When the Lookingglass Theatre Company premiered Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus
Tale in 2005, the buzz around the city caught fire like Mount Olympus
erupting and became an instant sold-out hit. This time around is sure to be the
same. Created and Directed by Lookingglass Artistic
Associate Tony Hernandez with a story by Hernandez and Ensemble member Heidi
Stillman, Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology
Circus Tale is not only one the most creatively stunning pieces of visual
performance art to be mounted in the last decade, it also serves as an
emotional piece of theater drawing veteran circus performers from the Wallenda
Family, Ringling Bros. and Cirque du Soleil.
The tale begins as a young girl (Abigail Droeger) narrates a bedtime story,
which is based on the Greek myth. Hephaestus(played by Hernandez), God of fire, more specifically fire of the jeweler's and blacksmith's forge, was also the god
of volcanoes. He is the son of Zeus and Hera and is born crippled and deformed. Since these which are not qualities the Gods of newborns seem to cherish,
Hera, nurturing mother that she was, tosses her son off Mount Olympus.
Hephaestus' fall lands him into a world of sea nymphs who, with silk like
panels, wrap and unwrap their bodies from the theater's lighting grid to the
stage floor.
As the story continues, Hephaestus becomes a great artist creating beautiful
jewelry which takes the form of hula hoops which Thetis (Anya Stankus) twirls
and swirls effortlessly and magically.A
wiz with metal, Hephaestus creates men called The 'Silver Guys' (Jarrett
Dapier, Nich Galzin, Richie McGuire) and
throughout the evening give us percussion breaks, acrobatic dances and a giant
gyroscopic wheel.
Hera, the doting mother, continually sends her servants down to earth to keep
tabs on her 'fallen' son. They include Iris (cloudswing artist Anna Vigeland);
Ares, the God of war (Almas Meirmanov, a second-generation Ringling Brothers
performer from Kazakhstan);
and Aphrodite (Anya Stankus), the Goddess of love, with whom Hephaestus falls
head over heels.
As the evening draws to a close Hephaestus forges braces for his crippled
legs while his mother asks Hephaestus to build her a throne. In the most knuckle biting
act several of the performers, including Hephaestus, take the throne up on the
high wire and carry it across, with Hera precariously balancing in it. It is
the small, intimate space at the Lookingglass that makes you beguile at the technique,
control and athleticism of each amazing performer.
Kevin O'Donnell and Andre Pluess' original music add just the right atmosphere
for this fantasy to take place in as does the lighting and sets by Brian Sidney
Bembridge.
Hephaestus: A Greek
Mythology Circus Tale, plays though February 24, 2008. Ticket prices
range from $30-$60 and are available
by calling the Box Office: 312-337-0665 or vistit www.lookingglasstheatre.org
Photo Credit: Sean Williams
