Birdhouse Factory Plays 6/5 As Part Of MATRIX:MIDLAND Festival

Grin like a fool and feel like a kid all over again when "Birdhouse Factory" comes to Midland Center for the Arts on Friday, June 5 at 7:30 p.m. as part of the MATRIX:MIDLAND Festival. Join in the madcap fun as 12 acrobats of Cirque Mechanics transform the stage into a wondrous birdhouse factory, complete with uniformed unicyclists and acrobatic assembly lines in this enchanting story of laughter, love, flight - and the quest to build the perfect birdhouse! Tickets cost $20-$30 for adults and $16-$20 for students; a Family 4-Pack is available for $69-$80. All tickets are available online at www.mcfta.org or by calling 800-523-7649. A circus for all ages (best for over age 4).

"Birdhouse Factory" tells the story of assembly line workers producing humdrum widgets at the H. Rosebud Factory until a disoriented bird creates mayhem and forever alters their lives and the factory's future. Taking inspiration from Diego Rivera's industrial murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the whimsical illustrations of Rube Goldberg, and comedic hijinks of Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times, it's a wild and wonderful workshop where machines are circus props and the workers are acrobats, dancers, contortionists, tightrope walkers, and clowns who create a seamless blend of dance, acrobatics, and theatre to thrill audiences with jaw-dropping circus stunts. Rather than "workers of the world unite" the message is "workers of the world take solace in beauty."

Spectacle Magazine called Cirque Mechanics "The most important contribution to the American circus since Cirque du Soleil!" Originally produced and presented in 2004 by the Circus Center in San Francisco, "Birdhouse Factory" was brought to life by the creative team of Chris Lashua, Aloysia Gavre, and Steven Ragatz, all veterans of the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil. Chris Lashua is hailed worldwide for his daring and inventive expertise with the "German Wheel" and has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Academy Awards, and at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. His wheelwork is a show highlight. Choreographer and assistant director Aloysia Gavre shines in a tribute to "Rosie the Riveter." Donning the familiar red-and-white bandana, she executes a lovely acrobatic tango in which she and her partner precariously perform on a wooden spool that seems far too narrow for what they accomplish. Other off-the-wall performers ignite endless "Oohhs" and "Aahhs" as they transmute into strange and silly shapes transforming the mundane into the magnificent. Cast members are all veterans of well-known troupes such as Cirque du Soleil, The Pickle Family Circus and The Moscow Circus. For more information, visit www.birdhousefactoryshow.com.

The 2009 MATRIX:MIDLAND Festival is sponsored by The Dow Chemical Company, Dow Corning Corporation, MidMichigan Medical Center - Midland, William Blair & Company, Tri-Star Trust Bank and MATRIX:MIDLAND Lecture Series Support Fund. MATRIX:MIDLAND presents professional, world-class entertainment to the mid-Michigan region. Now in its 31st season, Matrix hosts an extraordinary schedule of cutting-edge entertainment including cinema, music, comedy, family programs, world-renowned authors and more.

Midland Center for the Arts, Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation formed under the laws of the State of Michigan incorporating six groups: Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art, MATRIX:MIDLAND, Midland County Historical Society, Midland Symphony Orchestra, Music Society and Theatre Guild. Activities at Midland Center for the Arts are supported in part by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. For the latest Center news, visit our web site at www.mcfta.org.

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