Kurosawa’s classic film Seven Samurai is three hours of banditry, heroics and slaughter. David Gaines, who clowns with Big Apple Circus, gets the tale told and the slaughtering done in an hour — using two masks and one costume while playing 40-plus samurai, peasants and bandits and infusing generous amounts of Merrie Melodies comedy.
“I do the crowd scenes,” he says, “by leaping from character to character in a glissando.”
The show premiered at the Capitol Fringe last summer then played an extended commercial engagement in D.C. “Imagine,” he says, “mime that isn’t pretentious and clowning that isn’t childish.”
Performed at Gabriel's Corner May 30 and June 3, 5 and 6 (see map of Fringe venues here)
