Thursday, February 3, 2022, 7:30 PM
Friday, February 4, 2022, 7:30 PM

Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre

THIS EVENT HAS ALEADY OCCURRED

"…engrossingly entertaining."
"Intelligently conceived and expertly executed…"

—The New York Times

PROGRAM NOTEs

View the program for this event here.

Cirque Mechanics finds its heart in stories of American ingenuity. In its return to the Moss, Cirque brings a family-favorite, Birdhouse Factory, which follows workers in a “widgets” factory as they break away from the monotony of the assembly-line.

A contortionist performs on a turntable powered by unicyclists, a trapeze artist is propelled by the spins of an acrobat inside a giant wheel, and trampoline wall artists defy the laws of physics.

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A man holds onto a metal circular object and kicks his feet out in the air.

Friday, February 4
SCHOOL-DAY PERFORMANCE
CIRQUE MECHANICS: BIRDHOUSE FACTORY
Open to public, private, and homeschools students in grades K-5
Free; registration required

With Birdhouse Factory, enter the most unlikely setting for a circus: a factory. One where the workers are acrobats and the machines are circus props. Giggle at the antics of the characters, be impressed by the acro-dancing and enchanted by the story of laughter, love, flight, and birdhouses.

In this simple story of daily life in a “widgets” factory circa 1935, workers are brought together by the most unlikely of events, a bird accidentally injured by the main steam boiler. The accident and caring for the bird bring the workers closer together and inspire them to break away from their boring work. They showcase their true inner talents and abilities by using their bodies and machines to build birdhouses in a more joyous and soulful way.

Birdhouse Factory was inspired, in part, by the masterful industry murals of Mexican-born artist Diego Rivera, the outrageous illustrations of cartoonist Rube Goldberg, and the slap-stick humor of Charlie Chaplin’s film Modern Times. While these inspirations make Birdhouse Factory artful, nostalgic, and funny, the true essence of the show comes from the circus.

Cirque Mechanics was founded in 2004 by Boston native and German Wheel artist Chris Lashua. The company quickly established itself as a premiere American circus, with its unique approach to performance, inspiring storytelling, and innovative mechanical staging. Spectacle Magazine hailed it as “the greatest contribution to the American circus since Cirque du Soleil.” Cirque Mechanics shows, rooted in realism, display a raw quality, rarely found in modern circus, that makes its message timeless and relevant. The stories are wrapped in circus acrobatics, mechanical wonders, and a bit of clowning around.

Cirque Mechanics first performed at the Moss Arts Center in 2014 with Pedal Punk.

Please note, strobe lighting effects will be used in this performance.