"Gnomon's Land", produced by Staged Theatre Productions, follows four clowns, all numerically named, in four vignettes that focus on each clown individually. From 00's complicated birthday party, to 30's emotional day at the office, the show offers a clown's perspective on something we all know too well, time.

To begin, Gnomon's Land is a feat of performance and direction. Following four clowns (Marshall Eglinski, Jenn Houle, Natasha Morra, Jack Walker) who speak in only gibberish and body language, each actor shows an impressive understanding of movement and physical comedy, communicating the emotional heart of the show through only their facial expressions and body movement with great success. While all incredibly strong, Jenn Houle and Marshall Eglinski stood out in particular for their effective storytelling and physical communication throughout. Of course, much of this must come from their director (Grace Fitzgerald) who uses every inch of the stage, and creates fascinating stage pictures, almost using the actors as set pieces in a way that truly works.

For the story, created by Grace Fitzgerald and Thomas Moore, it is unlikely audience members will leave truly understanding everything, especially as clown is an inherently enigmatic form of art. That being said, the emotional core comes through clearly. The show is curated to often lean closer to dance than physical theatre, and the show's message is told similar to dance performances, with great emphasis on facial expression and pace of movement to let the audience into what the clowns are feeling. It is a very compelling piece of theatre, and clearly created with much heart. As well, the lighting design (Thomas Moore) was crucial in bringing certain beats to life and truly elevated the show.

In an otherwise masterclass of silent (ish) storytelling, one of the only aspects which took me out of the performance was the projection screen which played animations while the scenes were happening. While I appreciate the reference to the Fleischer style, animated history of clown, as the actors were already doing a strong job selling the beats, it felt like a distraction from their work and took me out of their world. The idea was there, but in execution it felt unneeded.

All in all, Gnomon's Land was a strong showcase in clown storytelling, from an incredibly well picked team. The emotional beats hit, the design was strong, and the concept well executed. I'm excited to see what Staged Theatre Productions does next!

Andrea Noga, Alberta Youth Theatre Collective.