Alison Fisher, assistant curator at the Art Institute, is exploring the unconventional at:
El Circo Cheapo Cabaret A friend recently introduced me to the amazing performances at El Circo Cheapo Cabaret, a kind of scripted open-mike night for professional and amateur aerialists and performers. The simple staging of the performance, which is held in a former warehouse, recalls the romance of 19th-century traveling carnivals, complete with an accordion player and juggler.
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Yet it caters to a distinctly hip, local crowd, many of whom are repeat visitors with drinks and simple picnics in tow. The performers are extraordinarily talented, and the action is so close to the audience that for certain acts the first row is asked to move! Besides, it’s always heartening to support arts outside of the mainstream.
Also, being set in the dead of winter, it has helped keep my thoughts cool in the unsettling warmth of this Chicago summer.
In a world that can feel completely accessible (and therefore devoid of thrills) thanks to the Internet, it does my soul good to be reminded that there are things out there I don’t know about, mysteries still to be solved, and also that there are more reasons for me to be a David Mamet antifan. Watch it with the lights out and let the discomfort embrace you! It’s on Netflix, people!
