About the Show

Part of FringeNYC: An incredibly clumsy hospital clown is hired to entertain an acerbic fifteen year old girl, and finds the only thing that cheers her up is watching him get hurt. A play about other people's suffering and why it's hilarious.

Categories: Comedy, Drama, Local. From BITCRUSHER. Written by Dan Rider. Directed by Holly Kristina Goldstein.

FROM THE ARTIST:
Thud! is a dark comedy that follows a drug-addicted hospital clown who is hired to entertain a misanthropic teenager and finds the only thing that cheers her up is watching him get hurt. As they share pills and swap stories, they bond over banged heads and crushed fingers, but the more codependent their relationship gets, the more it begins to unravel. Scored by live Foley sound effects, Thud! asks why we enjoy watching violence, and when pain stops being funny.

Features Alexandria Churchwell, Goldie Flavelle, and Harrison Scott. Written and sound designed by Dan Rider, directed by Holly Kristina Goldstein, and produced by Allison Ciuci. Stage managed by Allison Hargrove, with scenic design by Hannah Cook, lighting design by Elizabeth M. Stewart, and fight choreography by Omri Kadim.

BITCRUSHER is a digital theater collective. We make plays and put them on the internet. Founded in 2016 by Dan Rider (Hadestown, The Wolves at Clubbed Thumb) and Holly Kristina Goldstein (Houseworld, EVE at Judson Gym) and featured in TIME OUT NEW YORK, VILLAGE VOICE, and PRIDE.COM,

BITCRUSHER is an attempt to radically democratize the theater by removing the boundaries of price and location in order to bring our productions to anyone, anywhere and by consciously casting and recruiting artists of all backgrounds, races, genders, and abilities. This summer BITCRUSHER is premiering three projects: Thud! (NYCFringe, August 2016), You're Going to Hell if You Laugh (Dixon Place, September 2016), and Perfect Fifths, a new musical. All of the productions will be available for pay-what-you-want viewing on our website after the shows close. www.bitcrushertheater.com

Critic Reviews (3)

"Directed by Holly Kristina Goldstein, 'Thud' is a would-be slapstick comedy about laughing at pain — a favorite pastime of Morley, a nasty 15-year-old whose father sends a sad clown named Tad (Harrison Scott) to amuse her in her convalescence. Tad hurts himself; Morley laughs; both of them suffer. For the audience, though, the play’s humor and humanity largely fall flat."
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"The slapstick physical humor of this show, which could easily risk being gimmicky and sometimes feels repetitive, is balanced by the provocative writing and the incredible talent of the actors…It's these performances coupled with the near constant barrage of quick-witted dialogue that really keep you on your toes...The very final moments are predictable, but the journey there is an enjoyable one…Overall, the problems of 'Thud!' are easily overlooked in light of the enjoyment it provides."
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"'Thud!' is wonderfully funny and absurdly real. Rider has written a smart story...The reason it works so well is we have experienced both sides. We have felt pain and suffering....As good as 'Thud!' is, Rider brings a lot of repetition into the fold that could be removed to make it a single act play. As it stands now, the play could conceivably end when Act I does."
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About the Show

Critic Reviews (3)

Trailer

Creative team