Circus Theater for the 21st Century

Anachronistic as it might seem in the 21st century, it is still possible to be born into a circus family. And if that is not your genetic destiny, you still have the option of running away and joining the circus. What's more, you don't have to run very far. Two circus- and spectacle-oriented ensembles -- the Lookingglass Theater Company and Redmoon Theater -- have long been part of the mainstream Chicago theater community. And each has been devising imaginative ways to make old-fashioned circus arts -- the stuff of European town squares in the Middle Ages, or small town Main Streets in 19th century America -- feel brand new.

The gilded, safety-wired acts of Cirque du Soleil -- and that circus qualifies as a multinational corporation these days -- have certainly had an impact. But there are many willing to risk life and limb for the greater delight of an audience in two Chicago-bred shows opening soon: Lookingglass' "Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale" and Redmoon Theater's "Loves Me ... Loves Me Not." So send in the clowns, and take a closer look at what it's like to be part of a contemporary circus theater:

ON THE HIGH-WIRE AT LOOKINGGLASS

Lookingglass ensemble member Tony Hernandez -- who plays the title role in "Hephaestus," and co-wrote and co-directed it with Heidi Stillman -- grew up as part of the Ringling Brothers circus. His mother came from a family of German acrobats; his father, who was Cuban, played Triple A baseball.

Born while his mother was out on tour in Dubuque, Iowa, Tony was put on a teeterboard at the age of 2, and his three brothers and sister, Sylvia (who now runs the Circus Arts program at the Actors Gymnasium in Evanston), were all part of the family business. Not surprisingly, when it came time to marry, Tony chose circus royalty -- Lijana Wallenda -- a seventh-generation member of the world-renowned Wallenda family, and great-granddaughter of Karl Wallenda, who devised the perilous high-wire human pyramid. Lijana (who plays her husband's mother in this show) is making a guest appearance with Lookingglass, along with other top circus performers who generally work with Ringling Brothers, Cirque du Soleil and a slew of other international circus operations.

Adapted from Greek myth, "Hephaestus" tells of the crippled and disfigured god who was tossed into the sea by his unaccepting mother and grew up to become a masterful jeweler and sculptor of metal. It unspools in the form of a series of specialty circus acts that have been retrofitted to embellish the tale at hand: The gods of Mt. Olympus dance on the high wire; the goddess of the rainbow works on ropes; the god of war is seen in a flying straps routine, and Aphrodite, goddess of love, is played by a contortionist.

"It's a simple story with a bittersweet ending, but we add dazzle with the athleticism and sense of human achievement that is so much a part of the circus," Hernandez explained.

The performers (many of whom have circus commitments in other parts of the world, which explains why this show has such a limited run), will work without safety wires or a net.

"If you're 30 feet in the air, those things offer a false sense of security and can sometimes even be more dangerous," Hernandez said. "Plus there is that sense of thrill you get -- the tempting of fate -- that the audience can feel."

"Sure it can be scary," confessed Lijana. "But as a child you start at a very low height and you learn that you cannot move on until you've practiced and perfected it, and come to understand the danger."

"The gods were very much like circus performers," said Tony Hernandez. "They could do extraordinary things."