Take Me To Your Leader
Performed by Monel
Friday, October 16 @ 8:00
Saturday, October 18 @ 6:30
Doors 30 min before Showtime
Tickets $20-40
What does it mean to lead, to worship, or to seek perfection — especially when the mirror keeps changing shape?
In Take Me to Your Leader: The Seoul of a Clown, Corean-born, Pacific Northwest–based performance artist Monel dives headfirst into a kaleidoscopic exploration of beauty, power, and the absurd rituals of becoming.
Part pansori opera, part clown confession, part K-beauty séance, this solo performance unfolds like a fever dream across three acts. We meet a traditional pansori singer, steeped in ancient song and wonder; a K-beauty devotee, consumed by an altar of serums, snails, and sheet masks; and a self-proclaimed dictator, leading a birthday party for themself with military precision and toddler rage. Each character teeters between the sacred and the ridiculous, revealing how rituals of transformation — whether spiritual, aesthetic, or political — can both liberate and imprison us.
Through meticulous physicality, voice, and gesture, Chang conjures a world where skincare becomes salvation, laughter becomes resistance, and a dictator’s parade dissolves into a child’s tantrum. With cues of light, sound, and scent, the stage transforms into a surreal landscape of shifting identities — from vanity table to battlefield, from face mask to flag.
At once hilarious and haunting, The Seoul of a Clown interrogates the myth of perfection — in beauty, in heritage, and in leadership — while celebrating the messy, clownish heart that beats beneath it all. Drawing from Korean folk traditions, contemporary clowning, and the heightened absurdity of global pop culture, Chang builds a world where the search for “flawless skin” mirrors the search for self, and where even dictators might cry under their makeup.
The result is a sensorial and spiritual satire — a ritual of laughter, longing, and self-recognition. Whether you leave glowing, weeping, or simply moisturized, Take Me to Your Leader: The Seoul of a Clown promises an unforgettable night at the edge of comedy and catharsis.
Monel (all pronouns) is a Corean-born, Portland-based multidisciplinary artist, movement educator, and physician. As MoldyMelon Productions, she creates comedic works that blur the lines between memoir, satire, and interactive theatre. Rooted in durational performance since 2010, Monel has expanded their repertoire to weave contact improvisation, butoh dance, and theatrical clowning into both performance and pedagogy. They have presented solo work at prominent venues including Portland Center Stage, 18th Street Arts Center, Sh'bang Arts Festival, Earthdance Creative Living, Secret Seed Studio, and the Electric Lodge. Recent mileposts include the debut of her first full-length solo show, Take Me To Your Leader, at Shaking the Tree in December 2025, followed by their second solo work, DOTTER, premiered at CoHo Productions in June 2026.
All Church of Clown events are NOTAFLOF. Please email Sophia at Sophia@churchofclown.org for questions about volunteering, work trade, or scholarships.