←Recommendations of Sex Lives of Circus Freaks

This character-driven comedy had me at the title and only got better from there! On the meta-level, it's a super engaging script: what is the "typical clown story?" Is this a subversion, or do we just think it is? On the technical and craft level, it's a downright hoot! The dialogue is consistently hilarious, with a few fantastic, laugh-out-loud zingers. It has great roles for an older actress and a young girl - in fact, there isn't a single small role in the play. Ultimately, it's filled with a surprising amount of pathos for a backstage comedy about clown yearning!

Be a clown, be a clown! Or not! Jacquie Floyd-Priskorn gives us a comic gem of life backstage at The Greatest Show on Earth. The dialogue is rapid fire and funny as all get out! And there’s an urgency to the story as a young clown must decide whether to go for a less ideal version of her dream. So enjoyable as it stands, and yet I can’t help hoping this story will continue!

Turns out SEX LIVES OF CIRCUS FREAKS is the reverse circus story of a clown who wants to run away from the big top. The dressing room, post-show talk is salty and hilarious. Who doesn’t want inclusion into off-duty clowns commiserating? And I love Ginger the Clown’s / Cathleen’s breaking of the rules - symbolically and literally having outgrown her kid show. Her growing pains of wanting a family and a life of her own are palpable and balance the cynical humor of Grandma Rags/ Rebekah. Hurry hurry step right up to Floyd-Priskorn's fine stage work!

In a marvelous juxtaposition of the "typical?" circus clown experience, Floyd-Priskorn's one-act provides mirth and hilarity in spades. The interplay between Cathleen and Rebekah (as well as their manager) is filled with the literal perfect amount of sass, and would be so much fun for actors and audiences alike. Love (or escape) really does hit us when we least expect it, doesn't it?

Sometimes I'm drawn to and purchase a bottle of wine just because the label attracted me, only to be let down by sub standard wine. Equally I was drawn to this play by its title, but inside I enjoyed a sophisticated glass of dark humour, subtle notes of sarcasm and a full body of young love. I enjoyed Rebekahs character the most as she has the funniest lines, and cheeky Cassidy is a delight. Pop the cork to this vintage Floyd-Priskorn and enjoy its suble notes!

Most takes on "The Happiest Place on Earth" usually are about the how un-happy the people who work there are, for various reasons. Cathleen and Rebekah are two examples of circus employees, this time clowns, who show us both sides of the time spectrum. Rebekah is a life whose dreams died with each paycheck and Cathleen not quite there and who dreams of another life elsewhere. Floyd's has dealt us a sharp and insightful tale about never giving up on your dreams even if you've grown accustomed to the smile that's painted on your face.

Don't run away from this early gem from Jacquie Floyd-Priskorn. Like viewing a soap opera through a funhouse mirror, we meet a couple of lovable clowns for whom one is looking for love in all the wrong places, namely, her audience. Luckily, a real audience WILL fall in love with these clowns, and who knows, maybe true love for this piece will blossom.