 5
Thu 16 @ 9:30
Thu 23 @ 2:30
Sat 25 @ 12