BRATTLEBORO — Myzrie House, a theatrical circus show, comes to Brattleboro on Saturday, Oct. 1, for one show only at the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA).
“Part of our mission as the leading circus arts education organization in the United States is to bring innovative and outstanding circus shows and performers to southern Vermont,” said NECCA's producing director Serenity Smith Forchion in a news release.
The creators of Myzrie House are Nicole Burgio, a graduate of NECCA's professional training program who has since gone on to create award-winning circus theater, and urban dancer Mark Wong.
Since graduating from NECCA in 2012 with a focus in trapeze and partner acrobatics, Burgio joined Almanac Dance Circus Theater and then toured nationally and abroad with her solo performance xoxo moongirl. She is currently based in West Philadelphia.
Burgio and Wong co-wrote, designed, and choreographed Myzrie House, which blends Burgio's talents in circus arts and Wong's background in Breaking to explore relationship strife in a science-fiction world.
Featuring an eclectic soundtrack and fiery original movement, the full-length show tells a story through action only, with no spoken text. The narrative follows two humans thrust into a mysterious cell together for reasons unknown.
A whimsical and dark tale, Myzrie House was first conceived as a commissioned work for Temple University's Reflection:Response series in 2021, and it was performed at the premiere of the Cannonball Festival in 2021 and 2022.
Wong and Burgio challenged themselves to create “light work about heavy issues,” according to the news release, and pushed through the height of the pandemic to find safe rehearsal spaces, dance, and perform at full speed through masks to keep the flame of performance alive.
“We didn't necessarily set out to make a show about marriage and quarantine,” Wong noted, “but those themes definitely ended up creeping in. We did know that we wanted to make fun, silly, and dynamic work around serious stuff, without being too heavy handed thematically.” Burgio adds, “We always aim to create work which is weird, but not boring.”
Wong says he is passionate about Breaking, and strives to use it as an artistic and educational tool for youth with his company, Hip Hop Fundamentals. He also works with the Kimmel Cultural Campus Education department as a program coordinator.
Together as arts educators, creators, and performers, Wong and Burgio pursue empowering others through the arts.