06/07 season
created and performed by geoff sobelle and trey lyford
directed by aleksandra wolska
the roda theatre
november 24–december 23, 2006
running time: 75 minutes, no intermission
wear a bowler to the theatre and receive a special treat—free!
the show
watch the trailer
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In the tradition of Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton and Samuel Beckett, all wear bowlers is brimming with hilarious entertainment. These clowns may come from the era of silent films, but they’ve left a deafening trail of laughter across Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States. See what happens when they tumble out of their movie and into a wacky world without gravity. It’s an uproarious romp, a holiday treat that opens on the day after Thanksgiving and runs until Christmas Eve.
the artists
Drawing on their mutual love for silent films, vintage vaudeville and stage magic, Geoff Sobelle and Trey Lyford created bowlers and rolled it around the world.
the buzz
“Singularly inventive and surreal…a constant parade of classic slapstick, elegant pratfalls and rigorous sleight of hand…easily the most funny and original show this year.”—New York Times
“Deftly executed classic comic shtick…A slapstick meditation on Beckett’s Godot, filtered through a loving tribute to Laurel and Hardy, with occasional touches borrowed from Magritte…Packs a considerable amount of pleasure into a beguiling 75 minutes.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“HILARIOUS…Hats off to bowlers…Insanely wonderful—heartwarming in all the right ways, elegantly performed and leaving you breathlessly in awe…Some of the most wonderfully fresh and entertaining clowning you’ll ever see…It is a safari into silliness that everyone wants to take!”—Contra Costa Times
“EXTRAORDINARY…Imagine Waiting for Godot crossed with a Laurel and Hardy short and you have the essence of bowlers, a 75-minute excursion into absurdity…Completely accessible, often hilarious…Clowning is often derided as kids’ stuff, but in all wear bowlers, there’s an art to making grown-ups ponder mortality while making them laugh like 10 year-olds.”—Oakland Tribune
”The upshot: A new, spit-up funny take on old-school vaudeville tramps, this is absurdity as antidote for reality.”—San Jose Mercury News
“HILARIOUS! A fabulously comic romp that merges the Absurdist theatre of the ‘50s with the silent films of the ‘20s and ‘30s…These 75 minutes whip by too fast in a blur of helpless, teary laughter.”—East Bay Express
add value—free events
free docent presentations
Free docent presentations offer a look inside each play and its development at Berkeley Rep. A 30-minute presentation takes place one hour before every Tuesday and Thursday 8PM performance.
These presentations are made possible by support from American Express.
post-show discussions
Post-show discussions take place on November 30, December 8 and December 12. Stick around for a lively 30-minute Q&A with the cast or other company members.
photo by Greg Costanzo
press photos
production sponsor
The Mechanics Bank
season sponsors
