Chicago, IL – Experience three whimsical and touching evenings of circus, dance, and theater at the Chicago Fringe Festival presented by Semi-Circus, a Chicago-based contemporary circus company focused on bringing together the power of storytelling with the entertainment of circus. Semi-Circus presents Murmurations, a unique take on human psychology with a drive towards the artistic, the playful, and the fantastical with their family-friendly show.
Date: Friday, September 8th 7pm, Saturday, September 9th at 2:30pm, & Sunday, September 10th at 5:30pm
Venue: CCJP Gym, 5320 W. Giddings Avenue, 3rd floor, Chicago, IL
Tickets: $10 Gen Admission, plus $5 one time Fringe button for access to all Fringe shows
**Tickets available online at https://dime.io/events/murmurations**
See how this ensemble of artists have woven together a story that defies genre and draws the audience into a fascinating narrative about the inner workings of the mind and the importance of mental health. Crafted through a collaborative working process, Emily Drevets, Richie Schiraldi, Fiona Bradley, Liam Bradley, and director Kim Campbell, together with their newest member Jean Carlos Claudio, are excited to present their unique combination of physical feats and theatrical storytelling to the public.
Murmurations has been developed through performances around Chicago, including Potluck Variety Hour at Frontier Theater, Heels Over Head at iO and Links Hall. For this production, the company took a closer look at human quirks and foibles, exploring psychology through the lens of social interaction, friendship, and sacrifice. Director Kim Campbell explains how the show is timely for Chicago.
“Chicago is becoming known as a circus-friendly city now after years of the various circus schools building a reputation for themselves. Yet, so many circus performers are wanting for work beyond the occasional corporate gig and cabaret show. We need to connect our flourishing circus community to our thriving theater community now to go to the next level, which is why I started Semi-Circus. We chose to make this show because everyone knows someone who struggles with depression, anxiety or one of a host of other mental health issues or disorders, like OCD, or attention deficit disorder. How do you help yourself or your friends with such intangible but very real concerns? Circus and physical theater are especially equipped to show us how to respond because they can convey a world without labels or limits through motion. Circus is about building trust and connections while collaborating to do amazing things and that is a message people of all ages need to be reminded of sometimes.” As a result, the audience often cheers on the five characters as they attempt to overcome their hidden struggles as well as face their fears and shortcomings by working together. Campbell adds “Semi-Circus’s show Murmurations will appeal to the whole family because it takes a contemporary approach to story-telling with a classic art form--circus, and yet it doesn’t shy away from important topics.”