Cirque Mechanics' "Birdhouse Factory" comes from the mind of Cirque du Soleil veteran Chris Lashua. It is heavily influenced by the industry murals of painter Diego Rivera, the inventive cartoons of artist Rube Goldberg and the groundbreaking slapstick humor of Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times" (1936).
The talented troop of acrobats, dancers, jugglers, contortionists and clowns are veterans of the Cirque du Soleil performing troupe as well as of the Pickle Family Circus and the Moscow Circus.
After the large, looming gates of H. Rosebud opened while music boomed, the stage became a frenzy of activity, featuring cartwheels and spinning wheels and handsprings upon handsprings. The steam that occasionally erupted amidst flashes of light and frenetic movement added another dimension of reality to an already very believable and imaginative set.
The show's success could be quickly heard as audience members whooped, laughed and cheered for the high-peril rope acrobatics atop swinging lights, the strength-driven, somewhat sexy tango atop a gigantic spool and the bravado of performer Russ Stark's German wheel acrobatics.
It is the second act that truly amazes, offering the same charm found in "Modern Times." Here, the assembly line features birdhouses instead of nondescript bolts. The show automatically captivates the audience as a juggler semi-struggles to keep up with production.
The final segment of the show combined high-flying with goofy antics as three male acrobats spun, fell and flipped up the factory's wall using a trampoline. Undoubtedly, these three performers had every audience member itching to get out of one's seat to jump along with the performers.
The clowning skills of performer Jesse Dryden should not go under-appreciated; while at first his chuckling and gasping seemed to be quite annoying and aimed at a younger demographic, his interactive banter with the audience proved quite entertaining and expertly timed.
Sure, there are traditional circus roles here, yet "Birdhouse Factory" seems to add more pizazz than an average circus gang. There is a clown, yes, yet he is lovable and endearing; by the end of the first act, you are rooting for him to transcend his foot-stuck-in-a-bucket presence. There are strong men, but there are also strong women who defy physics and dazzle as they seemingly plummet to the Earth from the stage's ropes. "Birdhouse Factory" presents no gimmicks and you can feel an adrenaline rush as high-stakes acrobatics unfold before your eyes. For those sitting in the first two rows, the show is sometimes right above your head.
It would be rude to give away any spoilers, so I will only go so far as to stay the audience interaction simply works. The character Mr. Dryden dons a goofy grin that makes up for any awkwardness in his chosen selections, a feat hilarious in itself.
Overall, "Birdhouse Factory" is a whole lot of fun. It is so much fun that you will be attempting cartwheels and somersaults in the hallways of the Hopkins Center by the show's end, though I don't recommend attempting this.
Chaplin's "Modern Times" is great, but the live, entertaining stunts of "Birdhouse Factory" are unmatched. Let Cirque Mechanics be your blue canary in the outlet; make a little birdhouse in your soul.
