Zuppa Circus
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[edit] Company Mandate
Image:Zuppa.gif Zuppa Circus Theatre is an ensemble of theatre artists mandated to A) create innovative, exciting theatre and B) to encourage the proliferation and wider appreciation of innovative, exciting, theatre. Holding in high regard the idea of bringing theatre to the people, we pursue this second goal by touring, teaching, producing workshops, presenting works by other artists, and by giving performances outside of a traditional theatre context.
[edit] Company Info
Zuppa Circus is a theatre company that tours Canada from a base in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was formed in 1998 by Sandy Gribbin and Ben Stone (actor). The company's regular director is Alex McLean.
The company is driven by a core group of artists developing original performances in collaboration with like minded individuals from related disciplines. Every Zuppa Circus show is a magic carpet ride through wild imaginings, genres, familiar stories and the unknown; the experiences, thoughts and inclinations of the lead artists determine the flight plan.
Zuppa Circus specializes in physical theatre and many of its members have trained with Philippe Gaulier in Paris. They create their plays via a process of collective creation, in which original writing is adapted and expanded during the rehearsal process.
Current members of Zuppa Circus are Susan Leblanc-Crawford, Alex McLean and Ben Stone (actor). However, they often collaborate with others when writing or preforming a show.
[edit] Activity Timeline:
August 1998 - One Act of Bravery by Sandy Gribbin Performed by Megan Dunlop, Sandy Gribbin,, Jason MacIsaac Directed by Sandy Gribbin Presented at the Atlantic Fringe Festival
April 1999 - The Unnameable by Phillipe Gaulier Performed by Ben Stone Directed by Sandy Gribbin Presented at the Propeller Brewery Building
Summer 1999- Nicholas Knock (by Dennis Lee, adapted by Zuppa Circus) Performed by Megan Dunlop, Sandy Gribbin, Ben Stone Directed by Kate Elman
October 1999- The Tragedy of Nosferatu collectively created by Zuppa Circus Performed by Sandy Gribbin, Susan Leblanc-Crawford, Ben Stone Directed by Alex McLean Music written and performed by Jason MacIsaac Stage Manager: Christine Oakey Presented at the Sacred Heart School of Halifax
Summer 2000- The Sneetches (by Dr.Seuss, adapted by Zuppa Circus) Performed by Sandy Gribbin, Simon Henderson, Ben Stone Directed by Nate Crawford
Sept. 2000- The Unnameable (By Phillipe Gaulier) (Presented as part of the Atlantic Fringe Festival) Performed by Ben Stone Directed by Sandy Gribbin
Winter 2001- Workshop of The Door in the Wall collectively adapted by Zuppa Circus Workshop actors: Nate Crawford, Sandy Gribbin, Susan Leblanc-Crawford, Workshop director: Ben Stone
April 2001- Stilt Workshop hosted/produced by Zuppa Circus Workshop on stilt-walking and physical theatre was given by Ker Wells (Number Eleven Theatre/Primus Theatre). The workshop, which had eight participants, was held at DANSpace on Grafton St.
Summer 2001- Duck Zuppa (collectively created by Zuppa Circus) Performed by Sandy Gribbin, Susan Leblanc-Crawford, Ben Stone Directed by Alex McLean
October 2001- Remount of The Tragedy of Nosferatu Performed by, Sandy Gribbin, Susan Leblanc-Crawford, Ben Stone Directed by Alex McLean Music written and performed by Jason MacIsaac with Paul Chaddock and David Christensen Stage Managers: Christine Oakey and Lea Ambros Presented at the Church on North Street
- Funded in part by the Nova Scotia Arts Council
March 2002 - The Door in the Wall (story by HG Wells), collectively adapted by Zuppa Circus Performed by Sandy Gribbin, Simon Henderson, Susan Leblanc-Crawford, Ben Stone, Kiersten Tough Directed by Alex McLean Music written by Jason MacIsaac Stage Manager: Lea Ambros Slide photography by Nicole Hill Presented at DANSpace on Grafton Street
- Funded in part by the Nova Scotia Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts
April 2002- Number Eleven Theatre's Icaria hosted/produced in Halifax by Zuppa Circus The show ran for three nights at the North St. Church to sold out houses and much acclaim. This appearance in Halifax was part of Number Eleven's second Atlantic Canadian tour which also included dates in St.John's, NFLD and Charlottetown, PEI.
Summer 2002- Junk Zuppa (collectively created by Zuppa Circus) Performed by Simon Henderson, Susan Leblanc-Crawford, Kiersten Tough Directed by Ben Stone
- Funded in part by the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism and Culture
September 2002- Collaboration with French Clown Master Philippe Gaulier - Halifax,NS
December 2002- Between Wonder and Amusement, Uncle Oscar was Silent Commissioned by Two Planks and a Passion Theatre Performed by Simon Henderson, Susan Leblanc-Crawford, Ben Stone and Kiersten Tough Directed by Alex McLean Text by Peter McBain Music by Jason MacIsaac Music performed by David Christensen and Jason MacIsaac Presented at the North Street Church
- Funded in part by The Canada Council for the Arts
Summer 2003 - Uncle Oscar’s Experiment Performed by Simon Henderson, Susan Leblanc-Crawford, Ben Stone, Kiersten Tough Directed by Alex McLean Text by Peter McBain and the ensemble Music by Jason MacIsaac Music performed by David Christensen and Jason MacIsaac
- Funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism and Culture and the Halifax Regional Municipality
November 2003 - North American Culture Laboratory (NaCl)’s performance The Passion According to GH hosted/produced in Halifax by Zuppa Circus. The solo show ran for three nights at the North St. Church to sold out houses and much acclaim. This production marked New York’s NaCl’s first trip to Canada’s East Coast.
January - March 2004 - Susan Leblanc-Crawford and Sandy Gribbin attend École Philippe Gaulier in Paris, France
March 2004 - Zuppa Circus attends the Shifting Tides: New Directions in Atlantic Canadian Theatre conference at the University of Toronto. The company gives a staged reading of its upcoming work Radium City and lead conference attendees in a workshop.
Summer 2004 - Uncle Oscar’s Experiment Plays at the Cooking Fire Theatre Festival in Toronto, ON, the Catskill Festival of New Theatre in Highland Lake, NY and for two nights only at the North Street Church in Halifax.
November – December 2004 – Radium City Performed by Sandy Gribbin, Susan Leblanc-Crawford, Ben Stone, Kiersten Tough Directed by Alex McLean Text by Peter McBain Music by David Christensen and Jason MacIsaac
- Funded in part by Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Halifax Regional Municipality.
February 2005 – Schmigeggy Theatre Collective’s production of Fable: Based on a True Story produced/hosted as the first event of the Zuppa Circus Blue Plate Special Series. This solo show ran at The Crib for three nights to large audiences and excellent reviews. This was Schmigeggy’s first time performing in Halifax.
May 2005 - As the second event in the Zuppa Circus Blue Plate Special Series, Zuppa Circus produced and presented The Autonomy of the Actor: a performance workshop led by NaCl Theatre’s Tannis Kowalchuk and Number Eleven Theatre’s Ker Wells. This workshop was produced in association with Eastern Front Theatre and Theatre Nova Scotia, and was highly successful in terms of attendance and the enthusiastic response from participants.
May – July 2005 – The Zuppa Circus Open Theatre Kitchen Performed by Sandy Gribbin, Susan Leblanc-Crawford and Ben Stone Directed by Alex McLean Text by Robert Plowman and the ensemble Music by David Christensen
- Funded in part by the Nova Scotia Department of Toursim, Culture and Heritage and the Halifax Regional Municipality
July-August 2005 – hosted Characters Workshop with Philippe Gaulier
May-August 2006 – The Zuppa Circus Open Theatre Kitchen: It All Looks Different in the Dark Performed by Kiersten Tough, Susan Leblanc-Crawford and Ben Stone Directed by Alex McLean Text by Robert Plowman and the ensemble Music by David Christensen Dramaturgy by Bruce Barton
- Funded in part by the Nova Scotia Department of Toursim, Culture and Heritage
(This version of the show toured to, or was presented by the Cooking Fire Theatre Festival, Toronto Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, Ross Creek, Nova Scotia Festival Antigonish, Antigonish, Nova Scotia The Catskill Festival of New Theatre Charlestown Working Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts The 4 Elements, Little Current, Ontario Company of Fools, Ottawa Suitcase in Point, St. Catharines The Pearl Theatre, Lunenburg, NS
October – December, 2006- Jerome (working title) – Development Phase Performed by Simon Henderson, Susan Leblanc-Crawford and Ben Stone Directed by Alex McLean Music by David Christensen Costumes by Leesa Hamilton Dramaturgy by Bruce Barton
- Funded in part by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage
