A thrifted Marie Antoinette costume, a queen who’s never worked a day in her life, and a clown who’s spent 20 years bouncing between day jobs and her real work — that’s the origin story behind The Queen, from award-winning clown Sara Kantner.
Fresh off wins at Pittsburgh Fringe and a Hollywood Fringe run, this interactive clown show puts Queen Anne the 8th on the job hunt, with the audience helping her figure out what she’s actually good at. We talked to Sara about thrift-store magic, coming to theater later than most, and why she thinks our labor doesn’t define our worth. Catch it at The Workshop on Saturday, October 3 at 2:00 PM or 8:00 PM, or Sunday, October 4 at 2:30 PM.
In your own words, what is your show about?
At its heart, The Queen pokes fun at the upper class while delighting in the stupidity of finding a job. I’m a working-class clown who has had a wide variety of jobs that have nothing to do with what I actually love for over 20 years. So many artists like myself have to work a day job to survive while we do our real work during our time away from those jobs.
Playing Queen Anne the 8th, who has never had to work and now has to find a job, gave me the freedom to showcase “skills” as the things that delight us as humans — the laughter when things don’t go quite as planned, the games we play together, and the twinkle in our eye when we’re engaged in what we love. These are the things that I believe make us good on a resume.
What sparked this piece?
In October 2025, I stumbled upon this Marie Antoinette wig and dress at a thrift store. I wore the costume to a party, and I realized that she was me and I was her. Sometimes it’s as simple as that — the universe provides.
I decided that I wanted to create a new show as a queen. Sara means princess, so it felt only fitting. Wearing the costume of the queen allowed my clown to explore breaking the rules, getting her way, and delighting in her own stupidity. I realized it could be a clown show that gets to the heart of something deeply important to me: that our labor doesn’t define our worth.
What does “Fringe” mean to you as an artist?
Fringe means the opportunity to create my own work on my own terms. I’m someone who came to theater later than most (age 28 — gasp!), so I’ve always felt a little behind and out of place. Once I stumbled into the world of Fringe, I knew where I belonged and where I wanted to be. Fringe gives me the space to create characters and shows that I want to perform and that don’t fit the typical mold.
I’ve met so many incredible artists on this Fringe journey who have inspired me with their work and supported me as I continue to build mine. Every time I take part in a Fringe festival, I meet folks who are pushing boundaries and trying something that’s out of the ordinary. It’s a special community, and I’m glad I’m here.
What do you want someone to feel — or think about differently — after seeing your show?
I want someone to feel like change is possible in our world when it comes to work. It’s probably naive and idealistic, but I hope audience members leave feeling like there is hope for those of us with jobs we dislike. We can create community and build a world where our unique skills can leave a lasting impact that doesn’t benefit shareholders and executives.
I want the audience to feel happy when they leave, too! We play a lot of games, and I hope their stomachs hurt from laughing at the stupidity of Queen Anne the 8th.
What’s been the hardest or most surprising part of making this?
The hardest part of making this show has been keeping going when it feels hard. There are always shows with small audiences and tough crowds that make the work feel more tedious and less rewarding. I always try to take something away from those shows that pushes me to grow, but I won’t lie — it’s hard! But that’s the world of theater! The audiences who truly feel impacted and have a lot of fun pull me out of those moments of defeat and make me remember why I became a clown in the first place.
As a self-producing artist, asking for help can be hard, too. I’m working on it. It takes a village, and I’m slowly building mine up to help me with this work.
Anything else you want people to know before they walk in?
The show is different every night because it’s an interactive clown show. (Don’t worry if you’re scared of clowns — think more Borat, less Bozo.) You will never be put on the spot, but you get to offer suggestions right from your seats that I then have to improvise. I think that’s what truly makes clowning special. We’re all here together for an hour, and there’s no wall between you and me. Queen Anne the 8th would love to have you in her court. I hope to see you there!
Catch The Queen at The Workshop on Saturday, October 3 at 2:00 PM or 8:00 PM, or Sunday, October 4 at 2:30 PM, as part of the 2026 Scranton Fringe Festival. Buy tickets here. Our thanks to Sara for sharing the heart behind the crown.
