2014 brought me into the world of variety. Although my company Parallel Exit incorporates elements of variety in our productions, I had never directed a true variety show until this year.
The GOP Variete-Theater in Germany is a circuit of six theatres that present variety (or “variete”) shows year-round. Each show sits down for two months at a time, usually touring to all six venues over the course of about a year and a half.
Parallel Exit was hired to create a show called EXIT that will play the GOP circuit in 2014 and 2015, right up until rehearsals begin for The Big Apple Circus. It’s not only the first time I’ve directed such a production, it’s also the first time the company has been asked to customize one of our existing shows in this way. I’ve just returned from Munster, the second city in our tour, spending a week preparing the show and adjusting for a new space and audience.
And what have I learned? A ton.
First of all, I could not have asked for a better training ground for the circus. Many elements are similar: a simple theme and overarching story; setting a running order that varies in energy and content; an opening act that features the full company (known as a “charivari” in the circus); a combination of skill acts, clowns, music, and audience participation; transitions that cover the setting up and striking of rigging for aerial acts; and a focus on pure entertainment and constant engagement of the audience.
Having worked with the clowns of Parallel Exit for the past ten years, many of these elements were familiar. However, there were some unique challenges: playing to an audience from a completely different culture, learning the conventions of German variete, and incorporating acts into an existing work in three rehearsal days.
So how does a variete show differ from the circus? In this case, we played on a conventional proscenium stage, rather than a circus ring. There are some variete shows that do play on small circular stages (known as “Palazzo” shows in Germany, and currently represented in NYC by La Soiree), but the GOP circuit has more traditional stages. Food and drink also play a big part in the GOP variete shows – not the popcorn and cotton candy of a circus, but proper sit-down meals and drinks for those who purchase an all-inclusive ticket.
 |
| The GOP Variete in Munster |
The GOP Variete has built a loyal audience that comes to see everything they offer. Their patrons are savvy and have come to expect a high standard of entertainment. In that way, their audience reminds me of the audience for The Big Apple Circus - an audience that returns year after year to see a completely different show, but one that meets and exceeds their expectations.
