CoHo Productions presents
January 17 – 27, 2019*
WITCH HUNT
A new comedic work from the CoHo Clown CoHort, influenced by the Puritan work ethic, the Federalist Papers, current events, and also a famous play, kind of but not really.
Directed by Philip Cuomo
Featuring Sascha Blocker, Jeff Desautels, Amica Hunter, Emily Newton and Maureen Porter
All tickets are Pay What You Can
*Presented as part of the 2019 Fertile Ground Festival of New Work (January 24 – 27).
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
How did the Puritan work ethic inform our social and political institutions? How have these systems served to repress creativity? And most importantly, who can beat Satan at musical chairs?!? With extreme physical comedy and minimal dialogue, the CoHo Clown Cohort playfully examines the thrilling boundary between repression and freedom.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Supported by a Creative Heights grant from the Oregon Community Foundation, the CoHo Clown CoHort was created to cultivate an experimental ensemble of clown performers and contextualize the value of clowning in the modern theatre landscape. Previous work includes Philip’s Glass Menagerie, an adaptation of the Tennessee Williams classic exploring whether or not an emotionally intimate story can be told truthfully and powerfully through the extreme physical expression of clowning. A workshop production of PGM was presented during the 2018 Fertile Ground Festival of New Work, and received a full production in CoHo Summerfest 2018.
Philip Cuomo is a director, actor, educator, Third Rail Repertory Theatre core company member, and CoHo’s Producing Artistic Director. His recent directing credits include The (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence (CoHo Season 22),The How and The Why by Sarah Treem (CoHo Season 21), The New Electric Ballroom by Enda Walsh, Or by Liz Duffy Adams, Belleville by Amy Herzog, The Mystery of Irma Vep by Charles Ludlam and Crooked by Catherine Trieschmann (CoHo Season 18). He has created and directed multiple shows, including La Carpa Del Ausente and La Carpa Calavera for Portland’s Milagro Theatre (Drammy winner for outstanding achievement in directing), and the clown shows Pas Deux Bits, Box O’ Briefs and Exaggeration On A Theme. As an actor he has appeared at Lincoln Center, The Hartford Stage, The Civic Theatre of Central Florida, Third Rail, Artists Repertory Theatre, Shaking the Tree, and Imago Theatre. Philip is an adjunct faculty member at Portland State University teaching movement and clown, and a founder and faculty member of the Institute for Contemporary Performance.
