In a world of digital streaming and instant media, the importance of live entertainment is becoming less and less acknowledged. In the 1760’s, many people turned to circuses for entertainment; traveling troupes of acrobats, clowns, and other performers would travel around the globe, providing pleasure to a world routinely shaken by misfortune. Even earlier, in Ancient Greece, people would be entertained by epic poems, recited by poets like Homer, which told the stories of the gods and their interactions with their heroic ancestors.
In Circus Olympus, playwright Lindsay Price combines these two forms of entertainment into one raucous night. In this play, a group of circus performers called the “Greek Geeks” reenact some of our most beloved Greek myths and invite spectators to see “the greatest stories in the world” retold with a fun carnival twist.
The ringleaders— Vigit (Bella George), Merve (Andrés Kou), Ishy (Ella Sheppard), Osina (Alexandra Riese), and Manso (Cody Luderman)— lead an ensemble of fifteen (And, of course, Becky the Pantomime Horse) in portrayals of well-known Greek myths, including “Hades and Persephone”, “Perseus and Medusa”, “Athena and Arachne”, “King Midas”, and “Pandora’s Box”. Before intermission, three teams of two performers face off in a “Mythapalooza Slam Jam”, a fast-paced, rapid-fire Each myth is imbued with the show’s carnival character, with the performers showing off their skills in juggling, ballet, pantomime, and clowning. The entire performance is infused with character and heart, and the talent of each and every one of the actors shines through in their portrayals.
A challenge the cast and crew faced was making the most of the script they were provided with. Lindsay Price’s target audience tends to be middle school-aged children and younger, as shown in her various adaptations of more mature stories. However, the theater department did a magnificent job of interpreting the characters in a way that felt genuine, as well as performing the stories in a way that was tasteful to audiences of all ages. This isn’t to say that this was a grim and serious play— the zany, colorful characters and farcical situations brought out the inner child in every spectator and allowed us to lose ourselves in a magical world of gods and heroes.
Another element contributing to the immersion of the play was the music and sound effects. Though it was difficult to tell due to the excellent quality, all music and sound effects were produced live onstage. That’s right— none of it was pre-recorded! To put it in perspective: the Fall 2022 play, Ghostlight, also used live sound effects, but it also used pre-recorded music. Just another way this play was unique!
Costume designers Ella Sheppard and Jenny Sternling were certainly not afraid of making the actors pop;- the pastels and vivid hues were found in every character’s costume, creatively showeding the performers’ personalities while highlighting lending to the circus theme of the show. It was easy to differentiate the ringleaders from the Greek Geeks, due to the subtle use of jackets, makeup, and more regal clothing.
BK’s Theatre Department welcomed four new faces in this semester’s play: Cody Luderman (Manso), Alexandra Riese (Osina, Hope), Elle Ensico (Greek Geek), and Angelina Money (Greek Geek). We hope to see them again in upcoming productions! But, as with all Spring Plays, we sadly have to say goodbye to our senior actors. Isabella Sanchez (Medusa, Arachne’s Mother), Tucker Gratton (Hermes, King Midas), Zoey Partin (Helios), Andrés Kou (Merve, Hades), and our amazing stage manager, Natalie Medoza, all gave their last performance on Sunday. We thank them for their service, and wish them well on their journeys in college and beyond!
All in all, this year’s production of Circus Olympus was a fun, enjoyable, and eccentric night that transported the audience to times of traveling circuses, epic stories, and Greek myths. If you missed out on this semester’s performance, not to worry! BK’s Theatre Department puts on a play every semester, so you’ll never be for want of a magical night.
The Bishop Kelly Newspaper 