Circus Bella’s latest show, BANANAS!, is a 60-minute explosion of beauty, laughter, and joy. (See our review of the show here.)
The perfect park outing this summer, the company’s 14th-annual open-air, all-ages presentation (in Bay Area parks through Fri/16) features local acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, and clowns—all backed by the six-piece Circus Bella All-Star Band.
The show is so “out there” that even its writer, director, and ringmaster, Abigail Munn, has a hard time peeling back the layers to explain it.
“Basically, the bananas start small and then get bigger and more abundant during the show,” she says. “There is nothing I can do to stop it, so I finally give in.”
Ultimately, the show’s plot isn’t its driving factor; it’s more about how it makes audiences feel.
“Our biggest critique is that people’s faces hurt from smiling so hard by the end of the show,” says Munn.
I spoke to Munn (also Circus Bella’s cofounder and artistic director) and Toni Cannon (the show’s strongman) about the immense creativity, training, and funding needed to pull off this celebration of silliness.
48 HILLS Abigail, what is your process in writing, developing, and overseeing a show like this?
ABIGAIL MUNN Every year, I pick some theme or title for the show and work from there. For the past few years, we have worked with Michelle Matlock and the clowns at the beginning of the rehearsal process to develop their material, which acts as a thread for the show.
Meanwhile, acts are placed in an order that energetically and musically makes sense to build momentum for the show. I try to have as much variety in pictures, textures, and emotional states as possible.
48 HILLS How did growing up around circus folk since childhood influence your development as an artist?
ABIGAIL MUNN Circus Bella is very much a direct descendent of the Pickle Family Circus, which is where I got my start. You can see it in the community spirit, importance of clowning as part of the show, commitment to having a live band, and of course, the big finale, which is a full-company juggling act.
48 HILLS Toni, what inspired you to delve into the circus arts? What were the challenges of entering this arena later in life?
TONI CANNON I was always very active as a kid but completely stopped once I started working at 19 years old. I was an optician and honestly hated it. I enjoyed making stuff with my hands, but it wasn’t enough for me. I really enjoy things that force me to be in my body. I’m really drawn to the fact that there really isn’t a wall you can hit with circus arts. You can always get better at your discipline.
Starting later in life was challenging just because in order to be good at something, it takes a lot of hours of training. You unfortunately can’t just start performing right away, so as an adult you are juggling working a day job while still ensuring you are training enough to progress your skills.
48 HILLS What are the intricacies involved in perfecting disciplines like Chinese pole, partner acrobatics, and hand-to-hand?
TONI CANNON Dedication and consistency. It’s pretty simple; you just have to be willing to put in the time.
48 HILLS How is expressing yourself through acrobatics relevant to overcoming life’s challenges?
TONI CANNON I learned so much about myself through training in acrobatics. I learned how hard you have to work to be good at anything; I learned discipline and how to believe and trust myself. All of these lessons are so important to be able to work through the world.
48 HILLS How is working with Circus Bella different from other companies you’ve worked with?
TONI CANNON Circus Bella is more of a traditional-style circus, which I find so fun. It’s also free to attend, which changes the demographic of people who are able to come see the shows.
48 HILLS Abigail, is it ever a three-ring circus behind the scenes of a Circus Bella production?
ABIGAIL MUNN If we had a bigger budget. (Make a donation to www.circusbella.org/donate!) For now, I think one ring is good. We are in a new location every day and so we have to contain ourselves to whatever we can fit in a very tightly packed 20-inch box truck. Everyone in the company helps to set up and tear down the show.
48 HILLS Why is it significant that an arts group in SF like Circus Bella is celebrating its 14th anniversary?
ABIGAIL MUNN I am always somehow amazed that we made it another year! Funding is always a miraculous combination of grants, private donations, and performance fees—and just a bit of magic. That said, it is so important to keep bringing our free shows to the Bay Area. Now there are kids who have grown up with us so we are a family tradition.
48 HILLS What’s coming up next for the company?
ABIGAIL MUNN We have some big plans cooking! We are mid-way through a campaign to put a tent up in December in downtown SF. It is an exciting opportunity for us to be part of the downtown revitalization and grow our company with programming in the winter.
48 HILLS Toni, what’s next for you creatively?
TONI CANNON I created a one-man show this year called ReFlection; it’s a story of self-acceptance through the lens of a transmasculine experience and the milestones that shape how he views himself and the world around him. It’s told through a powerful combination of circus arts, dance, and cinematic storytelling.
Veronica Blair directed it, and I am happy to say it was accepted into the Cannonball Festival in Philly. I will be performing it there in September. I am also working on showing it again in San Francisco before heading east with it.
48 HILLS With all the anti-trans sentiment sweeping the country, is your visibility in a show like this extra important?
TONI CANNON I think that it is very important to have visibility. I feel it’s important for people to see someone like them so that they know it’s possible for themselves.
I, however, don’t think about this when I am performing. I perform because I love being on stage; I love working hard at mastering something and sharing it with the world. I just so happen to be someone who is transgender.
48 HILLS Why is a show like “Bananas!” important for audiences to see right now in the context of everything going on in the world?
ABIGAIL MUNN Personally, the world feels a bit bananas right now. Maybe for a moment, we can celebrate the absurdity rather than sit at home wringing our hands.
BANANAS! At Bay Area Parks through July 16. More info here.
