A one-man autobiographical show about clowns? The premise of "Humor Abuse," now playing at the Mark Taper Forum, is not exactly promising, even if the circus is now "in" (see: the "Pippin" revival currently playing on Broadway).

Somehow, though, Lorenzo Pisoni's account of growing up in the shadow of his clown father, Lorenzo Pickles, is an engaging and affecting story that leaves the audience wiser, emotionally sated, and a tad sadder, for all the laughs it provides.

Though Pisoni swears up and down that he's not funny, he is, indeed, one funny guy, and effortlessly delivers every gag required by the story, from physical comedy to mimetic facial expressions to physically transforming himself into the clown personas of both his father and his younger self. The story, which Pisoni created with director Erica Schmidt, outlines Pisoni's life, from his days as an infant, literally trying to run away from the family business, to strutting into the circus ring with his father as a boy, through taking over his father's job at the tender age of 11, and then finally to working once again with his father at the end of his clowning career.

The focus in any one-man show is, inescapably, the one man. While they are all effective enough, the technical elements fall by the wayside as the audience intensely focuses on the lone actor on stage. Happily, Pisoni is more than capable of keeping the audience engaged for the show's 90 minutes. There's something remarkable about how "Humor Abuse" affects the audience, simultaneously transporting us back to the carefree days of childhood while letting us remain very aware of the gritty reality that accompanies adulthood. For every gleeful moment of Pisoni trotting on stage and pretending to juggle as a toddler, there's an equally moving moment where the audience gets a peek into the less-than-perfect personal lives of Larry Pisoni and Peggy Snider, Lorenzo's parents. (By the way, if the Snider moniker sounds familiar, it might be because Lorenzo's sister, Gypsy Snider, choreographed the circus elements of the aforementioned "Pippin" revival.)

"Humor Abuse" doles out laughter and sadness in equal measure, making it a powerful piece. As the audience is invited into Lorenzo Pisoni's introspection, we can't help but empathize with Pisoni—even if we haven't had the exact same experiences as he has (after all, few people can say they are as adept at falling down stairs as he is), his words and performance paint such a detailed picture of universal emotions that we know exactly what he's talking about.

"Humor Abuse" is playing through November 3 at the Mark Taper Forum (135 N. Grand Ave, Los Angeles). Tickets are $20-$70. For more information, visit CenterTheatreGroup.org.

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