Threads

By Acrobatic Conundrum

Scenic & Sound Design

Directed by Terry Crane

February 2024

Lighting Design by David Baldwin, Costume Design by Elizabeth Klob

Seattle's premier contemporary circus arts company in an all rope show.

THREADS is a circus paean to the fibers that intertwine to make up our lives and universe, that connect us and string together our story. We live in a wondrous tapestry of unfathomable intricacy; it’s composed of the shimmering webs of spiders, the unseen mycelial network under our feet, the strands of DNA winding through uncountable generations, the strings of characters that make up our stories, and the invisible bonds of love that link us together. Pendant, taut, and resonant, the cast of acrobats weave their stories together via the fiber-centric movement arts of aerial rope, trapeze, slackrope, and hair-suspension, all set to a soulful score played by chanteuse and multi-instrumentalist, Kamila.

The scenic design was collaborative for Threads. The company had already created the brilliant 30 foot long rope wall when I began my design, so I worked to compliment this apparatus in every way. I began by designing a floor treatment that pulled the eye downstage from the rope wall, continuing the lines that the ropes create in an energetic way. This floor paint also served to create a container for the space on the horizontal plane, delineating the band area and “off stage” from “on stage” without having real wing space or many leg curtains. This allowed for a very open and expansive feeling on stage, with even the side lights exposed. Additionally, I created a rope “proscenium” that framed the fourth wall and pulled the audience into the production.