Australian contemporary circus company to perform ‘Humans’ Jan. 21 at Eisenhower

After making its Penn State debut in 2015, Circa contemporary circus will return to Eisenhower Auditorium with a new show, “Humans,” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21. Ten acrobats will take the audience on a stirring journey through what it means to be human.

Purchase tickets, which are $42 for an adult, $15 for a University Park student, and $32 for a person 18 and younger. A grant from the University Park Student Fee Board makes Penn State student prices possible.

Exploring the physical limits of their bodies as they are pushed to the extreme, the Circa performers question how much we can take as humans. How much weight can we carry? Who can we trust to support our load? They lead us to reflect on our lives, our loved ones, the burdens we carry, and the physical and emotional strength it takes to overcome them.

Watch a preview of “Humans.”

Created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa ensemble, “Humans” strips the stage bare as the vulnerability of a team of highly skilled acrobats is exposed. With incredible strength and integrity, they connect each moment seamlessly with the next in a thrilling and heart-stopping performance. They find redemptive power in strength and celebrate what it means to be fiercely human.

Read an interview with Lifschitz.

Circa might just be the most in-demand Australian arts company in the world. “Humans,” which premiered in 2017 in Sydney, Australia, has been performed in more than a dozen countries on three continents.

The company’s reputation for fearless, boundary-pushing new circus is borne out in each of its shows, which combine physical virtuosity with an expressive humanism.

“Humans” was commissioned by MA scène nationale–Pays de Montbéliard. Circa acknowledges the assistance of the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, and the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.

Don and Mary Ellen Fisher sponsor the presentation at Penn State.

Artistic Viewpoints, an informal moderated discussion featuring Circa Company Manager Julia Sanchez and several Circa performers, is offered one hour before the performance and is free for ticket holders. Artistic Viewpoints regularly fills to capacity, so seating is available on a first-arrival basis.