CLOWN BAR
May 2 - 17, 2025
WRITTEN by Adam Szymkowicz
DIRECTED by Epic Jones
Clown Bar will plunge you into a gritty, darkly hilarious underworld where the gangsters wear greasepaint and every punchline could be your last. This outrageous neo-noir play follows former clown turned cop Happy Mahoney as he’s dragged back to the seedy dive he once called home in order to solve his brother’s murder.
SPEAKEASY TAKEOVER!
Give the password at the door as we transform the WSSR into a speakeasy! The bar will be open starting 1 hour before each performance. Come early to have a drink, mingle with the clowns, and experience a variety of Clown Cabaret acts!
DRESS UP AS A CLOWN!
Audience members who come dressed as clowns get $5 of Clown Cash good toward anything at the bar!
TICKETS
Free Public Access Tickets are available for reservation starting 1 week prior to show time.
Early Access Tickets are available ahead of time with a WSSR Membership.
““A perfect storm of ridiculousness… it’s weird how well this works.””
““Szymkowicz has created a new world out of old parts, breeding a brand new species of creative animal. He is, in fact, making his own rules – and the pleasure of obeying them is all ours””
““Clown Bar is a raucously good time.””
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
ADAM SZYMKOWICZ
ADAM SZYMKOWICZ’s plays include Deflowering Waldo, Pretty Theft, Food For Fish, Hearts Like Fists, Incendiary, Clown Bar, The Why Overhead, Adventures of Super Margaret, 7 Ways To Say I Love You, Rare Birds, Marian Or The True Tale of Robin Hood, Kodachrome, Mercy, The Book Store, Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, The Parking Lot, The Night Children, Clown Bar 2, The Wooden Heart, Stockholm Syndrome, 100 Things I Never Said To You, 100 Love Letters I Never Sent and Nerve.
He was the premiere Resident Playwright at The Chance Theater in Anaheim, CA and the first playwright to participate in Bloomington Playwrights Projects’ Square One Series. He has been to The Orchard Project, Green Gulch, and to JAW at Portland Center Stage, served twice as Playwright in Residence at the William Inge Center, and twice as a Dramatists Guild Fund’s Traveling Masters. Szymkowicz received two grants from the CT Commission on Culture & Tourism, and has been commissioned by South Coast Rep, Rising Phoenix Rep, Texas State University, The NOLA Project, Single Carrot Theater, Majestic Rep, The Chance Theater and Flux Theater Ensemble.
Adam received a Playwright’s Diploma from The Juilliard School's Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program and an MFA from Columbia University where he was the Dean’s Fellow. Szymkowicz is a two-time Lecomte du Nouy Prize winner, a member of the Dramatists Guild, Writer’s Guild of America, and was a member of Primary Stages’ Dorothy Strelsin New American Writer’s Group, the MCC Playwright’s Coalition and of the very first Ars Nova Play Group.
He has interviewed over 1000 playwrights on his blog.
SHOW TIMES
COMING SOON!
Running Time: 90 Minutes
PUBLIC ACCESS THEATER
WE BELIEVE EVERYONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THEATER…
Here’s how it works:
1. We make all of our tickets FREE
2. You help us do it by DONATING
This simple, yet powerful approach makes sure everyone can attend!
DONATE
Although tickets are free, it still costs $10,000 - $20,000 to put on one our shows.
Part of our budget goes to the actors, some of whom work for over 120 hours.
If you Become a Member or Add A Donation to your free tickets, you will support Public Access Theater and help us make sure everyone in our community can come to the show!
BECOME A MEMBER
When you become a WSSR Member, you are partnering with us to support Public Access Theater and make sure everyone can come to the show!
With a WSSR Membership, you can reserve more than 2 tickets at a time!
Plus, you get things like early access to tickets, guaranteed seats, WSSR merch, invites to special events, and more!
CONTENT INFO
CLOWN BAR has clowns but ain’t for young kids. It contains profanity and sexual situations.
For specific information about the content, please contact us.
CHILDREN
CHILDREN
Children age 5+ are welcome at the WSSR as long as they can sit quietly and watch the show. If your child becomes a distraction, you may be asked to step into the lobby.
Children under the age of 5 will not be admitted
For more info please visit wssr.org/planyourvisit
ACCESSIBILITY
WSSR has an open single-level layout with no ramps or stairs. Our theater seats are moveable and can easily accommodate wheelchairs. When reserving tickets, let us know your needs and we will do our best to accommodate you.
For more info please visit wssr.org/planyourvisit
HEALTH SAFETY
If you aren’t feeling well or are experiencing symptoms of illness, please stay home.
RUNNING TIME
60 Minutes
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Profanity + Sexual Situations
Map + Directions
CONTENT ADVISORY
The West Side Show Room believes in freedom of expression and we present all works in their entirety. We encourage people of all ages to expose themselves to a wide range of art, and to engage in critical discussions about the content they encounter. For specific information about the language, content, and effects in a particular production, please contact us.