Creative Team
Creative Producer
Ellen Waylonis |
Director
Eileen Little |
Writer
Tim Ellis |
Cirque of the Dead is produced by Boston Circus Guild
with production support from Circus 617
with production support from Circus 617
Cast
Alex Jackson is a Boston based circus performer who is never happier than when he is upside down. He began his circus career learning to juggle while earning degrees in Biology and Theater from UMass Amherst. After graduating, his passion for rock climbing led him to Esh Circus Arts, where he trained a variety of aerial disciplines before attending the Professional Training program at the New England Center for Circus Arts. While his first love was aerial rope, his main disciplines now include straps, hand balancing and partner acrobatics with Nana Okada. Alex performs regularly with the Boston Circus Guild and teaches at Esh Circus Arts and Eastern Acrobatics and Circus.
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Ellen Waylonis is a Boston-based multi-disciplinary circus artist, choreographer, producer, and theatrical intimacy director. Ellen is a founding member and frequent performer with Boston Circus Guild and a co-founder of the contemporary circus collective Circus 617. She has toured nationally with the BCG, Circus 617, Cirque Productions, Caroline Calouche & Co, and Nimble Arts. In her off-stage roles, Ellen has collaborated with organizations throughout New England including North Shore Music Theater, Moonbox Productions, and Harvard University. She was a 2021 Live Arts Boston grantee with Circus 617 and a 2024 CIPA Fellow. Ellen is a graduate of the professional program at the New England Center for Circus Arts. While at NECCA, Ellen helped to launch Esh Circus Arts in Somerville, MA in 2010. In 2017 she was a member of the founding team for Commonwealth Circus Center in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. She now splits her time between running Esh and pursuing her many creative passions, both onstage and off.
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Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Jenna Ciotta’s early years were spent developing a love of dance, theater, and dry heat. She found circus arts after completing a BA in Gender Studies and an MA in Human Rights. Circus offered a new and exciting creative outlet for personal expression and continues to be a source of creative joy to this day. She specializes in aerial hoop, partner acrobatics, hair suspension, and dabbling. Jenna was a member of the 2019 inaugural graduate class of the 3 year Professional-Track Program at the New England Center for Circus Arts and later worked as part of the core coaching staff. She has performed around the United States for companies such as Cirque Dreams, Caroline Calouche & Co., and is a member of the Boston Circus Guild. She's thrilled to be joining the cast of this year's Cirque of the Dead!
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Mandy Hackman is an aerialist, dancer, choreographer and a founding member of Circus 617. She has performed on stages across the US and beyond: 617’s productions in Boston and the northeast, immersive works with Control Group and Rainbow Militia in Denver, with Sinecdoche Dance, SAWtooth Dance, Mike Kelley, and others in NYC, at the Kennedy center and across the front range with Frequent Flyers Productions, and as a guest circus artist at Darpana, India, and Casa Chango, Mexico. Mandy has created her own dance-theater work as the founder/director of Tree Project and Shapeshifter collective, which toured throughout the US. She has created choreography for many dance, theater and circus companies, and has been a featured artist at the Aerial Dance Festival, Excessive Realness Dance Festival, Hupstate Circus Festival, and others. She has been featured as an event aerialist, stilt walker, and tarot reader across the US with agencies including Phantom Circus, Handsome Little Devils, Aerial Acrobat Entertainment, and Cirque De Light. Mandy is a witch both offstage and on, and has even created her own circus-themed tarot deck! Offstage, you can find her coaching at Esh Circus Arts & Commonwealth Circus Center, and sharing her love of functional movement as the founder of body inclusive strength and posture service, All Our Bodies.
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Nana Okada is a hand-to-hand flyer, who currently trains and performs with Alex Jackson for Boston Circus Guild. She grew up doing gymnastics and figure skating, and found her love for circus when she stumbled upon partner acrobats in a park during college in Berkeley, California. She is currently in training at Harvard University to become a doctor and public health researcher. Alex and Nana are coached by Jacob Skeffington at Eastern Acrobatics and Circus.
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Rachel Barringer is an aerialist and contortionist based in New England. She performs on aerial hoop, silks, rope, multi-cordes, and aerial straps. She is one half of Duo Shadow with Caroline Wright, and they perform on duo hoop and duo braided loops. Recently Duo Shadow created, co-produced, and performed HELIX, their first full-length circus show in collaboration with Circus 617 and Contemporary Circus Immersive Arts Center in Troy, NY. Rachel has performed with Shanghai Circus, Boston Circus Guild, Santa's Circus, Cirque de Light, Nimble Arts, and more. She is also a founding member of Circus 617, a contemporary circus company based in Boston. Rachel coaches aerials and contortion at Esh Circus Arts in Somerville, Commonwealth Circus Center in Jamaica Plain, and Eastern Acrobatics and Circus in Natick, MA.
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As a kid, Rin Judith could often be found dancing, climbing trees, or adventuring. As they got older, they started training in taekwondo and even competed in college. As graduation approached, they knew they were looking for a new activity and luckily stumbled upon circus. Rin immediately found themself head over heels – and heels over head. Over the course of their circus journey, they have worked with companies such as The Boston Circus Guild, Esh Circus Arts, and Commonwealth Circus Center. They are very excited to join the Cirque of the Dead team as a performer this year.
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Tim Ellis is thrilled to be back for his 9th (10th?) Cirque of the Dead! is a juggler, acrobat, fire artist, musician and writer. He loves working with the Boston Circus Guild - credits include writer and performer for Cirque of the Dead and Midnight At the Midway; performer in Le Cirque Esprit, Throwback Tales, Speakeasy Circus, Vaudevillainy, and Reign of Revelry. He has also traveled North America with juggling troupe A Different Spin, and enjoys collaborating with local groups including Cirque de Light and Circus 617. Tim coaches juggling and acrobatics at Esh Circus Arts and is excited to spread the love of circus to kids and adults of all ages!
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Tori Markwalder got her start training in competitive gymnastics and dabbling in theater and dance throughout school before finding her true passion for circus while attending the University of Central Florida. Specializing in duo static trapeze and aerial hoop, she has trained at The Orlando Circus School, The Irish Aerial Creation Centre in Limerick Ireland, and is a graduate of Esh Circus Arts’ Professional Preparatory Program. Since 2012 Tori has performed both nationally and internationally with companies such as Universal Studios Orlando, Life in Color, Juventas New Music Ensemble, The Space Coast Ballet Company, ToUch Performance Art, and the Boston Circus Guild. When she's not in the air, she can usually be found buried in books, cosplaying, or gaming.
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Crew
Director
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Eileen Little (she/her) is an actor, aerialist, director and circus coach - and she’s the director for Cirque of the Dead 2024! After receiving her MFA in Acting from the National Theater Conservatory in Denver, Colorado, Eileen moved to New York City where she was a founding member and Artistic Director of Fight or Flight Theater, an aerial theater company specializing in reimagining Shakespeare and 80’s films, such as “Henry V” and “Top Gun.” She has choreographed aerial for theater productions across the country and most recently she directed the workshop production of Medusa Reclaimed at Central Square Theater in Boston, as well as the animated version at the Charles Hayden Planetarium. Eileen is a graduate of the New England Center for Circus Arts’ Intensive program and has taught at Show Circus Studio and Circus Smirkus before coming to teach at Esh Circus Arts in Boston, MA, where she has been for over 10 years. Eileen also teaches circus at her own studio, Seaside Circus Cape Ann based in Gloucester, MA. Over the years, Eileen has been a classical radio announcer in Utah, Arizona and recently, WCRB in Boston, MA.
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Stage Manager
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Zahra Garrett has been a professional stagehand for over 15 years, working in Baltimore, MD, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Portland, OR over the course of her career. Some favorite Portland credits include: stage management for Fright Night - A Halloween Circus (2019) presented by Night Flight Aerial Studio; lighting design for Sir Cupcake's Queer Circus (2017, 2018); and lighting design for The Circus Project's training company showcases (2018-2021). Most recently, Zahra has stage managed for Circus 617's productions of Gathering the Threads. Zahra is excited to be returning for her second year as the Stage Manager for Cirque of the Dead!
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Assistant Stage Manager
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Gabby Stryker is a stage manager in the Boston area and the assistant production manager for the Tufts University Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies. She has worked as a PSM and ASM on a number of productions including; New Works Festival (Moonbox), The Mad Ones (Boston Conservatory), With Blood, With Ink (Seagle Music Festival), Roméo et Juliette (Seagle Music Festival), Good People (Oceanside Theater Company), Birds of North America (MOXIE), The Children (MOXIE), Curious Incident (San Diego Repertory), and Mother Road (San Diego Repertory). Gabby is excited to work with Boston Circus Guild!
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Production Assistant
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Lanya Butler is thrilled to join Cirque of the Dead this year as production assistant. After graduating with a B.A. in computer science and photography, they moved to Boston in 2014 and fell in love with circus and its vibrant community. Lanya trained in the Professional Preparatory Program at Esh Circus Arts before relocating to Champaign, IL. There, they taught aerials and K-pop dance at Defy Gravity Aerial Arts and co-produced their first circus and pole show. Now back in Boston, Lanya trains and coaches at Esh Circus Arts and Commonwealth Circus Center. Lanya is passionate about movement as a form of self-expression and is committed to making circus accessible to everyone. Outside of the circus world, you'll find Lanya programming, advocating for web accessibility, being bullied by their dog, attempting to teach their cats partner acrobatics, and sewing.
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Lighting Design
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Brittany Trymbulak is excited to be working with Cirque of the Dead for her second year! She is a passionate designer, programmer and electrician who has been involved in lighting theater, concert, dance and events. She’s also a student at both Esh Circus Arts and previously STREB.
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Makeup Design
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Sparklle Thames is the creative force behind Sparklle T. Beauty. With over a decade of experience, Sparklle is a highly skilled makeup artist and esthetician. She's known for her work in bridal, fashion, film, and special effects. As a lead makeup artist for 'The Slutcracker' in Somerville, MA, she loves any opportunity to step outside of everyday makeup looks and tap into the more artistic side of makeup artistry.
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Costume Design,
Scenic Design |
Ellen Waylonis
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Sound Design
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Tim Ellis, Lanya Butler, Eileen Little
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Dance Choreography
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Mandy Hackman, Ellen Waylonis
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Aerial Act Puller
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Shane Bushey is a long-time circus enthusiast. He has been training at Esh Circus Arts for many years as a partner acro base, and occasionally dabbles in trapeze. When not doing circus, he's usually riding around on mutant bicycles, volunteering his time in food rescue work or helping teach Dungeons & Dragons as an afterschool program for kids aged 7-14.
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Audio Technician
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Saikumar Mokara
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Stage Crew
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Ian Doucette, Ophelia Orchid, Shane Bushey, Sofia Post
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Videographer
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Beren Jones is a photographer, videographer, and occasional circus person. He's been filming circus for over ten years and doing circus for over four. Catch him lurking in the dark as the videographer for Cirque of the Dead. Beren also created the trailer for this year’s show!
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Marketing Manager,
FOH Manager |
Jess Shada wears many creative caps - donning her graphic design, marketing, and front of house hats for this year’s Cirque of the Dead! This isn’t her first dive into the world of circus - she began fire spinning over 12 years ago, and discovered her passion for lyra at Esh Circus Arts 3 years ago. Beyond this, Jess runs a photography and graphic design business and is the communications coordinator for Destination Salem.
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Social Media Manager
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Genevieve Martineau
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Special Thanks
The team at Arts at the Armory
Courtney Verhaalen
Sarah Selby
Gloucester Stage Company
Footlight Club
Mélis Kooyomjian
Cam Kincheloe
Anna Read
Josh Brody
Ricky Hawkins
Michael Mucciolo
Eastern Acrobatics
Doug Stewart and CirqueUs
Alexis Hedrick
Sophia Herscu
Roger May
Aliza Razell
Cindy Dill
Greg Jukes
Lizzy Linsmayer
Julia Neulight
Boris Goldowsky
Katie Morrisey
Courtney Verhaalen
Sarah Selby
Gloucester Stage Company
Footlight Club
Mélis Kooyomjian
Cam Kincheloe
Anna Read
Josh Brody
Ricky Hawkins
Michael Mucciolo
Eastern Acrobatics
Doug Stewart and CirqueUs
Alexis Hedrick
Sophia Herscu
Roger May
Aliza Razell
Cindy Dill
Greg Jukes
Lizzy Linsmayer
Julia Neulight
Boris Goldowsky
Katie Morrisey