Boston Circus Guild's

​2025 Online Program

Creative Team

Director & Creative Producer
​Ellen Waylonis

Writer & Sound Designer
Tim Ellis

Cirque of the Dead is produced by Boston Circus Guild
with production support from Circus 617

Cast

Alex Jackson (he/him) 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.​

Caroline (Callie) Wright (she/her) took to the air before she could walk, climbing curtains, dressers, trees and anything she could crawl to. She began her official circus journey with the Flying Gravity Circus in NH and went on to become a NECCA grad. She has performed with companies across the US and internationally including Cirque du Soleil. She performs with the Boston Circus Guild, and is 1/2 of DuoShadow with Rachel Barringer. Her specialties are dance trapeze, duo & solo hoop and duo braided loops.
​

Mandy Hackman (she/her) 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. This year, Mandy is an artist fellow in the FolkLab “These Hollow Hills” project in Pittsburgh, exploring her Appalachian roots as they relate to art, community histories, and the ecosystem. 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 built commissioned choreography for many dance, theater and circus companies, and has been a featured artist at the US and Irish Aerial Dance Festivals, 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. 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.

Melissa Knowles (any/all) is an anti-conformist, defiantly klutzy, whimsical, absurd, and always in search of balance. She loves art and circus because it cultivates curiosity and adds to the proliferation of joy in the world. They have been performing with the Boston Circus Guild since 2011 and is honored to continue to work alongside such inspiring people. She also loves dark chocolate.​

Rachel Barringer (she/her) 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.

​As a kid, Rin Judith (any/all) 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, as well as recently co-founding the performance group Changeling Circus. They are very excited to return as a performer to the Cirque of the Dead team this year.

​Sophie Kaufman (she/her) grew up in Vermont, where she discovered circus at a young age. She studied at New England Center for Circus Arts, and began teaching at Esh Circus Arts in 2014. Recently she has enjoyed performing with Circus617 in their collaborations with local opera singers and musicians. Sophie is an aerialist specializing in rope, trapeze, and rings.

Tim Ellis (he/him) is thrilled to be back for his 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!​

Tori Markwalder (she/her) 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.

Tori Queeno (they/them) is thrilled to be working with the Boston Circus Guild to bring live foley to this year's Cirque of the Dead! Tori has been a foley artist for seven years, performing primarily with the Post Meridian Radio Players of Somerville. When not making silly noises for fun, Tori is involved in the tabletop roleplaying game community as an editor, writer, event coordinator, and actual-play performer with various groups and companies. They also enjoy knitting, video games, and costuming in what little free time they have left over. They would like to thank their fiance, Jon, for undying patience, and their cat, Persephone, for being a benevolent overlord. To learn more about Tori's work or how they can help make bespoke sound effects for your creative endeavors, check out their website at thatnerdtori.carrd.co. 

Crew

Director &
​Creative Producer

Ellen Waylonis (she/her) is a Boston-based multi-disciplinary circus artist, choreographer, producer, and director who is inspired by the immense power of storytelling through movement. She is a co-founder of the Boston-based contemporary circus collective Circus 617 and a founding member of the Boston Circus Guild, performing locally and nationally with both companies. Ellen has also toured nationally with Cirque Productions, Caroline Calouche & Co, and Nimble Arts. Locally, she has performed with and for organizations both large and small. In her off-stage roles, Ellen has collaborated with organizations throughout New England including North Shore Music Theater, Trustees of Reservations, and the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture. She was a 2021 Live Arts Boston grantee with Circus 617, a 2024 Creative and Independent Producers Alliance fellow, and a 2025 Next Steps for Boston Dance grantee. Ellen is co-owner and CEO at Esh Circus Arts, and in 2017 she was a member of the founding team for Commonwealth Circus Center in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood.

Associate Producer

Lanya Butler (they/them) is a Boston based performer and producer with a focus on using circus to foster community and celebrate diverse creative voices. They are passionate about movement as a form of self-expression and making circus accessible to everyone. Lanya is a co-founder of Changeling Circus, a queer, nerdy circus collective, and recently produced Circus Spectacular, a circus variety show for Anime Boston. When not in the air or behind the scenes, you can find them programming, being bullied by their dog, dancing k-pop, and sewing.

Stage Manager

Zahra Garrett (she/her) 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 third year as the Stage Manager for Cirque of the Dead!

Assistant Stage Manager

Gabby Stryker (she/her) is a stage manager in the Boston area and the assistant production manager for the Tufts University Theater Department. She has worked as a stage manager on a number of productions including; Pimpinone & Ino (BEMF), Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels (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). She’s thrilled to be back with Boston Circus Guild and hopes you enjoy the show!

Sound Design

Tim Ellis

Lighting Design

Brittany Trymbulak (she/her) is excited to be working with Cirque of the Dead for her third 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.

Makeup Design

Sparklle Thames  (she/her) 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.

Scenic Design & Fabrication

Lanya Butler
​
Anna Read (she/her) Partner acro coach and graduate of Esh Circus Arts’s professional prep program, Anna was constructing sets for her high school theater group long before she ever touched a silk or stood on someone’s shoulders. She began her carpentry journey years before when her dad let her sous chef various woodworkings in their basement, and now that she’s finally old enough to have her own woodshop in the basement, she’s so happy to be able to share the love of crafting and help bring this spooky circus to life!

Dance Captains

Mandy Hackman, Rin Judith

Aerial Act Puller

Jen Ender (she/her) grew up dancing, but left movement behind to study music and physics. After seeing a Cyr wheel in action, she thought better of this, and dove headfirst into circus. She fell in love with wheels, partner acro, handstands, circus in general, and the circus community, and set out to try to learn everything at once. Jen loves understanding how different skills work using physics, looking for new ways to use the wheels, and sharing her love of circus with anyone and everyone! When she’s not circusing or parenting, she likes to spend her time designing and sewing costumes, and doing other crafting adventures.

Audio Engineer

Miles Wilder (them/them)

Audio Technician

Saikumar Mokara (he/him)

Lighting Technician

10/24-10/26   Brittany Trymbulak
10/31                   T Lawrence-Simon (he/him)

Stage Crew

Shane Bushey (he/him), a long-time circus enthusiast, 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.

Ian Doucette (them/them) is delighted to be returning to support the fabulous Cirque of the Dead cast for the third time. In their free time, Ian also enjoys taking classes at Esh Circus Arts here in Somerville, as well as playing digital and tabletop RPGs.

​FOH Manager

Sofia Post (she/they) discovered circus arts at age 5 and she has been obsessed with it ever since. Moving to the Boston area to study Exercise Science at Simmons University, Sofia had the opportunity to further their training at Esh and C3. Certified as a personal trainer in 2020, they discovered the various facets of teaching others to move their bodies in new ways. After finishing their Bachelor of Science in the spring of 2023, Sofia was accepted into Esh’s Professional Prep Program to continue on the path to becoming a full-time teaching artist.

Videographer

Beren Jones (he/him) 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!

Marketing Manager

Chels Errante (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary circus artist specializing in Aerial Hoop, Lollipop Lyra, Aerial Rings, Cyr Wheel and Hula Hoop. She was initially drawn to hula hooping in 2011, and then dove into aerials! Chels started training at Esh in 2014, participated in the teaching assistant program for several years, and graduated from the Professional Prep Program in 2019. Since then, Chels has been performing professionally across New England and beyond, and serves on the Board for the Boston Circus Guild.

Graphic Designer

Jess Shada (she/her) 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.

Thank You to our Sponsors

Special Thanks

The team at Arts at the Armory
Courtney Verhaalen
Mélis Kooyomjian
Cam Kincheloe
Michael Mucciolo
Doug Stewart and CirqueUs
Kathryn McKellar and Opera on Tap Boston
Alexis Hedrick 
Sophia Herscu
Roger May
Cas McConnell
Nancy Murphy
Jessica Tin
Lizzy Linsmayer