The circus is coming to town — and it promises to mix acrobatics, juggling, clowning, aerial arts, a fire performance, and plenty of imagination.
Circus Campus Presents, a hub in collaboration with the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, will showcase 12 productions over three weekends from Sept. 12 to 28. The series takes place inside the historic building at 6452 Greene St., home to Circus Campus, and features performers from across the country as well as some of Philly’s top circus artists.
“Philadelphia Fringe Festival gives our city’s circus community a designated time every year when local artists have the chance — and the encouragement — to produce original work,” said Circus Campus founder and owner Shana Kennedy. “It’s a win-win for our campus, our artists and for circus lovers throughout the region.”
The festival lineup spans genres and generations. Skylark Circus will kick things off outdoors with ‘Lunarium,’ a fire-fueled spectacle. Juggler Greg Kennedy will present ‘Architectonica,’ an exploration of balance and motion. Other highlights include ‘You’ll Grow Out of It’ by Circus Bliss, and ‘MaeWest: The Comeback Queen’ from Fail Happy Productions.
Later weekends feature ‘Laugh Magic LIVE’ by Jonathan Lachance, Enchantment Theatre Company’s ‘Mommy’s Khimar,’ a double bill featuring Thomas Miller’s ‘The Tungus Mungus Fungus Rumpus’ and Circadium’s ‘Where the Wild Waits,’ and Sweet & Sour Circus’s Pink Lemonade.
The month closes with Daniel Forlano’s ‘Grant,’ an interactive, movement healing workshop, ‘Dance Medicine,’ Sweet & Sour Circus’ ‘Pink Lemonade,’ and ‘Time Loops’ by the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts.
Founded in 2017, Circus Campus has grown into a community of students, teachers, and performers. Its programs include Circadium, a three-year accredited training program, and the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, which offers classes for all ages. Many of the artists featured this month are alumni, faculty, or long-time collaborators.
“Circus Campus fosters a tight-knit community of teachers, students, performers, and creators,” said Kennedy. “Our hub strives to showcase the skills and variety of these incredible people. Performances are designed to exemplify the broad spectrum of talent on Campus while pushing the creative boundaries formed through this unique collaboration.”
General admission tickets are $20, with discounted $15 tickets available for students and artists. A full schedule is available at circuscampusphiladelphia.com/presents.
Show listings
LUNARIUM
By Skylark Circus Arts; Sept. 12, at 7 p.m.
Step into an otherworldly realm of unusual creatures as they weave a surreal and uplifting story. Presented as a suite of vignettes, this cabaret style show blends spoken word with circus acts including fire and aerial performance.
ARCHITECTONICA
By Greg Kennedy, Sept. 13, 14, 20, 21, at 3 p.m.
Guaranteed to amaze and delight, audiences of all ages will appreciate learning about the work of Leonardo DaVinci, Alexander Calder, Kenneth Snelson, and Rinus Roelof. This show blends together the work of sculptors and circus artists.
YOU’LL GROW OUT OF IT
By Circus Bliss, Sept. 13, at 7:30 p.m.
Exploring the relationship between chronic illness and the social pressure of growing up and fitting in, it’s a contemporary circus production filled with emotion, transparency, and diagnosed comedic relief.
MAE WEST: THE COMEBACK TOUR
By Fail Happy Productions, Sept. 14, at 6 and 9 p.m.
Despite censorship and ageism, Mae West crafted her own diamond-studded destiny, filled with baby-oiled men. Expect controlled chaos and magical realism.
LAUGH MAGIC LIVE!
By Jonathon Lachance, Sept. 19, at 6 and 9 p.m.
Laugh Magic LIVE! is a high-energy comedy magic show featuring Jonathon LaChance (‘Penn & Teller: Fool Us’). Packed with humor, mind-blowing illusions, and audience participation, it’s a fun, fast-paced experience for all ages.
MOMMY’S KHIMAR
By Enchantment Theatre Company, Sept. 20, at 3 and 5 p.m.
The story of Mommy’s Khimar is a simple one. A young Muslim girl takes one of her mother’s headscarves or khimars, and with the power of her imagination, uses the Khimar to go on magical adventures. Using movement and dance, music and puppets, the world of Mommy’s Khimar beautifully comes to life.
DOUBLE BILL: TUNGUS MUNGUS FUNGUS RUMPUS, WHERE the WILD WAITS
Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.
The students of Circadium present aerial and acrobatic pieces about inner lives vs. outer personas. Thomas Miller, Circadium graduate, presents ecological entertainment and poetic pondering about the weird and wobbly world of fungi.
GRANT
By Daniel Forlano, Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m.
Discover, as he does, what it means to be a clown. Several acts, ranging from professionally toured to barely conceived, flow from one to the other. There is a missing show cat, the world’s greatest tumbler, a less-than-refreshing drink, and a fatal drawing so far.
DANCE MEDICINE
By Dance Medicine Philly, Sept. 27, at 6:30 p.m.
This dance experience is a freeform movement journey where you can express yourself fully without words or inhibitions. This is a sober, non-judgmental space where the music guides you to connect with your body and spirit. No phones or talking on the dance floor—just pure connection through movement. We’ll kick off with a grounding yoga warm-up, then dive into a live DJ set, and wrap up with a healing sound experience.
TIME LOOPS
By PSCA, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m.
This surrealist circus extravaganza explores an array of apparatus and skills as characters tell the tales of circus-past. Meet these delightful characters during this family-friendly, awe-inspiring adventure through time to embrace history and find the heart of circus.
PINK LEMONADE
By Sweet & Sour Circus, Sept. 28, at 6 p.m.
We want to build a carnival ride of child-like wonder. Our props and bodies will be manipulated, thrown, flounced, shaped, caught, dropped, flown, rolled, and morphed as we share our art and ourselves with you.
