In a world where the Clowns have all the power, and everybody else is charged with terrorism, meet Mario Garfias: recent high school graduate, restaurant prep cook, and, a wielder of a weapon of mass destruction: a bucket of rotten beans. Step right up to Mario’s trial, where logic dissolves, language is weaponized, and the young defendant confronts not only the absurdity of the charges against him, but learns that his secret criminal intentions, unknown even to him, must be punished by a bunch of clowns. Drawing on absurdist theatrical traditions while speaking directly to contemporary immigration policies, THE BEAN TRIAL CIRCUS reenacts clown systems of clown power. It’s disturbingly comic and darkly familiar—a carnival of justice where truth takes a back seat to spectacle.
April 24 - May 10, 2026
1350 San Pablo St
Los Angeles, CA 90033
The Clowns
Melanie Reese
Jonathan C.K. Williams
Sophie Goldstein
Raul Vega Martinez
The Accused
José Cervantes
Understudy: Brandon Valdez
cast
playwright
Tamadhur Al-Aqeel
director
Tanya Kane-Parry
Sophia Hernández
Sound & Video Design
Luis J. Cortes
Lighting Design
Chloe Belle Marquez
Costume Design

