Contemporary circus company Circa to return to Penn State

Contemporary circus company Circa will return to the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State stage Tuesday with “Humans.” Over the course of the production, which has been called “an incredible show of acrobatics,” ten acrobats give a moving performance that explores not only the physical aspect, but also the emotional aspect, of being human.

Acrobat Piri Goodman stars in the show and has been touring with Circa since 2018.

“To me, ‘Humans’ is everything I could want a show to be,” he said. “It takes the audience on a journey from high-energy, near-collisions to sparse, eerily beautiful imagery and everything in between. It has life, breath, struggle and groove. As a performer, I get to go on this journey, too, and revel in the struggles and successes of performing. My excitement (for the show) comes from this ‘aliveness’ — the fact that every performance, while still the same show, for me is unique and authentic.”

Goodman began his circus career at Warehouse Circus in Canberra, Australia, at the age of just eight, and has enjoyed a lengthy and accomplished career since, but even he notes the challenges of a show like “Humans.”

“I came into the show with the ability (to) learn quickly and the desire to create work with anyone I could get my hands on. These practical skills helped me to learn the show and eventually begin to add some of who I am into the work. That being said, nothing can quite prepare you for a show like this. Over an hour on stage performing a physical love letter to the human race takes a special something that only comes from doing it until it feels right,” he said.

However, Goodman finds inspiration from his fellow ensemble members — all of whom boast impressive backgrounds in acrobatics, gymnastics and the circus arts — and music, which he says plays a big role in “Humans.”

“…In ‘Humans’, music is the foundation of the movement and many of my thoughts within the show. When I’m on stage, it often still feels like I’m listening to the music again for the first time, with it gaining fresh inspiration and motivations,” he said.

Audience members of all ages will enjoy the production’s exploration of the human condition and the limits of our mortality, even if you’re not quite old enough yet to grasp some of the work’s more complex and deeper meanings. Whoever you are and whatever your reaction, though, Goodman notes he hopes audience members walk away having enjoyed an emotional experience.

“I do hope the audience leaves having felt, not just watched, whether it’s something raw, wondrous, surprising or even something new. I love the idea that everyone who walks out may have (and hopefully has) gone through a completely unique experience. I hope they come out feeling something new, a feeling that only ‘Humans’ can elicit.”

Catch “Humans” by Circa at Eisenhower Auditorium on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The performance is preceded by a rehearsal at 4:30 p.m., open and free to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring along a sketch book to quietly observe and draw the human form in motion. Reservations for the rehearsal are required and can be made by emailing mde13@psu.edu. Tickets for the main show are available for purchase on the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State website, cpa.psu.edu.