CIRCUS SMIRKUS

Circus Smirkus attracts all ages for ‘Oz Incorporated’

 

Troupers perform acrobatic feats for a crowd of enthusiastic onlookers during the circus’ 59th show of the summer season.
From: thedartmouth.com
By Caela Murphy, The Dartmouth Staff
August 16, 2013
Last weekend, a dry expanse of land along Route 10 known as Fullington Farm Field was transformed into a playground for the imagination. Circus Smirkus, a company comprised of troupers aged 10 to 18, set up a colorful big-top in Hanover for the weekend as part of its summer tour.
Families streamed into the tent and seated themselves on bright yellow bleachers. As circus employees distributed popcorn and cotton candy, young children were invited to sit on the floor around the center ring, where they could participate in the performance.
“For young kids, when they sit up close and there’s no distance between them and the performers, they’re transported to another world,” executive director Ed LeClair Tu ’85 said. “That’s what we’re all about.”
Andrea McCullough attended the circus Sunday at a friend’s recommendation.
“I just want to see the looks on my kids’ faces,” she said.
Children were not the only ones excited about the performance. For adults in the audience like Nancy Lowry, who came with her grandson, the circus offered a chance to relive a childhood fantasy.
“I’m excited to see the kids perform,” Lowry said. “As a kid I always thought that would’ve been the dream, to go to camp to be in the circus.”
The season’s theme is “Oz Incorporated,” a twist on “The Wizard of Oz” that involves the story’s well-known characters but is set in the future, at the Wizard’s corporation. A grand curtain at the back of the ring serves as the building’s elevator, opening and closing to transport performers on and off the stage.
In a humorous variation on the traditional plot, the Wicked Witch argues loudly on a cell phone, while Toto carries a camera to snap selfies with each new character he meets.
Creative director Jesse Dryden chose to add a twist to the classic tale to make it more interesting for the audience.
“It both keeps it fresh and allows you to instantly know the characters,” LeClair said. “It’s a way to let the audience be introduced into the show really quickly, but framing it as a company set in the future allows you to throw in some twists.”
Comedic moments and plot twists were interspersed with theatrical and acrobatic exhibitions, including juggling, body contortion and trampoline exercises.
Sunday’s show was Circus Smirkus’ 59th performance this summer, in a season of 69 shows that visit 15 towns throughout New England. LeClair estimated that 4,500 people attended the Hanover performances.
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http://thedartmouth.com/2013/08/16/arts/circus