Circa Contemporary Circus: Wolf
Fourth Visit to Jacob's Pillow Since 2012
By: Charles Giuliano - Jul 27, 2026
Circa Contemporary Circus: Wolf
U. S. Premiere
Ted Shawn Theatre
McCain Stage
Jacob’s Pillow
July 22-26, 2026
Created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble
Direction and stage design, Yaron Lifschitz
Sound design, Ori Lichtik
Lighting Design, Alex Berage
Costume design, Libby McDonnell
Circa artists; Shea Baker, Maya Davies, Lisa Goldsworthy, Jordan Hart, Barney Hermann, Oscar Morris, Kimberly Rossi, Sophie Seccombe, Lachlan Sukroo, Darby Sullivan
For those of us old enough to remember traditional circus what we experienced at Jacob’s Pillow’s production of Yaron Lifschitz’s Circa Contemporary Circus: Wolf comprised aesthetic elevation by reduction. There was no ringmaster, clowns, or elephants plodding about from trunk to tail.
That all changed decades ago. Time was when youngsters ran off to join the circus. Tricks were passed along as family traditions or through the apprentice system. Now youngsters learn the acrobatic trade in similar schools at several locations.
Circa, which is based in Brisbane, Australia was founded in 1999 by Yaron Lifschitz who has created some eighty plus works. Starting in 2012 this was the fourth visit to Becket. There are three separate companies on constant tour. The experience of contemporary circus was entirely new to me however much traditional form and its execution have lingered in memory. It is and isn’t circus as I know the art form. That’s the rub.
To quote from Pillow Notes “Circa both is and is not circus. Circa meaning ‘around’ or ‘approximately’ sets up shop around circus- proximate to it, but not quite it. It’s all right there in the name.”
The elements of “Wolf” having its U.S. premiere were spare and straightforward. At the back of the stage was a wall at just about higher than the tallest performer. There were two rather large men in a diverse “pack” of five men and five women. The music was a percussive mix of drums and techno by Ori Lichtik. The pulsing sound evoked a primal lupine groove.
The wall was more than inert. Performers slithered around its edges appearing and disappearing. There were times when they leaned on and sprung off it.
The work commenced with a complex, tricky display by aerialist/ acrobat Shea Baker. Most impressively she executed splits and spins as well as drop and catch maneuvers. After this introduction the apparatus was lifted to the rafters to return later in the program with more variations.
If you are familiar with circus performances much of this is familiar. What is not is the degree to which it is pushed to the limit. Bodies are hurled in the air then deftly caught. There is a frequent theme of stacking bodies three high. These totem forms are not just supported on shoulders but on heads, necks and arms as well.
The precision, risk and degree of difficulty drew gasps and spontaneous applause from the audience. The company is superbly trained with men and women aptly matched in strength and endurance. The unisex costumes blurred gender differences.
There were many configurations of duets, love triangles and the entire bestial wolf pack.
Darby Sullivan was used for comic impact. He slithered his way into a romantic coupling. Coming between the two men he stretched them back to form a bridge. There were further examples of bridges.
Growing up on a farm in New South Wales Barney Hermann amused himself by falling onto hay bales. This developed into a specialty of pratfalls. The audience gasps as he repeatedly slams to the floor.
Into the second act there was a point at which the performance risked becoming routine. Over and over, however, they trotted out new and ever more daring tricks.
At the end of this spectacular performance there was a collective sigh of relief that nobody was seriously injured