BWW Reviews: IMPOSSIBLE! A HAPPENSTANCE CIRCUS Impossibly Inventive

Happenstance Theater's IMPOSSIBLE! is impossibly inventive, whimsical, and tender. The tribute to classic Depression-era circus life uses period music, a clever costume choice or the arch of an eyebrow to convey far more than mere words are able.

IMPOSSIBLE! A Happenstance Circus is a family-friendly production that hits just the right tone - funny not ridiculous, kindhearted not cloying, smart not pretentious. Preschoolers are just as entranced as grandparents (though at times there might be a whispered word of explanation to catch up a young audience member).

The original piece of physical theater, which was devised by the Happenstance ensemble, pays homage to classic circus characters - ringmaster, trapeze artist, menagerie of animals, side show, human canon ball and a host of others. We venture both under the big top and behind the scenes to witness the camaraderie, loneliness, frustrations and foibles of the band of performers.

Music is a lively and constant presence in the vignettes and bridging from one scene to another. Karen Hansen, as performer, musical director and composer, moves from glockenspiel to trombone to bass drum to ukulele with ease. Even a metronome comes into play, adding great drama to a magic scene. Drawing on classic tunes like "Sidewalks of New York" and "Oh Dear! What Can The Matter Be?" the variety of music sets the mood and provides great contrast to the physical pieces. All the performers get in on the music, too - at one time each donning a ukulele to sing of potatoes, another time combining their voices to become a marvelous human calliope.

The sideshow invited great moments of fun - the human pretzel, the three-armed woman, the human rubber band and the headless man were audience favorites. An added bonus was to overhear excited young theater-goers attempting to figure out the mechanics of the illusions.

Each member of the ensemble had great stand-out moments. Sarah Olmsted Thomas as Cassiopeia "queen of the air" who stumbles and trips when she's on terra firma; Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell as Volga and Vlad Stinkinski, knife throwers from the old country who are not quite sure they can like and trust each other; Gwen Grastorf as Lily Fields and Mark Jaster as every member of her menagerie; Alex Vernon with several tender roles, half of a comedy act created with his conjoined twin, and memorably as the stilt-walking handyman who finally gets a piece of mail.

The ensemble works together in some wonderfully-elaborate moments like a lively mirror gag and in a flawless high stakes, slow motion pie throwing scene that had the audience in stitches.

The gestures and quick flashes of emotion convey so much and so quickly you don't want to look away for even a second (which is a challenge for note taking).

There were quieter moments, too. Lovely shadow puppets introduced us to the circus elephant and also provided an important piece of resolution to a troubling mishap to a beloved member of the circus.
The production elements add so much to the atmosphere of IMPOSSIBLE!: Sabrina Mandell's costumes, Kris Thompson's lights and the evocative set designed by ensemble members Alex Vernon, Sabrina Mandell and Mark Jaster.

With all that is achieved through the polished artistry of the ensemble until the moment we view the last glimpse of the circus' flickering marquee lights, it is a delightful reminder that "impossible" is only in the mind.
Runtime: 80 minutes with no intermission

Impossible! A Happenstance Circus is produced by Happenstance Theater at Roundhouse Theatre located at 4545 East-West Highway. The production runs through July 12, 2015 with performances Tuesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm, with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3pm. For tickets, please visit the Roundhouse Theatre website here.

Photos by Danisha Crosby.

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