Got Problems? The Clown Therapist Will See You Now

“If we didn’t have problems, we wouldn’t grow,” says Julia Masli, before embarking on solving some doozies shared by anxiously cooperative audience members.

Part crowd-working comic, part compassionate armchair therapist, the ever-ethereal Estonia-born/London-based Masli wants to make it better.

After several critically acclaimed runs at DC’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, New York’s Soho Playhouse, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, London’s Soho Theatre, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, HA HA HA HA HA HA HA arrives at the Public Theater on May 30, running till June 22.

This heavily improvised performance piece guarantees a totally different show each night.

Masli, dressed like a manic Mary Poppins, gives a wave of her arm, which is inserted into a golden mannequin leg with a mic attached, and plucks theatergoers from their seats to divulge an issue that’s weighing on them.

At one performance, a woman confesses to not knowing how to broach a difficult conversation with her mother. Masli has her choose another theatergoer to role-play as her mom so the daughter can practice what to say.

Next, a 30ish man admits to feeling lonely, so the comedian orchestrates a group hug—with the entire audience.

Then comes the gentleman with a broken water heater, whom Masli introduces to another ticketholder who happens to be a plumber. Both men take to the stage, where the tradesman teaches the homeowner how to fix the appliance. They become background entertainment as the show continues.

Mundane. Insane. Emotional. Hysterical. This show is truly like nothing you’ve ever seen.

Straus Media spoke with Masli from London, so the busy entertainer could share what made her choose her profession, how she conceived of the show, and her gift as a problem-solver.

How did you become a clown?

I wanted to be an actress, but I was in the UK and my English was not so good to get me acting jobs or even to be accepted for training. I ended up in clown school in France. In my class, there were so many stand-ups, and they were saying to me, “Do an open mic.” The idea was terrifying at first, but then I discovered that you can do anything in the comedy world. It got me excited because of the autonomy you don’t have as an actor. You can make your work instead of waiting for someone to give you work. So, I went down that path.

What was your stand-up act? 


I was doing silent, absurd things; an unusually strange act. 


Your show is based on problem-solving. Why does that interest you?

I am very much interested in therapists, just fascinated by them. I think deep down, maybe I wanted to be one, so I started pretending that I am one in the comedy space.

Where did you get the idea for the show?

I was working on a five-minute bit for an alternative comedy open mic, and I had this idea: I’m just going to have this leg on my arm with a microphone attached, and I’m going to say, “Problem?” to [audience members]. Suddenly, they were opening up to me. Then I did it for an hour. People just kept giving so many interesting things, so I realized this is the show.

Explain more about the leg on the arm. 


I was looking in the mirror, having a crisis about what I was going to do in the gig and trying out different stuff, and I just put the leg on my arm and thought, “That looks extra strange. Let me do it.” 


Your show is so heavily improvisational. Are you ever nervous that the audience won’t cooperate? 


Every time, because I don’t know what’s going to happen. But it’s also exhilarating. I enjoy that rush of not knowing. People have been so lovely most of the time. 


It seems as though people really want somebody to talk to. 


Yes, and it instills faith in humanity again for me because people are really quick to help each other; it’s that community feeling.

Has anybody ever stated a problem that you didn’t know what to do with?

Yeah, that happens quite a lot. I get help from the audience or I Google it on stage. Or I get someone to Google it. Sometimes it can be something really difficult that people share. And sometimes someone else is going through a similar thing, and just that connection can be quite lovely. When people share something tragic, I’m aware that I need to handle that really delicately. I just try to do my best.

Ultimately, it is a comedy show, though, so do you always have to bring it back to humor?

You know, I really enjoy when it goes into serious territory. The laughter comes naturally. The love comes naturally. So, if we go into a very moving place with a problem, some other problem later on will be ridiculous again, and [the humor] takes care of itself.

Have you performed at the Public Theater before? 


Never. I’m so excited. I couldn’t feel more lucky to be able to bring the show there. And also, the space is so perfect for it because it’s semi-circular. It’s special that people are going to face each other in the audience. It will create more intimacy, and we will really feel like it’s our show together, which is what it’s about for me.

Tickets for HA HA HA HA HA HA HA are now available for all performances through June 22 on publictheater.org.

Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of the novel The Last Single Woman in New York City.