A Four-Act Ritual Clown Epic

2 hours with intermission • Solo clown theatre • Folklore, mythcraft, and sacred foolishness

Overview

Omong Kosong — Indonesian for empty talk or playful nonsense — is a full-length ritual clown theatre work by Jusby the Clown, weaving together folklore, personal myth, audience-responsive play, and physical transformation.

Across four distinct one-acts, the piece moves from Indonesian trickster tales through autobiographical myth-making, into volcanic emotional catharsis, and finally into a movement-based ritual of endurance and transcendence.

Funny, vulnerable, surreal, and mythopoetic, Omong Kosong explores how we communicate, miscommunicate, improvise meaning, and stumble our way toward connection.

Performed at:
• Coho Clown Festival – Portland, OR (Sep 2024)
• Punch Projects – Thorp, WA (Oct 2025)
• Robinwood Station – West Linn, OR (Aug 2024 & 2025)

Structure

A complete evening performance with intermission:
Total Runtime: ~2 hours (four acts + 10–15 minute intermission)

THE FOUR ACTS

Act I — Kancil & Harimau

A reimagined Javanese folktale where the clever mousedeer Kancil outwits the hungry tiger Harimau. This opening act blends clown logic, shadow-puppet influence, Indonesian cultural reference, and physical comedy.
Themes: trickster intelligence, survival, cunning, the unreliable narrator.

Act II — The Tale of the Twice Lost Tooth

A personal myth centered around a childhood memory, loss, transformation, and the ridiculous dignity of growing up crooked. Absurd sincerity meets mischievous tenderness as the clown reconstructs the emotional archaeology of a tiny missing tooth.
Themes: memory, identity, embarrassment, belonging, self-invention.

Act III — Kraken-Ka

An eruptive, mythic, emotionally raw act blending clown tragedy, volcanic imagery, and a Lovecraftian-meets-folkloric monster tale. Kraken-Ka is both creature and mirror — a symbolic eruption of shame, grief, power, and empathy.
Themes: chaos, release, transformation, shadow integration.

Act IV — The Giant Leap: 10,000 Hops

A ritual of movement, breath, repetition, and endurance. The clown attempts the impossible, fails, restarts, recalibrates, and continues through 10,000 metaphorical hops — a meditation on perseverance, futility, absurd victory, and shared humanity.
Themes: resilience, communal witnessing, transcendence, ritual comedy.

Audience Experience

Omong Kosong invites the audience into a space where nonsense reveals emotional truth and silliness becomes a doorway to sincerity. Viewers describe the experience as:

“Part clown act, part bard, funny and thought provoking. Whatever you’re expecting, it’s not that”

“A unique blend of personal history, social commentary, universal wisdom all wrapped in the stories from the Spice Islands. Jusby brings deep vulnerability to his performance, using the folk tales of his Indonesian heritage to share glimpses of his 70’s childhood, and his later experiences working with other people’s children. The gentle humor of these stories is deceptive. This is art as a healing practice.The most impressive piece of the show was his transformation of a modern day tragedy into an experience of public grief. It’s easy to look at this offering as just a clown with a lot of props. That would be missing the true genius on display.”

“It was really unexpected”

“We generally have live musical performances for our afternoon programming, so it was a real treat to experience Jusby in our rural art space in central Washington. Who knew how enchanting Indonesian folks tales could be when interpreted through the lens of a clown. Jusby had us on the edge of our seats through their theatrics and animated storytelling.” -Justin Gibbens/ PUNCH

Technical Requirements

Minimal tech — highly portable, solo touring ready.

Space:

Ideal stage area: 10’ x 12’ (flexible)
Works in black box theaters, gallery floors, OCF stages, outdoor spaces

Lights:

Basic wash or single spotlight
Optional red/blue cues for Act III (Kraken-Ka)

Sound:

Portable speaker or house system
Optional tracks provided (or entirely acoustic)

Props:

Small set bag
Tooth object
Fabric pieces
Movement space for Act IV

Crew:

None required (optional light op)

Booking Formats

Full Evening (Recommended)

2 hours with intermission — complete four-act performance.

Four-Part Modular Version

Each act can be presented as a standalone 20–30 minute one-act, suitable for:

festival series
OCF programming
cabarets
multi-artist nights
educational suites
pop-up performances

Adapted Festival Cut (45 minutes)

A curated combination of material from Acts I–IV, tailored to time-restricted venues.

Residency Package

Performance + workshops:

Humor Empowerment
LEGO Mindfulness
Cootie Catcher Rituals
Storytelling & Clowncraft
Movement & Presence

Suitability

Ideal for:

performing arts centers
fringe-adjacent curated slots
clown & physical theatre festivals
Oregon Country Fair (evening programming or serial one-acts)
community storytelling stages
universities & cultural studies departments
galleries & alternative spaces
late-night ritual comedy sets
residencies & retreats

Audience: All ages 12+ (with adjustable tone for younger audiences)

Artist Bio (Short)

Jusby the Clown is a multidisciplinary performer, storyteller, facilitator, and sacred fool blending Indonesian folklore, clowning, humor-based emotional intelligence, ritual play, and physical theatre. His work has been presented at Coho Clown Festival, Punch Projects, and venues across the Pacific Northwest.

Booking Contact

To book Omong Kosong for your festival, theater, community event, or residency:
Email: [your email]
Website: https://jusbytheclown.com
Or use the contact form below.