At first glance, “AQUÍ O ALLÁ: a circus story” is a clown show. Red-nosed actors perform gravity-defying acrobatics, other performers ride unicycles and the word ‘circus’ in the title is certainly appropriate. But on a deeper level, the production has immense artistic value.
The show is the Actors Gymnasium’s Winter Circus and is directed by Raquel Torre and produced in association with La Vuelta Theatre Lab. In the Actors Gymnasium’s theater in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, the audience is inches away from the stage, heightening the suspense of the acrobatics and the poignancy of the acting.
Torre said she began developing the show over a decade ago with Jean Carlos Claudio, who plays one of the main characters. Since then, they created the show “Memorabilia” with Teatro Vista Productions, for which they collaborated with sound designer and composer Satya Jnani Chávez.
She said she knew she wanted to work with Chávez again and spotlighted their musical talents in “AQUÍ O ALLÁ: a circus story.”
Chávez creates live loops, plays guitar, sings and plays an onstage role in the show, all of which build a strong connection between the performance and its music. Rather than background or accompaniment, their performance consistently feels like a heavily involved part of the show that is equally as responsible as the actors for storytelling.
Like acrobatics, the improvised nature of live looping gives each performance its own unique touch.
Another layer of production is the Actors Gymnasium Teen Ensemble, who provide a stark contrast to the main characters’ clown costumes. The ensemble wears neon green shirts, black suit jackets and bright pink swim caps, contributing to an intentional visual chaos that lends itself to the circus atmosphere.
The costumes provide a juxtaposition with the show’s plot in a way that Torre described as “a little bit of a twisted aesthetic.” While the show is brightly colored and consistently humorous, its central theme is strong.
Torre said the main characters are called “dislocados” because they have been dislocated and are homeless. Despite this, the characters confront their situation with optimism and comedy.
“This is a show about these characters who don’t have a house, they arrive anywhere, and they create their home out of nothingness,” Torre said. “But they don’t see themselves as unfortunate; they don’t see themselves in the lens of poverty.”
Although most of the show has a humorous tone, there is a striking moment towards the end when the dislocados’ belongings are taken from them by law enforcement. The silence in the theater is palpable when the characters see that the little livelihood they built for themselves has been destroyed, and suddenly the show’s levity collapses.
This scene naturally invites a reflection on how society treats the “dislocados” of real life. The law enforcement, which theoretically exists to serve its community, is ultimately what caused the characters the most harm.
Torre described this treatment as “heartbreakingly timely,” and the acting truly drives the issue home with clarity. The actors’ expressions are amplified by their vibrant, heavy makeup, one of many ways the show follows clown tradition.
While Chávez’s live looping is what ties the production together, the actors’ closeness to the audience is what draws the viewer in. On top of that, the actors move through the aisles a number of times during the show, even bringing some onstage for a dinner scene. With the fourth wall broken, the audience is thrown into the story and the themes are especially clear.
“I think this is, for me, the first version of the new version,” Torre said. “I am excited to continue developing it, because my head is still full of curiosity.”
“AQUÍ O ALLÁ: a circus story” will be performed at the Actors Gymnasium’s space in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center on Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. until March 22.
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— The Actors Gymnasium celebrates 30 years of circus, spectacle and community
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