Judy Finelli Review
With all the fake nonsense coming out of Washington daily if not hourly, Circus Nonsense is the genuine article. I'd advise you to accept no substitutes for the genuine, bona fide nonsense that these talented performers are serving up this weekend at Kinetic Arts. Kinetic Arts has become a breeding ground for original, creative and highly skilled performances and this one is no exception! If you want to see a delightful show, run, don't walk to Oakland and let these zanies unleash their mischief on you! This is at first on the surface an unpretentious show but looks can be deceiving.
Although it contains a family of traditional circus artists – in dwindling sizes, that have gone about making choices in decidedly untraditional ways. Carlo and Orlene Gentile learned the art of antipodism or foot juggling at an acrobatic school in China. With this show, the relationship between the traditional circus and the contemporary circus comes full circle. It's easy to see how students in contemporary circus schools can benefit from connecting with professional artists. But here is a situation where the strengths of the contemporary circus: adding acting values, new physical comedy possibilities, character and themes have given these traditional artists new dimensions and ideas. These traditional and contemporary performers shared in this process for mutual benefit!
Carlo Gentile, who often performs lying on his back foot juggling one or another of his kids, emerges as a wry, bemused guy who is clearly outnumbered as his kids send him communiqués ordering him into their world. He is nothing if not a good sport. Orlene gives herself free reign to explore tap dancing on the table she foot juggles and allows herself to express every nuance that she experiences in her performance. The deadpan kids, Gianluca, Gioia, Giulia, and Guisi also gained performance skills and took delight in calling the shots, realizing that they don't have to have it all down.
We not only see Risley and foot juggling, because there are many other dishes in this feast.
Katja Orlow-Ornstein treats us to her aerial rope act in which she displays a marvelous leg flexibility as well as precise drops and rolls which elevate this act from the expected tricks. She also returns to perform a contortion act in which she imparts a velvety fluidity to her tricks. She concludes by doing an extreme contortion hand stand as she draws a bow and arrow with her toes and aims it at a cardboard box. I thought as I watched that I didn't understand why the arrow didn't penetrate the cardboard. It still puzzles me.
Suzanne Santos and Kelsey Custard do the clowning honors. We sense we are in good hands while these 2 pranksters are at the helm. A veteran clown in Cirque du Soleil's "Ka," Kelsey is completely unflappable and unrattlable as she tries to control the recalcitrant clubs as they zip by. Suzanne and Kelsey return in balloony fat suits [of course] because they realize that clowns can lead the audience anywhere and it will follow. Suzanne appears inexplicably as a late arriving audience member dressed in an impossibly foofy hoop skirt and sparkly, lethal stiletto heels. She comes equipped with junk food snacks which she willingly offers her fellow audience members.
Oriana Doria-Quesada of the impeccable Lu Yi acrobatic technique, besides displaying solo acrobatic skills acts as understander in some partner acrobatic balances. He returns to do his signature tea cups, saucers and spoon catapulted by stepping sharply with his foot onto the rola-bola on which he balances.
I almost forgot! There are also extra guest appearances by William Shakespeare and Godzilla respectively...
These exciting artists have the right spirit and we could all use a bit of real nonsense right about now! Bravissimo and bravissima!
Kinetic Arts 785 7th Street Oakland. Thursday 8 PM, Friday 8 PM, Saturday at 4 & 8 PM and Sunday at 3 & 7 PM through April 14.
JUDY FINELLI Apr 9, 2019
Co-Founder of the San Francisco School for Circus Arts
Artistic Director of the Pickle Family Circus
Although it contains a family of traditional circus artists – in dwindling sizes, that have gone about making choices in decidedly untraditional ways. Carlo and Orlene Gentile learned the art of antipodism or foot juggling at an acrobatic school in China. With this show, the relationship between the traditional circus and the contemporary circus comes full circle. It's easy to see how students in contemporary circus schools can benefit from connecting with professional artists. But here is a situation where the strengths of the contemporary circus: adding acting values, new physical comedy possibilities, character and themes have given these traditional artists new dimensions and ideas. These traditional and contemporary performers shared in this process for mutual benefit!
Carlo Gentile, who often performs lying on his back foot juggling one or another of his kids, emerges as a wry, bemused guy who is clearly outnumbered as his kids send him communiqués ordering him into their world. He is nothing if not a good sport. Orlene gives herself free reign to explore tap dancing on the table she foot juggles and allows herself to express every nuance that she experiences in her performance. The deadpan kids, Gianluca, Gioia, Giulia, and Guisi also gained performance skills and took delight in calling the shots, realizing that they don't have to have it all down.
We not only see Risley and foot juggling, because there are many other dishes in this feast.
Katja Orlow-Ornstein treats us to her aerial rope act in which she displays a marvelous leg flexibility as well as precise drops and rolls which elevate this act from the expected tricks. She also returns to perform a contortion act in which she imparts a velvety fluidity to her tricks. She concludes by doing an extreme contortion hand stand as she draws a bow and arrow with her toes and aims it at a cardboard box. I thought as I watched that I didn't understand why the arrow didn't penetrate the cardboard. It still puzzles me.
Suzanne Santos and Kelsey Custard do the clowning honors. We sense we are in good hands while these 2 pranksters are at the helm. A veteran clown in Cirque du Soleil's "Ka," Kelsey is completely unflappable and unrattlable as she tries to control the recalcitrant clubs as they zip by. Suzanne and Kelsey return in balloony fat suits [of course] because they realize that clowns can lead the audience anywhere and it will follow. Suzanne appears inexplicably as a late arriving audience member dressed in an impossibly foofy hoop skirt and sparkly, lethal stiletto heels. She comes equipped with junk food snacks which she willingly offers her fellow audience members.
Oriana Doria-Quesada of the impeccable Lu Yi acrobatic technique, besides displaying solo acrobatic skills acts as understander in some partner acrobatic balances. He returns to do his signature tea cups, saucers and spoon catapulted by stepping sharply with his foot onto the rola-bola on which he balances.
I almost forgot! There are also extra guest appearances by William Shakespeare and Godzilla respectively...
These exciting artists have the right spirit and we could all use a bit of real nonsense right about now! Bravissimo and bravissima!
Kinetic Arts 785 7th Street Oakland. Thursday 8 PM, Friday 8 PM, Saturday at 4 & 8 PM and Sunday at 3 & 7 PM through April 14.
JUDY FINELLI Apr 9, 2019
Co-Founder of the San Francisco School for Circus Arts
Artistic Director of the Pickle Family Circus
