Part circus, part science, ‘Air Play’ is a breathtaking homage to the power of air
Audiences of all ages are mesmerized by “Air Play,” a fantastic fusion of circus and science. Coming to the Moss Arts Center on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 2 p.m., Acrobuffos brings a theatrical adventure complete with flying umbrellas, fabrics soaring over the audience, people-swallowing balloons, and swirling snow filling the stage.
A breathtaking homage to the power of air, the performance will be held in the center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall.
Creating beauty and inspiring laughter across cultures, the production has been seen on five continents by 150,000 people — from the southernmost opera house in the world in Chile to London’s Royal Festival Hall, Melbourne's State Theatre, and Shanghai’s Grand Theatre — and continues to tour.
Featuring stunning imagery, “Air Play” bounces on the edge of definition — part comedy, part sculpture, part theatre. A circus-style, wordless adventure of two siblings journeying through a surreal land of air, the genre-bending production transforms ordinary objects into uncommon beauty. Created by physical comedians Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone in collaboration with kinetic sculptor Daniel Wurtzel, “Air Play” was devised through years of experimentation with simple materials, movement, and technology.
Creators Bloom and Gelsone met at a circus in Afghanistan, became engaged while street performing in Scotland, married in China, and occasionally go home to New York City. Since 2005, they have created seven shows, competed in international circus festivals, performed in over 25 countries, headlined at the Big Apple Circus, and were even featured on a postage stamp. Gelsone is a former ballerina who graduated from Princeton to become a clown; Bloom is a former juggler who graduated from three clown schools, including receiving a Master of Fne Arts in physical theatre.
Wurtzel is a Brooklyn-based artist best known for kinetic sculptures and installations using air and lightweight materials that fly. His work currently is featured in “Finding Neverland” and with Cirque du Soleil in “Amaluna.” He has shown his artwork at the Musee Rodin; the Grand Palais in Paris; the World Expo; the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.; Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya; the Museu do Amanhã in Rio de Janeiro; the Phillips Collection; Swiss Science Center Technorama; Copernicus Science Center; and Phaeno Science Center.
This performance is supported in part by a gift from Mrs. Candi M. Kelly and Dr. J. Michael Kelly.
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After the performance, members of Acrobuffos will field questions from audience members in an open discussion about “Air Play” and other pieces in their company’s repertory. This post-performance question-and-answer session is moderated by Mason Rosenthal, instructor and post-Master of Fine Arts fellow in the School of Performing Arts.
Children in kindergarten through fifth grades from public, private, and homeschools in Montgomery, Floyd, Pulaski, and Giles counties will enjoy a free performance of “Air Play” as part of the Moss Arts Center’s school-day performance series.
Ticket information
Tickets for the performance are $25 for general admission and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Moss Arts Center's box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.
Paid parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street. Virginia Tech faculty and staff possessing a valid Virginia Tech parking permit can enter and exit the garage free of charge. Virginia Tech has also partnered with ParkMobile to provide a convenient, contactless electronic payment option for parking, which may be used at any parking meter, campus parking space, or lot with standard F/S, C/G, or R parking.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jamie Wiggert at least 10 days prior to the event at 540-231-5300 or email wiggertj@vt.edu during regular business hours.
