Molly Brennan

WHAT Brennan stars as Harpo in Animal Crackers, the 1928 Marx Brothers comedy
WHEN Sept 18–Oct 25
WHERE Goodman Theatre, 170 N Dearborn St (312-443-3800, goodmantheatre.org)

Molly Brennan, the female third of performance trio 500 Clown, takes on another iconic clown this fall, playing the Harpo role in the Marx Brothers musical Animal Crackers at the Goodman Theatre. It’s a casting choice that sparked some hubbub on theater blogs when it was announced earlier this year (some commenters were questioning the idea of a woman in Harpo’s trench coat). In her words, Brennan explains how she got the part.

“Henry [Wishcamper, director] and Adam [Belcuore, Goodman casting director] called 500 Clown to have a discussion with us about what the casting pool was in Chicago for a piece like this and also any thoughts that we might have about doing the Marx Brothers, because we’re a trio and a lot of our press materials reference the Marx Brothers.

“One of them said to me, ‘Would you be interested in being in the show?’ I told Adam I didn’t think there was a part for me, and he said, ‘What about Harpo?’ I was like, ‘Oh, oh yeah! Whoa!’ I knew I could play Harpo, but that the Goodman Theatre might consider that? Whoa.

“They went to New York, and I figured they’d find somebody there. But Adam called me from the airport on the way back and offered me the role. It really felt like a gift. So that was the process: Them saying, ‘You want this?’ And me saying, ‘You’re never going to give it to me!’ And then they did.

“It’s intimidating. There’ve been a lot of people on blogs saying, ‘What’s this skirt doing in this role?’ The people who are up in arms about it, I think, aren’t familiar with me and my work. I have confidence that I’m able to do it. It’ll take a lot of work, connecting to Harpo’s physicality but not making it look like an imitation, having it live and breathe.

“The concern that I was hearing is that this was some feminist agenda…. The deal is, I was the best one for the role. It’s not like they wanted a girl to play the part and I was that girl. They saw men, too. And it’s a mute role, of course. I hope that, if my name wasn’t in the program, people wouldn’t be able to tell if it was a guy or a girl. I certainly don’t have a feminist agenda in playing the role.

“That movie that everybody’s seen? [Animal Crackers] was a stage script, and [the Marx Brothers] changed things all the time. Their routines have precision, but there was a lot of improvisation, too. How many people are going to sit down and expect to see the film? That’s not what they’re going to get. I think it’s very exciting, but I also understand that there are these purists—Marx Brothers purists? Are you kidding me? Those guys were anarchists; they were crazy; they were awesome. They weren’t stuffy.

“500 Clown, and all the work we get through that, that’s the bulk of what I do. Every once in a while I get called, because of my specificity, to do other stuff—‘We need the 40-year-old punk-rock girl. Molly Brennan, that’s her!’ But I don’t audition a lot; I don’t really have that kind of actor life. So this is exciting. I mean, it’s the Goodman. Being in a big theater is sexy. Usually when I’m in a big theater like that, I’m doing my own work. It’ll be a nice change to just have a director and a script.” —As told to Kris Vire

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