Cirque Mechanics – Birdhouse Factory

A place where spectators will watch a contortionist perform on a turntable powered by unicyclists, they will be captivated by the trapeze artist flying high thanks to the spins of an acrobat inside a giant gear-like wheel and they will be stunned when the trampoline wall artists defy the laws of physics by virtually flying and walking on air. All the while they will be giggling at the antics of the comedic characters, impressed by the acro-dancing and enchanted by the story of laughter, love, flight and birdhouses.  Birdhouse Factory was inspired in part by the masterful industry murals of Mexican-born artist Diego Rivera, the outrageous illustrations of cartoonist Rube Goldberg and the slap-stick style humor of Charlie Chaplin’s film “Modern Times”.  While its inspirations make Birdhouse Factory artful, nostalgic and funny, the true essence of the show comes from the circus.

This nostalgic tale set in a 1930’s widget factory is transformed by the resourcefulness and creativity of the American worker. Birdhouse Factory toured the United States and Europe for ten years inspiring and entertaining audiences and critics.  The New York Times found this circus show “exceptional, evocative, … and engrossingly entertaining.” read review

“Intelligently conceived and expertly executed… “Birdhouse Factory” is, in a word, excellent.”– Lawrence Van Gelder, The New York Times

“Birdhouse Factory is a delight for audiences of all ages” – Andy Propst, Theater Mania

ABOUT CIRQUE MECHANICS: In 2002 Chris Lashua and Aloysia Gavre began experiments using an innovative aerial apparatus. This apparatus combined Chris’ German Wheel with a set of rollers and winch which allowed for Aloysia’s hoop to be lifted by the rotation of the large wheel. This Trolley device was the inspiration for the development of other machines that would showcase the relationships between the acrobatic and mechanical worlds.

In 2004, these machines became the center piece for a new theatrical work. Chris and Aloysia joined Sandra Feusi, Rex Camphuis, Sam Payne, and Steven Ragatz to work together on the creation of the 30th Anniversary production of the Pickle Family Circus which was produced by the Circus Center of San Francisco. This year end show which would become Birdhouse Factory, was our first collaborative effort.

Birdhouse Factory went on to tour for 10 years. In that time it visited over 10 countries on 5 continents. The success of Birdhouse Factory lead us to research and build other innovative man powered apparatus. These devices would become the signature of our touring theatrical shows. Generating content that can fill a large stage and still pack up and travel requires thoughtful planning. This creative problem solving has lead to the creation of devices even more perfectly suited for the event world.

This focus on these original contraptions, in addition to story telling, and high level acrobatics has remained the heart of what we do. We are thrilled to make use of our combined skills to tackle common issues, formulate innovative solutions and generate positive results for our event planner partners.

Learn more about this performance at: www.cirquemechanics.com