As You Wish!, written and directed by Circophony
director Dic Wheeler, is both a theater piece and a circus performance, uniquely
combining the two art forms in a comical and skillful response to the cult
classic The Princess Bride. The play
is not a stage version of the film, but rather a contemporary response to the
original William Goldman novel and the 1987 film. As You
Wish! explores the ways in which The
Princess Bride has influenced our culture, fashion and language, and takes
a 2018 look at the fairy tale adventure/romance and the archetypes on which it
is built. All this is done through a kaleidoscopic collection of circus acts,
outrageous theatrical characters, dance numbers, clowning and puppetry.
“As You Wish! will be a treat for adults and kids of
any age,” says Wheeler. “Wholesome, ridiculous, sometimes strident and
alternately impressive and hilarious, the play includes circus arts like
juggling, acrobatics, unicycling, stilting and such, but also an eclectic
collection of contemporary comic characters. Familiarity with the film or book
is definitely optional – Princess Bride fans
will enjoy the references, the parody, and the commentary, but anyone
completely unfamiliar with the original will enjoy a fast-moving and fun piece
of circus-theater.”
Wheeler,
Executive Director of the Middletown theater company ARTFARM, has been
directing Circophony for over 7 years, and has been a theater director for much
longer, but this is the first time that he has mounted a mainstage theater
production with the Company. Circophony Lead Artist Allison McDermott is the
Circus Director for this production. McDermott is a graduate of the New England
Center for Circus Arts ProTrack program; in addition to being a lead teaching
artist for both Oddfellows and ARTFARM, she is a multi-faceted circus performer
who works throughout New England and New York.
As You Wish! opens with a “Pay-As-You-Wish” Preview on
Thursday, March 1 at 7 pm. Additional performances will be March 2 at 7 pm,
March 3 at 2 pm, March 9 at 7 pm and Saturday, March 10 at 2 pm and 7 pm. All
performances are at Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington Street in Middletown.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for students and seniors.
Circophony
is a year-round circus program for teenagers co-sponsored by Oddfellows and
ARTFARM. The 18 member cast of As You
Wish! features young people ages 13 to 19 from around central Connecticut
who are engaged in ongoing circus and theater training.
ARTFARM and
Oddfellows major funders include the Middletown Commission on the Arts, Community Foundation of Middlesex County,
Middlesex United Way, Middletown Youth Services Bureau, The Stare Fund, and Maximilian
& Marion O. Hoffman Foundation.
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