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| Issue #24, September 8, 2006 |
preview: circus remedy benefit
Laughter heals, and the wise have known this for centuries. Terry Notary and Anthony Lucero, founders of Circus Remedy, have built a creative network on this concept – by spreading joy to ailing children through the magic of circus.
Traveling to children’s hospitals, war zones, and refugee camps, are a colorful cast of clowns and illusionists, acrobats and magicians; Among them are some of the world’s top performers, such as the casts from the original Cirque du Soleil and the feature film, Alegría, and solo performers Rene Bazinet and Tomás Kubínek.
The concept of Circus Remedy began as screenplay by Anthony Lucero called The Clown. The screenplay moves though dreamlike sequences while following the lead actor/clown, Academy Award-nominated Tim Roth. It has an original score by the Dave Matthews Band, which promises to add to the bizarre beauty of the traveling single-ring circus.
This film project transformed, however, when Lucero decided to move beyond the screen and actually create this circus. Aided by Terry Notary, stuntman, actor and member of Cirque du Soleil, he began to build and populate what was once just an imagined scene.
Lucero and Notary set off around the world in search of the perfect clowns. As the tents arrived and colorful characters joined the team, the two men began to toy with the idea of carrying on their circus after the film was complete. Terry suggested they might bring the show to children’s hospitals. Soon their plan included war zones, disease centers, orphanages, and refugee camps.
Today, the Circus Remedy includes a contortionist, juggler, master of wheels and flying man, two entwined dancers and comedians, dancers and musicians. True to the original screenplay, which was described as a beautiful visual poem, the Circus Remedy project brings this magic to life.
Guild Hall hosts a benefit for The Circus Remedy this Friday at 7:30 p.m. with a solo performance by Tomas Kubinék – Master of the Impossible.
Originally from Prague, this world famous eccentric has been known to break out in outlandish contortion routines, absurd balancing acts and might very well take flight across the stage on a pair of colossal canvas wings. He’s a physical poet, vaudevillian virtuoso and verbal acrobat. While he proclaims himself a certified lunatic, in the world of theater they call him scientist of laughter and the human heart.
After fleeing Soviet invasion of Czechlovakia, enduring a refugee camp in Austria, and making his way to Canadian soil, Kubinék witnessed his first circus at the age of five. An instant obsession led to a life-long passion for the theater of absurdity. After this, he began traveling with the local brotherhood of magicians, a circle of elderly hobby magicians who visited hospitals and birthday parties on weekends and taught the budding illusionist his first tricks. Later he studied theater with some of the world’s greatest teachers including Monika Pagneaux, Pierre Byland, Jaques Lecoq and Boleslav Polivka.
At this show you will witness the bizarre – Chaplin-esque dance, Monty Python slapstick, and the elusive magic of a gypsy circus caravan. You might encounter his latest invention – a walking machine with six rotating left feet or a set of wings. He somersaults while balancing wine on his forehead. Before you know it, he will fly off the stage – whistling, juggling, and strumming his ukulele.
When asked where his inspiration comes from, the strange jester says, “It comes from constantly rediscovering what a miracle it is that we exist and how beautiful and fragile it all is.”
–Julia Nasser
The show begins at 7:30 p.m. this Friday. Tickets are $100 per person, with proceeds benefiting New York based charities Circus Remedy and Friends of Karen, and may be purchased through Guild Hall (631) 324-0806 or Circus Remedy at (631) 651- 8201 or www.circusremedy.com.
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