Circus summer camp provides safe environment for youth to learn to fly
Photo by Kate Tabor
EVANSTON, IL- This summer, The Actors Gymnasium (AG) will offer Circus and Performing Arts Camps (CPAC) at their space in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center. The camps are perfect for young performers who want to strengthen, stretch, and flex their creative muscles and learn circus and aerial skills that include juggling, tumbling, trapeze, tightwire, and stilts.
"Kids who started the summer with no confidence or experience [were] transformed by the time of the camp show into beaming performers." says former board member and camp parent Peggy Nelson.
Each day is structured with a warm-up, followed by training and workshops in circus, drama, and movement. Each week is capped by talent shows, skills contests, and fun-filled field trips to local beaches or water parks. Each session of camp culminates with a circus-theatre performance where campers gain hands-on experience creating and performing in these shows.
Camp director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi is a second generation circus performer who grew up touring with various circuses, including Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus. She also performed at The Circus World Championships in London, England. In 1990 she moved to Chicago and began her career as a circus teacher and choreographer. Sylvia is a co-founder of The Actors Gymnasium and an Artistic Associate of The Lookingglass Theatre Company. Other theater credits include The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Children's Theater, Marriott Theater, and The Steppenwolf Theatre, among others. She recently won the 3Arts award for design, and she has been nominated for five Joseph Jefferson Awards for her choreography, winning four.
AG has provided children in the community with a fun, safe environment to grow and learn through summer camps for 18 years, starting as part of the Evanston Art Center's Summer Art Camps.
To ensure that all youth have the chance to experience camp, The Actors Gymnasium offers financial assistance to those in need through donations by individual donors, family foundations and governmental entities. Scholarship information is available at the Scholarships tab.
Registration for the youth summer camp is open to boys and girls ages 9 to 15. Registration started on December 3, 2014 at noon. All registrations take place online. The first session of camp will begin June 15 and end on July 10, with performances of alternating casts on July 9 and 10. Second session will begin July 13 and end on August 7, with performances of alternating casts on August 6 and 7.For more information, visit www.actorsgymnasium.org or call (847)328-2795
About The Actors Gymnasium
The Actors Gymnasium is a professional Circus & Performing Arts Organization with over 18 years of experience providing premiere instruction and entertainment to the Chicagoland area. At The Actors Gymnasium, people Learn To Fly- physically, emotionally, and creatively.
The Actors Gymnasium is located at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes Street, Evanston, IL - just off of the Noyes purple line 'L' stop. For additional information on The Actors Gymnasium's innovative classes, class descriptions, and performances, please visit www.actorsgymnasium.org or call 847-328-2795
A Strange New Circus to Take Over Chicago
Acclaimed performer Dean Evans in Circuscope Photo by Cole Simon
EVANSTON, IL - Circuscope, a theatre production unlike any other, opens February 14 at The Actors Gymnasium. Acclaimed Chicago performer and headliner, Dean Evans, describes Circuscope as "one of the most unique shows I've worked on in my 10 years in Chicago [and] visually incredibly different than any other circus I've ever even seen."
Assistant stage manager Lesley Fisher agrees, "I just don't think the general population has much experience with circus in this vein. They think of big top. They think of animals. They don't think of stuff like this. But, this is telling a human story through circus. This is telling a story using circus elements in ways that you didn't even know they could be used."
Enthralled by the extraordinary shapes and sizes of life, the creators of The Actors Gymnasium Winter Circus will explore a fascinating world on the other side of the microscopic lens. Directed by spectacle-theatre veteran Vanessa Stalling,
Circuscope will transport audiences through surprising acrobatics, mime, live music and other-worldly design.
The show follows an Alice in Wonderland-type journey of two clowns, played by Evans and Molly Plunk. "Originally, I just wanted to explore the idea of not being a human character, of being just an organism, an amoeba or a blob or whatever;" explains Evans, "and I started thinking about what's called a tardigrade, or a water bear, as an inspiration, which is just a little tiny microscopic organism that simply survives by being almost indestructible. That was very interesting to me, especially from a clown perspective, of being a character that is neither a human or any type of life size thing - just a blob that is existing."
The setting continues this abstract concept. "We aren't sure where or what place in time or space we are or if we are even on this planet. One character is a dot. One character is a tardigrade. One is this kind of air plant/aloe plant looking creature that morphs into a beautiful butterfly. There are all kinds of different creatures in this world," states Plunk.
The uniqueness extends to the costumes. "I just finished this really intense fringe costume that is inspired by Nick Cave's sound suits," says costume designer Delia Ridenour. "We wanted it to be this huge head-to-toe unitard covered in fringe, that really illustrates and accentuates body movement with every turn and move of [the performer]. The costume waves like crazy. Its awesome."
Circuscope also incorporates some of the great spectacle and flare that people are used to seeing at The Actors Gymnasium. From physical theatre perfection, to vigorous rope acts, to stunning black light moments; the cast and crew promises that the audience can expect numerous delightful surprises.
"This is my first experience with circus," admits Fisher, "Not only is it really amazing and beautiful to watch, but it's accessible. We're telling a story that everyone can relate to."
Circuscope performances run February 14 - March 22, with shows at 7:30 pm on Fridays, 4:30 and 7:30 pm on Saturdays and 3:00 pm on Sundays (No 4:30 show on 2/14). Tickets can be purchased through www.actorsgymnasium.org. There are a limited number of tickets available for each performance and tickets are first come, first served. Check early for the best selection.
In addition to Dean Evans and Molly Plunk, Circuscope features professional circus performers, Meredith "Tommy" Tomlins and Leah Leor, as well as advanced students from The Actors Gymnasium's Teen Ensemble.
For additional information on The Actors Gymnasium's innovative programming, please visit www.actorsgymnasium.org or call 847-328-2795.
The Actors Gymnasium is located at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes Street, Evanston, IL - just off of the Noyes purple line 'L' stop. The Noyes Cultural Arts Center is owned by the City of Evanston and home to over 20 artists and arts organizations offering music, theater, and visual arts programs and studios. The galleries exhibit local artists, with exhibitions changing every two months.
Circuscope Trailer - Actors Gym 2015 Winter Circus
About Dean Evans
Dean Evans is a professional performing artist working in theater and television. He was recently ranked number 33 of Chicago's top 50 "players" of 2014 by New City magazine. He has studied Mime and Physical Theater at The School for Mime Theater, The Ohio State University, and with masters Marcel Marceau, Phillipe Gualier, Stephen Niedzialkowsky, and Avner Eisenberg. He is a former ensemble member of the Neo-Futurists and has performed with 500 Clown, iO, Kapoot Clown Theater, Redmoon, Chicago Children's Theater, Second City, The Goodman, The Actors Gymnasium and extensively as a solo artist. Dean is a faculty member of Columbia College's Comedy Studies program in conjunction with Second City. He also performs as the entity who goes by the name Honey Buns.
About Director Vanessa Stalling
Vanessa Stalling is most known for her work with Redmoon, where she served as Associate Artistic Director. She enjoyed collaboratively directing several Redmoon productions including a remount of The Cabinet, Last of My Species, Winter Pageant, Princess Club, and The Great Chicago Fire Festival. This spring, she'll be directing The America Play at Oracle Theatre and will serve as choreographer for Shining Lives: A Musical at Northlight Theatre. Vanessa is also an instructor at Columbia College and University of Chicago.
About The Actors Gymnasium
The Actors Gymnasium is dedicated to bringing a new physicality to the American Theatre. Encouraging ground-breaking theatrical exploration, The Actors Gymnasium teaches circus arts, physical theatre and multi-disciplinary performance to children and adults; produces original, daring works of circus-theatre; and serves as a talent resource, providing performance opportunities to our students and innovative professional event entertainment for a wider audience. At The Actors Gymnasium, people Learn To Fly - physically, emotionally, and creatively. For more information, please visit www.actorsgymnasium.org
Circuscope Joins Chicago Theatre Week
CHICAGO, IL and EVANSTON, IL - The Actors Gymnasium (AG) joins Chicago Theatre Week. Chicago Theatre Week celebrates the rich tradition of theatre-going in Chicago. Returning for the third year, Chicago Theatre Week 2015 will be held February 12-22 and will include specially-priced tickets to 100 shows. Visitors and residents will again have the opportunity to sample the extraordinary range of theatrical offerings throughout Chicagoland. Theatre Week ticket offers are listed on a centralized website, chicagotheatreweek.com. Chicago Theatre Week is presented by the League of Chicago Theatres and sponsored by ACME Hotel Company, Choose Chicago, Dana Hotel and Spa, and Exelon.
As part of the celebration of Chicago's theatre scene, The Actors Gymnasium will offer discounted tickets to the first two weekends of Circuscope, the latest production in its winter circus series.
Celebrated Chicago clown, Dean Evans returns to The Actors Gymnasium to headline this wild, circus adventure into the imagination. Enthralled by the extraordinary shapes and sizes of life, the creators of the Actors Gymnasium Winter Circus will explore a fascinating world on the other side of the microscopic lens. Directed by spectacle-theatre veteran Vanessa Stalling, Circuscope will transport audiences through surprising acrobatics, mime, live music and other-worldly design. Circuscope also features Meredith "Tommy" Tomlins, Molly Plunk, and Leah Leor.
For the first two weekends only, locals and tourists can purchase tickets at a special Chicago Theatre Week discount of only $15. Ticket prices for all Chicago Theatre Week performances are so low that theatre fanatics could see two shows for the price of one. Fellow participants include: Lookinnglass Theatre Company, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Northlight Theatre, Goodman Theatre and Metropolis Performing Arts Centre.
Circuscope performances run February 14 - March 22, with shows at 7:30 pm on Fridays, 4:30 and 7:30 pm on Saturdays and 3:00 pm on Sundays (No 4:30 show on 2/14).Tickets can be purchased through the Chicago Theatre Week website or through www.actorsgymnasium.org by using the discount code: THWEEK. There are a limited number of tickets available for each performance and tickets are first come, first served. Check early for the best selection.
For additional information on The Actors Gymnasium's innovative programming, please visit www.actorsgymnasium.org or call 847-328-2795.
AG aerialist Tommy TomlinsThe Actors Gymnasium is located at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes Street, Evanston, IL - just off of the Noyes purple line 'L' stop. The Noyes Cultural Arts Center is owned by the City of Evanston and home to over 20 artists and arts organizations offering music, theater, and visual arts programs and studios.The galleries exhibit local artists, with exhibitions changing every two months.
About The Actors Gymnasium:
The Actors Gymnasium is dedicated to bringing a new physicality to the American Theatre. Encouraging ground-breaking theatrical exploration, The Actors Gymnasium teaches circus arts, physical theatre and multi-disciplinary performance to children and adults; produces original, daring works of circus-theatre; and serves as a talent resource, providing performance opportunities to our students and innovative professional event entertainment for a wider audience. At The Actors Gymnasium , people Learn To Fly - physically, emotionally, and creatively. For more information, please visit www.actorsgymnasium.org