Jennifer Miller & Circus Amok

Circus Amok is a New York City based circus-theater company whose mission is to provide free public art addressing contemporary issues of social justice to the people of New York City. The group has been together since 1989 bringing its funny, queer, caustic and sexy, political one-ring spectacles to diverse neighborhoods from East New York to the East Village. The company is comprised of seven ring-performers, a 7 member live band, 3-roustabouts, and a trucker/technician extraordinaire. The performers in the ring are trained in traditional circus skills – tight rope walking, juggling, acrobatics, stilt walking, clowning – as well as experimental dance, theater, and gender-bending performance art and improvisational techniques. Over the years the traditional circus techniques have been combined with dance, lifesize puppetry, music old and new, and dramatic monologues creating new meanings for circus while continuing to entertain the crowds of all ages throughout the city streets, gardens, parks, and playgrounds.

The troupe was founded by Jennifer Miller, a real-life bearded woman (although she prefers the sobriquet “woman with a beard”) and a superb circus/sideshow artist. Jennifer has received an Obie and Bessie Award for her work. In addition to performing, Jennifer has taught performance and other subjects at several universities, including UCLA, Cal Arts, Scripps College and NYU.

Along with a number of other artists, Jennifer and company each year create a new show that talks about one of the tough issues that New Yorkers face. This year, the show is called Bee-dazzled, and while I’m not sure of the content yet, I am pretty positive some mention of the curious lack of bees, and the environmental havoc being caused by industry, will feature heavily into the show.

If you’d like more information about the company, please visit their website listed below. Also below is the 2007 schedule for Circus Amok. Please check their website for additional information.

http://www.circusamok.org

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BEE-DAZZLED SCHEDULE
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*** FREE FREE FREE *** ALL REAL *** ALL ALIVE *** FREE FREE FREE

Glamorous, Gritty, Dangerous, Glorious, Acrobatic Entomologists, Querelous Quandaries, Fantastical Fruits, Incredible Insects, Vaulting Villains, Stupendous Sideshow Spectacular.

2007 Tour Schedule:

[but be sure to check http://www.circusamok.org for weather updates and late-breaking news!]

SAT 9/1 — RIVERSIDE PARK — 2PM and 5PM — Enter at 79th St. and Riverside Drive, NYC
SUN 9/2 — WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK — 1PM, 3PM and 5PM — University Ave. and Washington Square North, NYC
MON 9/3 — CONEY ISLAND — 2PM and 5PM — West 10th St. and Surf Ave., BROOKLYN

THURS 9/6 — UNION SQUARE PARK — 12:30PM, 3PM, 5:30PM — Union Square West and 17th St., NYC
FRI 9/7 — COLUMBUS PARK — 12:30PM and 5:30PM — Mulberry St. btwn Worth and Bayard, NYC
SAT 9/8 — ST MARY’S PARK — 3PM — St. Ann’s Ave. and St. Mary’s St., BRONX
SUN 9/9 — PROSPECT PARK — 1PM, 3PM and 5PM — behind the Tennis House, enter at 9th St. and Prospect Park West, BROOKLYN

FRI 9/14 — MARCUS GARVEY PARK — 5:30PM — Madison Ave and 124th St, NYC
SAT 9/15 — FT GREENE PARK 2PM and 5PM — Dekalb and Washington Park.,BROOKLYN
SUN 9/16 — TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK — 1PM, 3PM and 5PM — 77th St. and Ave. A, NYC

Visit http://www.circusamok.org for late-breaking news and weather updates!