Joseph Pratt | Daily Times
Preparing for Cirque d’Art Theatre’s “Steampunk Circus” clockwise from top: Sami Matthews, Amber Howard, Olivia Young, Autumn Thompson, Hadyn Schmidt, McKenzie Thompson, Marisa Sherritt.
Joseph Pratt | Daily Times
Circus Aerialist, McKenzie Thompson, visits Portsmouth’s Murals, to set the scene for “Steampunk Circus.”
Joseph Pratt
PDT Contributor
Cirque d’Art is going steampunk for their annual summer production, “Steampunk Circus.” The costumes are a little more extravagant than usual, new aerial equipment is being released, and the new, edgier theme is speculated to draw in the crowd’s attention.
Pegi Wilkes described the latest edition.
“Our show is titled, ‘Steampunk Circus,’ and is kind of a combination of Victorian meets the industry age. All of the costumes are kind of sci-fi, but more of what they thought sci-fi was going to be like in the Victorian Era. So, we have a lot of costumes and things that are very steampunk, she said. “This year, we’ve added two new pieces of equipment. We’ve got the aerial net that will be used for the first time and we also have our own, original piece called the infinite trapeze.”
Trisha Schmidt said the costumes tested her imagination.
“The costumes have been a challenge this year, I really think. They’ve really stretched my imagination some, trying to think of how I was going to achieve the look we wanted, but have them still be efficient for our equipment on and off of the things,” she said. “A lot of people just purchase things out of a catalog and we had to really look at that, because we do a lot of different things that can get in the way. So, we have a lot of butt skirts, ruffles, feathers, hopefully some goggles, and some bustles and buckles and all of those kinds of stuff.”
Hayden 17, been doing theatre for 13 years.
“I’m introducing a new piece, and it is called the Infinity. It’s been a big challenge for me, because it is like nothing we’ve ever done before; instead of revolving, it actually spins itself,” she said. “It is completely different from any other aerial equipment in this building. It feels different, it works different, it will flip you right off, but I’ve learned to work with it and hear it is like nothing they’ve seen before.”
The latest piece has a physical demand to it.
“I’ve definitely had to do a lot of strength and stamina training for this new piece, because not only did I have to learn what muscles makes it move, but because I’m also holding myself up there the entire time,” she said. “It’s my baby now; I never want to let it go, and I think the more I work on it, the more tricks I learn and the better I become.”
Amber Howard, 18, been doing cirque for eight years.
“I’m going to be premiering a new piece of equipment, the aerial net,” Howard said. “I’ll also be an acrobat, I’ll tumble, tap, and contortion. The net is a cargo net that is shaped like a diamond that hangs from two end. The tricks are kind of difficult.”
Performances will be June 13, 14, 15 7 p.m. at West Elementary School. It will be $6 for seniors and children under five and museum members, $8 general admission.
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