The circus is coming to town — the HICCUP Circus, that is. But it has nothing to do with the awkward, yet funny medical condition that lends its name to the Big Island-based troupe that will hold three performances on
The circus is coming to town — the HICCUP Circus, that is.
But it has nothing to do with the awkward, yet funny medical condition that lends its name to the Big Island-based troupe that will hold three performances on Kauai this weekend.
Well, except for the part about being funny.
Following a nearly seven-year absence from Kauai, the Storybook Theatre, in partnership with Leadership Kauai and the County of Kauai, will host a trio of performances by the award-winning Hawaii Island Community Circus Unity Project.
“These guys are pretty disciplined,” Storybook Theatre of Hawaii Executive Director Mark Jeffers said. “Every one of them has about three to five years in juggling and have a great team feeling to them. These guys, I would say, are professional amateurs.”
The first free, public performance will be held today throughout Hanapepe Art Night.
A second performance will be held at 2 p.m. at the Storybook Theatre of Hawaii in Hanapepe, and a third will be held later that evening, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center.
HICCUP Circus Program Director Graham Ellis said he would regularly send members of his touring troupe to Kauai for just over a decade until 2007, when he moved his program into the Seaview Performing Arts Center for Education in Pahoa.
It was then that Ellis and the troupe decided to take a break from touring for a little while.
“We’re very happy to be back on Kauai, visiting our friends and participating in the programs that Storybook Theatre worked so hard to organize on the island,” Ellis said.
Like many circuses, Ellis said the main purpose of theHICCUP Circus is to entertain audiences, but also infuse an education component into all of their acts — an intriguing mixture that he calls “edu-tainment.”
During their last tour on Kauai, Ellis said HICCUP Circus members conducted a program called “Naturally High,” a drug-prevention program that toured throughout the state and was presented at 138 schools.
“Our purpose is to provide social message for our audiences because our mission statement for the HICCUP Circus is actually to promote a sustainable community,” Ellis said.
This time around, Ellis said the circus’ male touring troupe, consisting of four 14- to 15-year-old performers, will focus on recycling and sustainability education programs.
“We’re very proud of these boys,” Ellis said. “This group has been doing very well — they have a great future ahead of them.”
Tickets for Saturday’s two performances are $10 and free for children who are 5 years old or younger.
The group will also accept donations throughout their visit on Kauai to help offset some of their expenses for a two-week trip to Chicago, where they will participate in an International Juggling Festival youth showcase and help teach courses at CircEsteem, a Chicago-based youth summer camp.
For more information, contact Storybook Theatre at 335-0712 or director@storybook.org.
