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Three clowns with the force of 500 compete for the king's crown.

Tuesday Jul 03, 2007.     By Kate Rockwood

Theater Feed

"500 Clown Macbeth" begins when members of the audience spin around in their seats, craning their necks to get a glimpse of the clowns tangled in the overhead scaffolding at the back of the stage. The clowns—not 500 people but a mere three who perform with the energy of 500—caw and bray and pop their mouths as they slither and tumble toward the stage. You don't so much figure out what is going on as you give in to it.

The three clowns are Shank, a self-deprecating, oafish clown played by Paul Kalina; Kevin, played by Molly Brennan, who imbues the show with a sort of underground sexuality and promise of play; and Bruce, a bossy, blustery clown played by Adrian Danzig. For 80 uninterrupted minutes (and really, how could you have an intermission in a play such as this?), they tear the script, the set and themselves to bits and somehow snuggle up to the heart of the Scottish play in the process.

Marrying wild physicality and razor-sharp wit, the three clowns compete for the king's crown, a yellow stage light that dangles just out of reach overhead, first by persuasion then through team work and finally with bloody fist fights. Think less Bozo hair and fake red noses and more spiky punk rock pink hair and fake red blood (wonderfully deployed in a scene which, even an hour into this off-kilter roller coaster still manages to shock and delight).

"500 Clowns Macbeth" runs through July 29 at Steppenwolf Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday; 5 & 9 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $20-$50.