"I want to stress it's not appropriate for little kids," Leo said, adding that the play features existential themes that would go over the heads of young children.

Leo, who has staged a number of burlesque shows in Juneau, said the play won't feature any nudity, but there will be some profanity and violence.

"But it's not gratuitous," he added.

Leo and his clown actors have fashioned a play about six siblings, called the Schrödinger kids, who have a gift to open for the holidays. Beyond this, plot descriptions get sketchy.

"We're really excited about the element of surprise," said Daniel Ungier, who is one of the performers. "(The play) is mostly scripted. It doesn't veer into total improvisation, but there are a lot of unexpected moments."

Ungier said he expects a lot of interaction with the audience, especially since the play's venue only seats 20.

"The audience is going to be really close to the performers,"he said.

Leo, who won't be acting, said the play is a conversation with the audience and that each show will be different.

"It's all about the audience,"he said.

Leo stressed that the audience shouldn't expect to see clowns with silly or grotesque makeup. He said the play is character-based and "not silliness-driven."

"These clowns won't have face makeup," Leo said. "They're more down-to-Earth. They're still strange, but they're strange in a weird human way."