The performances on September 9, 10, 11, and 15 have been canceled.

A circus of words, a flight to nowhere, a desperate attempt to make meaning in an unrelentingly confusing world. Award-winning “Fringe Favorite” and Cannonball Festival Producer Almanac’s newest — and largest ever — ensemble acrobatic show explores the lengths we’ll go to change our language rather than change ourselves.

In I Hear You and I’d Like to Respond, artists and audiences alike board a metaphysical flight, traveling together to a visionary place of collective imagining. A Professor and a Facilitator —both on the precipice of revelation — attempt, in their own ways, to explain the world around them, only to realize what they are trying to communicate is nearly impossible for others to comprehend. But as the bodies of the passengers are thrown into acrobatic flight, a certain truth is revealed: either we will put aside our differences and save each other, or we will fall.

Birthed from the detritus of discarded good ideas and progressively queerer impulses in the face of the daily torment of interlocking systems of oppression, I Hear You and I’d Like to Respond features breathtaking ensemble and hand-to-hand acrobatics, captivating movement, earnest contemplations of how to do better, and a relentless soundtrack of words. The cast of devisor/performers features Almanac company members Lauren Johns, Nathan Alford Tate, Mae West and Darren Rabinowitz alongside some of America’s most exciting contemporary circus artists in Kevin Flanagan, Sierra Rhoades Nicholls, and Liam Bradley, and Philly dance luminary Rhonda Moore.

What would we do if we had to do something? What does it feel like to decenter yourself from the narrative of your own life and still find meaning, if there is meaning to be found? How can we use our better selves in service of becoming more animal, less needy, more just, less selfish, more creative, less consumptive? Do you ever look around and just think, “there are too many things?”<

Interested in a not-necessarily-romantic way to connect over art? Select the Blind Date ticket at checkout and Cannonball will pair you with another audience member for a pre- and post-show experience. Blind Date is only available for this show on Fri, Sep 9, 2022 8:30 PM. Check out https://www.cannonballfestival.org/blinddate for more information.

This show is presented as part of Cannonball Festival, Philly’s artist-centered performance hub, packing in 65+ full length shows and 300 performances in two nearby venues. Discover risk-taking theater, dance, circus, music, and comedy alongside a vibrant garden bar with a free nightly cabaret, pop-up events, workshops, artist talkbacks, and more. September 1–30 at the Maas Building (1320 N 5th St) and Icebox Project Space (1400 N American St). Learn more at cannonballfestival.org.

Health & Safety

Proof of vaccination is required to attend this event, and masks must be worn for the duration of the performance. Audience members will be asked to show proof of vaccination before entering the venue. Both digital and physical proof of vaccination are accepted. Please plan accordingly.

Credits

Created and Performed by:
Nathan Alford-Tate
Liam Bradley
Kevin Flanagan
Lauren Johns
Rhonda Moore
Sierra Rhoades Nicholls
Darren Rabinowitz
Mae West

Created and Directed by Ben Grinberg
Stage Managed by Katharine Hanley

Understudy, sound design and additional material created by Emi Luz

Additional material created by
Ella-Gabriel Mason
MK Korbisch
Ed Roth
Ella-Gabriel Mason
Jasiri Minors
Madeline Shuron
Aidan O’Shea

Artistic Consultants:
Adam Kerbel
Aidan O’Shea
Nick Jonczak

Production Design by
Ben Grinberg and the Ensemble

Lighting Plot Designed by Amanda Jensen
Sound Consultant Kevin P. Keenan

About the Artist

Almanac Dance Circus Theatre is an award-winning, Philadelphia-based, contemporary circus company dedicated to original works of genre-defying art. Since its founding, Almanac has premiered 12 full-length shows, touring across the United States and internationally in Mexico and the United Kingdom. Almanac’s virtuosic improvised and commissioned performances have been featured at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, FringeArts, New York Live Arts, New York Botanical Gardens, and beyond. Almanac is also know for innovative, community-centered event production, as exemplified by Rocky Award-winning Fit Fest and acclaimed Cannonball Festival. Find out more at thealmanac.us.