A System of Strings

A System of Strings is a contemporary circus show created and performed by multidisciplinary American circus artists Ariel Schmidtke and Esther de Monteflores. A System of Strings fuses shadow puppetry and physical theater with traditional circus arts including trapeze, wire walking, and acrobatics. This show is 1 hour in length and, though not specifically geared towards children, is suitable for audiences of all ages.

Opening the performances will be Anchorage local Phillip Blanchett of Pamyua. Pamyua showcases Inuit culture through music and dance performance. The show is a platform to share indigenous knowledge and history. Their style derives from traditional melodies reinterpreted with contemporary vocalization and instrumentation.  Often described as Inuit Soul Music, Pamyua has discovered their own genre.  For this performance Blanchett will be performing solo, blending music with storytelling.

Narrative:

Two creatures, a monkey and a bear, have just escaped from a life of captivity. As the creatures emerge into a world that is unfamiliar, they cope with their transition in divergent ways. This tension is embodied by the distinction between the show’s two primary circus disciplines (slackwire and trapeze). One creature ascends into a world of myth and madness while the other treads a line of reality and human socialization. The two creatures try to maintain their connection to each other as their paths diverge, ultimately watching their bond unravel until a single string remains.

A System of Strings is about the ties we use to maintain our connections--the lines that anchor us to our relationships, our identity, and even our sanity. The show explores the duality in these links, utilizing the contrast between the members of the two-person cast and the circus acts they choose to pursue. Inspired in part by the contrast between lightness and darkness in the Alaskan winter, A System of Strings brings light to the stage through shadow puppetry integrated with circus arts. This show occupies traditionally unused spaces in a theater, starting in the lobby and ending among the rafters, creating an immersive experience for audiences.