All Over Albany

This is Not a Test at the Arts Center

Something different: Aaron Marquise is bringing his contemporary clown show This is Not a Test to the Arts Center of the Capital Region for a run starting September 29. Show blurbage:

"This is Not a Test" is a mix between theater, a French-style of clowning, and contemporary circus. In a war-torn era, inside a decrepit vaudeville theater, with nothing but a pile of shoes to sleep on, an isolated clown finds shelter. After having survived for a long period of time with only inanimate objects as friends, the clown is shocked to awake one morning to see an audience of people staring back at him. As if observing an animal in a zoo, the audience watches as he sings, dances, and celebrates parties. Comedic vignettes offer a balance for darker content throughout the show. All the while the clown conveys his own resilience to loss and his willingness to seek hope.

This is the show Marquise performed at Revolution Hall last year.

Marquise trained at the National Circus School in Montreal, and has toured around the world. He has a modern circus production company called Marquise Productions that's based in Troy. You might remember shows it produced a the Gasholder Building.

This is Not a Test will be at the Arts Center September 29-October 1 and October 6-8 at various times. Tickets are $20 / $15 for 12 and under.

photo: Douglas Liebig