Pain & joy under big top
Circus-themed ‘Water for Elephants’ boasts remarkable ensemble
Water for Elephants,” the new musical based on the 2006 Sarah Gruen novel and the 2011 movie with Reese Witherspoon, has one of the more remarkable ensembles ever seen on Broadway. I’ve seen a hundred shows where actors try to do tricks, or forge a circus milieu; usually, it fails because cliches are irresistible and while there are obvious similarities between the two disciplines, they require distinct skill sets.
But this hugely talented crew sings, dances and are laudably believable as acrobats, aerialists and roustabouts from the tawdry touring circus culture of America in the early 20th century, the setting of a sentimental sawdust story wherein an elephant named Rosie busts her trunk through a love triangle.
Not everyone on the stage can fly to the rafters, of course, but it’s the seamless integration of what’s really a compartmentalized ensemble that really reveals the fusing visual talents of the director, Jessica Stone. Here, by blending the worlds of Broadway and the not-so-big top, a tent always in danger of collapse, Stone captures a milieu that has slipped away from many hands.
And I say this as a circus geek who saw every Ringling and Cirque show for decades and who regards circus folk with awe. Their lot is well represented here. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
“Water for Elephants” also has a variety of kinetic puppets (by Ray Wetmore, J.R. Goodman and Camille Labarre) that also knocked me out. They’re collectively indicative of just how far puppeteering has come on Broadway and they’re uncommonly distinctive because of how well they are integrated into the whole. All have an emotional texture, especially Rosie, the all-important pachyderm.
Stone often reveals these puppets only in part: a leg here, a trunk there, a neck round the corner. And thus she evokes a world not of animals performing but of animal lives unseen. “Water for Elephants” never feels like you are watching “The Lion King.” Not at all. But the animals in this story, cruelly treated by many of the humans who own them, are the moral conscience of the proceedings.
Thanks to Stone, it is as if they are trying to find their way into the chaotic human narrative within which they are collateral damage.
That sentimental story, told mostly through flashback via the fading memories of an old man, Jacob Jankowski (Gregg Edelman), is of a just-trained vet who runs off with a struggling circus. Young Jacob (Grant Gustin) becomes involved with Marlena (Isabelle McCalla), inconveniently married to August (Paul Nolan), the nasty owner of a struggling operation desperate for new tricks.
The needed novelty arrives when August purchases Rosie from a defunct operation and Jacob and Marlena bond over her training and protection as they all try to save their circus, even though Rick Elice’s book makes clear that it was the locus of such exploitation as to not to be worth saving.
The show strikes a balance between affection for the circus culture and moral indignation, especially at its historical abuse of animals. That’s no small feat given all of the entrenched bitterness that surrounds this topic.
The score is collectively penned by the Pigpen Theatre Co., a regional collective that has worked in Pittsburgh, Chicago and elsewhere and its fine for what it tries to do here. In the best moments, you’re put in mind of the late, great composer Roger Miller but the overall impact of this music operates more like a dramatic soundscape, PigPen’s longtime strength, than a collection of individually arresting songs for the theater. Still, that’s hardly at odds with this conception.
The performances aren’t especially subtle but then the characterizations — the cruel ringmaster and his trapped wife, the caring young vet — always were broad in conception from the novel through the film. There’s also a bunch of moving character work from Joe De Paul as a trapped clown as well as Stan Brown (playing a longtime veteran of the rails) and Nolan is an effective villain, McCalla is empathetic and Gustin is a very credible moral hero.
I’m not convinced we needed quite so much of the gruff outer frame, which both meanders and chops up the action at times, but that’s not a major quibble. Not when the ensemble takes the stage.
Stone shares credit with Shana Carroll, “circus director” and co-choreographer with Jesse Robb for the show. I don’t know who did precisely what, but the result is one of the most authentic circus-themed shows to make it to Broadway. There’s almost none of the sparkly smiles found in “Pippin” or “Barnum,” but the piece is a richer accounting of why many Americans fell in love with a world constantly in motion and filled with equal measures of pain and joy.
Plenty of us still do.
Photos by Mustafa Mirza
Athought-provoking art installation will debut at the Earth Day 2024 Festival in New York City’s Union Square on April 14, challenging our perceptions of convenience and confronting the harsh realities of climate change. Amazonia—a worst-case scenario pop-up by the Grey Area Collective—is not your typical art installation. It’s a meticulously designed dystopian experience disguised as a pop-up delivery truck showcasing the “Amazonia Basics” collection, a range of speculative products designed for a future ravaged by unchecked consumerism and rampant disregard for the planet.
“In an era marked by one-click convenience and swift delivery, the innocuous package at your doorstep conceals a network of environmental destruction,” says Sahar Ghaheri of the Grey Area Collective. “From power-guzzling server farms to colossal distribution centers, from tens of thousands of trucks to thousands of commercial planes, our addiction to rapid delivery is wreaking havoc on the planet.”
A Glimpse into a Bleak Tomorrow
Imagine a world where unchecked consumerism and corporate greed reign supreme, and the consequences of our “oneclick” convenience culture manifest in tangible ways. This is the world Amazonia 3.0 invites us to explore. The exhibit’s centerpiece is a mock delivery truck stocked with the “Amazonia Basics” collection, which features everyday objects designed for a new reality. The result is a collection of unnerving, practical solutions for a world grappling with the effects of climate change:
• Mutual Aid Raincoat: This raincoat collects rainwater, filters it, and dispenses it for use in communities facing water scarcity.
• Liquid Love Letters: These liquid-filled capsules deliver a message of love and essential hydration to those in areas with limited access to fresh water.
• Wearable Edibles: This hat allows one to grow their own mini-garden, providing a personal source of fresh food when on the move.
• Canned Air (circa 2010): Breathe easy with this canned air, which captures the purity and freshness of a bygone era from all five of NYC’s boroughs.
• Community Shelter System: A portable shelter that utilizes the people in it as structural support. It can expand based on the number of people who need it.
Each item acts as a stark reminder of the potential future we face if we fail to address the climate crisis. By turning the familiar into the unsettling, Amazonia 3.0 forces us to confront the true cost of our current trajectory.
“Amazonia products have a way of shaking the audience awake. They remind them about the soon-to-be realities awaiting us all as we continue to sleepwalk toward them. Because we’re not just sleepwalking—we’re being sedated by the world’s biggest polluters. Naming this dynamic is critical if we want to change it,” adds Nicole Feliz Okumu of the Grey Area Collective
Beyond the Products: A Toolkit for Action
Amazonia 3.0 extends beyond the popup truck. The exhibit invites visitors to join a community and get involved with the climate actions already happening in NYC. The “Amazonia Toolkit for Action,” available in both digital and physical formats, reframes the tired narrative about individual responsibility, provides a resource list of the organizations that are leveling up the protests, boycotts, and divestment activities needed, and invites the larger community to take part in future Amazonia activations. In addition, the exhibit will lead viewers to a dedicated microsite that delves deeper into the themes explored in the exhibit, while a 1-800 climate anxiety rant number further bridges the gap between the fictional products and the very real tipping points our planet faces. A short film, produced by the Emmy-nominated Meerkat Media, adds another layer of urgency, leaving a lasting impression and inspiring viewers to take further action.
“As corporate giants expand their reach, they erode workers’ rights and exacerbate climate change while distorting democracy on a global scale,” says Feliz. “Ultimately, our goal is to harness the power of political imagination to rouse, inspire, and mobilize individuals towards boycotting, divesting, and protesting against the powerful industries and systems that are currently shaping our world today.”
The Collective Behind the Message
The Grey Area Collective, the women-led social impact design and research studio behind Amazonia 3.0, utilizes a powerful blend of art, design, activism, and technology to spark conversation. They collaborate with diverse communities to create experiences that inspire action on critical issues like climate change, human rights, and social justice. Their commitment to speculative design allows them to create scenarios that challenge the status quo and ignite necessary conversations.
The creation of Grey Area Collective’s activations involve dozens of collaborators around the world, including students, activists, professionals, and volunteers, who collaborate to conceptualize, design, and create immersive experiences that are free to the public. This project was incubated at SVA in collaboration with the students of the Design for Social Innovation master’s program.
“The idea that life-altering climate destruction is now the norm is a method used to paralyze opposition. Amazonia 3.0 turns this dystopian normative idea on its head with a selection of products designed for convenience in an apocalyptic world. The jolt of this interaction is by design. The project’s message is that this isn’t normal, we don’t want this to happen, and we still have so much to fight for.” -Grey Area Collective