Q&A with Philadelphia Fringe Artist Donna Oblongata
- What the Fringe?!
- Jul 3
- 4 min read
Artist: Donna Oblongata, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Show: The Van Gogh Shogh
It’s a sip and paint. It’s Sotheby’s. It’s karaoke night. Strap in, because whatever it is, Van Gogh is back and he has a side hustle. This is the real Van Gogh Immersive Experience. Emphasis on immersive. Donna Oblongata (Leeway Transformation Award, Jilline Ringle Solo Performance Award) is “brimming with compassion and monstrously funny” (Milwaukee Examiner). She has sold out theaters in NYC and LA and performed internationally in Slava’s Snowshow. “***** A delightfully unhinged gem of fringe theatre.” (A Shiny Life for Me) “**** An uproariously good time… side-splittingly funny” (Adventures in Theatreland). “Inspired lunacy.” (Talkin' Broadway).
What made you want to create The Van Gogh Shogh?
I'm always working from a seed of something that strikes me as funny or just kind of captures my imagination in a way that makes me laugh. A few years ago, "The Van Gogh Immersive Experience" was everywhere. So here was this random corporation supposedly "immersing" people in the world of the artist, who was a real person, who actually lived a really miserable and shitty life and never sold any work (okay, technically he sold ONE painting while he was alive for a small amount of money) and died a complete failure, and even his friends kind of barely tolerated him. But that's not what the exhibit was. It was like, a bunch of computer-generated animations of his paintings swirling around with music, where you could take a super Instagrammable selfie, with $50 tickets, making this company millions of dollars. Nothing could be further removed from Vincent Van Gogh's actual life or what he was doing artistically. To me, that was very funny and worth exploring.
What drew you to Van Gogh? And what makes him such a good clown?
I don't actually care about Van Gogh as an artist. Like, I'm not particularly a fan. But I love how shitty and miserable his life was. That makes him very easy to turn into a clown character. Also, the fact that everybody knows who he is and feels like they have some access to him-- the fact that everyone knows about the ear-- it makes it easy and fun. Like, no one has to feel like they "don't get it."
What's something about your show that's not in your press release?
I don't want to give anything away, but there are things in the show I've never seen anyone else do on stage. Having audience members learn to paint is one of them, but there are more. Also, how often do you get the opportunity not just to paint with the greatest painter to ever live, but also to sing a karaoke duet with him?
What do you hope audiences will leave with after seeing your show?
A painting!
Donna, you do more than perform; you direct and teach many clowns in Philadelphia. How does this impact your own performative work?
I do teach many clowns! I love teaching and teach a really specific pedagogy, called Pochinko Clown, or Clown Through Mask, that comes from Canada. It's super different from all the LeCoq and Gaulier stuff most people, particularly in Europe, are familiar with. Teaching clowns is great because every time I'm giving them a lesson, I'm also giving myself one. Like, I'm in the classroom too, and it's great to be reminded of what lessons are really important. Plus, students are always doing cool new surprising things and so that's always inspiring.
What aspect of clowning has challenged you the most and made you a better theatre maker?
Clown is so hard! It's like, impossibly difficult because every night is different and it's always moving. I don't surf, but I imagine it's like surfing. Like, you can train and train and train, but on some level, you're always at the mercy of the waves, the weather, your own demons and psychology, how tired you are, how you respond to surprises in the moment. It's not like, "well I checked all the boxes and said all my lines, so I get an 'A'." It's really a practice of learning to respond honestly all the time to whatever's going on both inside of you and outside of you, while also carrying on in this pretend world you're trying to get people to invest in. It's pretty complicated and definitely not easy. Though of course, we're also supposed to make it look easy. Which makes it even harder!
What is the one thing you cannot fringe without and what does that say about you?
Friends and colleagues!! Seriously. Fringe can be so lonely and exhausting without a support system. Having people to commiserate with, see shows with, and talk shop with, is what makes it doable and also super fun.
Watch Philadelphia Fringe Artist Donna Oblongata get ready for The Van Gogh Shogh:
The Van Gogh Shogh is playing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe at Assembly Rooms - Front Room, 6-30 August, 2026. Get TICKETS HERE.
Learn more about Donna and find her touring schedule on her WEBSITE.
Follow Donna:Philadelphia Fringe Artist
IG & FB: @donnaoblongata
TikTok: TT: @donna.oblongata
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