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Circus Fire

~~Lampman School, Lampman SK~~

Directed by Christine Branyik-Thornton,

Winner of eleven awards at the Saskatchewan Provincial Drama Festival - COMMENTS:

"Ambitious theatrical endeavour are the three best words I can use to describe this lavish recreation of a Barnum and Bailey circus that was engulfed in flames on July 6, 1944. Written by Janet Munsil and directed by Christine Branyik-Thornton, this was a dazzling production that boldly incorporated every theatrical trick in the book. It was a master class in lighting, sound, pantomime, acrobatics, characterization, set design, staging, and I could go on and on and on. The entire production clearly started with a singular vision, and every choice made was in service of that vision. I found myself giddy as I watched the cheerful opening passages, astonished by the miraculous second act imagery, and trembling during the catastrophic conclusion. I rode a tidal wave of emotions that haunted and delighted me long after the final whiff of smoke rose from the smouldering Big Top."

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"I want to once more express my absolute admiration for your school's performance of 'Circus Fire'. In this Director's opinion, it was clearly the best play of the festival, and by a wide margin. Though other plays had much to admire, yours was the only production that had my riveted on-the-edge-of-my-seat attention from first cue to last. It was visually stunning, artistically provocative, and in many excellent ways unlike anything I have seen at provincial festival in my twenty-six years of attending. I felt there was not a false acting note in the whole show, which is incredibly impressive considering the diverse physical and emotional challenges placed on the cast. The beautiful ending made me weep...If I ever make a top ten list of my favorite festival plays of all time, 'Circus Fire' will be on it."hat makes it interesting? Write a catchy description to grab your audience's attention...