Living in Peru : your everyday companion

By Diana P. Olano

Circus-theater group La Tarumba's current spectacular is located in Plaza Lima Sur, found in the district of Chorillos. Housed in two red tents behind the shopping complex and next to carnival rides for children, expats will feel right at home in this typical-circus setting. Inside the first small tent, guests can purchase cotton candy, popcorn and more familiar treats. Inside the second tent, however, awaiting spectators is not your traditional circus.

There are no animals in this show, no terrifying lions or men dressed in suits to tame them. No elephants standing on one leg or dogs jumping through rings of fire. There are no silly clowns to delight or scare children. Instead, in the background, a live band plays the soundtrack for an evening of acrobatic stunts which tells the story of a fairy looking to light up her world.

"Iluminare" is La Tarumba's latest project, directed by Roberto Uriona and Miriam Gonzáles of Argentina. In it, 13 members from the group tell the tale of Esmeralda, a fairy about to start her journey in search of love. Dressed in a flowey green and pink costume, the acrobat/actress practically flows on air during her spotlights. The final scenes with her and the male lead "Antonio" are where she shines brightest. Her love interest, the largest guy in the entire production, is also light as a feather during his encounters with Esmeralda. Performance art is probably the technical term for what they do, but trust me that it's a lot more interesting than how it sounds.

While Esmeralda and Antonio are the lead characters, I--and I think the rest of the audience--found the supporting artists to be as equally wonderful to watch. There was the "handsome gentleman" Esmeralda met on her journey, who strutted his stuff on tall beam, climbing it every way he could and without the help of anyone or the use of any safety harness. The audience made the most gasps during his act, as he put his skills and strength to the test by dropping from the very top to the very bottom, only to catch himself at the last second. You have to see it to believe it. Two jugglers took the traditional circus performance to the next level by juggling flame-lit batons. These guys were really fun to watch. And then there was the humorous "doctor" who tried to woo Esmeralda (and every other woman) while doing trapeze acts very high above our heads. He was probably my favorite of the whole bunch.

And the backbone of the entire production was, in my opinion, the band. Made up of Peruvian musicians and singers, they made this spectacular unique in sound and presentation. Playing what seemed to be music of all genres and from different cultures, they were flawless, not to mention talented. The female lead singer had an almost erethral voice, perfect for the scenes when Esmeralda was joined by her fairy friends. And the male lead singer narrated the love story with enthusiasm and heart.

Though a bit pricier than other circus' currently in town, this show is worth every penny. It's in it's last two weeks of production, so head over to Teleticket.com or to Plaza Lima Sur to purchase tickets before they're snatched up. This is one circus you want to catch before it leaves town!



Iluminare

When: July 20 - September 7; Wednesday - Friday at 8 p.m., Saturdays 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sundays 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Where: Carpa de la Tarumba - C.C. Plaza Lima Sur - Av. Paseo de la República, Chorrillos
Tickets available at Teleticket.

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1 Comments

# says :
27 August, 2008 [ 06:19 ]

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