The Climb

                                  Ciera Gardner, Trevor Fayle, Sam Rosentrater & Claris Park

InterAct Theatre Company, located at 302 S. Hicks Street is presenting  the World Premiere of The Climb through June 23, 2024.  Written by C.A. Johnson and directed by Catherine K. Slusar, the play chronicles a month in the life of a successful photographer and her wife, who has been her muse for the past 6 years. Tiffany, stunningly portrayed by Ciera Gardner, feels “objectified” and plans on a month-long hike in the woods to get away from it all. Marge, her wife, portrayed by Sam Rosentrater, is steadfast and shocked at her decision to go, claiming all the successes  she has achieved as a photographer belong to both of them. Bella, portrayed by Claris Park, is a new student of Marge’s  who at first admires her work, but later becomes critical. The fourth member of this talented ensemble is Trevor Fayle who  portrays Ike, a fellow hiker Tiffany meets on the trail. The set design is an excellent representation of a trail in the woods, yet at the same time, it leaves room  to  illustrate what is happening with Marge.  Ike and Tiffany set up a  very realistic campfire and are caught in a torrential rainstorm the next day. Spoiler Alert! Both  the flames of the campfire and the sheets of pouring rain are actually video projections.  All the actors in the play give credible performances, with the strongest performances  coming from  Ciera Gardner and Claris Parker.  There is a surprise ending, but as with all the works presented at InterAct, you’ll leave the theatre with a plethora of things to discuss. For more information or tickets, call 215-568-8079 or visit online at boxoffice@interact.org

CORTEO

Cirque du Soliel’s CORTEO premiered in Philadelphia at the Liacouras Center on May 30, 2024. Italian for a joyous procession, CORTEO is the representation of a clown’s dream of his own  funeral bedecked with music, parades, a circus ambience, and Angels nearby in attendance. The circus atmosphere is delightful. Act after act appears on the stage and performs to audiences seated on both sides of a huge arena.  There are numerous versions of trapeze artists, each spectacular in their own right starting with women climbing in and hanging from huge chandeliers. Other artists tumble across bed mattresses only to alight on top of the bedpost! Such boldness requires an enormous amount of agility. Additional trapeze artists  twist and turn as they are lifted above the stage on a pair of ribbons and others are  miraculously thrown and caught across from each other on raised platforms.  Repeated gasps heard throughout the venue are a testament to the excitement this show produces. But that is not all! There are jugglers and  quick comedy sketches as well as musical processions across the stage. Everything is accompanied by beautiful  music. While most of the show is in Italian, knowledge of the language isn’t necessary to appreciate this marvelous performance.