REVIEW : A Disappointing ‘Circus’ : Fern Street Circus Lacks the Magic That Allows a Circus to Grip an Audience

The inaugural Fern Street Circus began on a promising note Saturday afternoon in Golden Hill’s Grape Street Park. Ringleader Don Victor introduced the outdoor show by selecting someone in the crowd to “audition” for the circus.

Victor pulled 11-year-old cast member Kory Abosada on stage, ran him through some acrobatic routines and then asked Abosada to join the troupe right then and there. The youngster accepted. “Wave goodby to your family,” Victor said, leading the boy backstage. “You may never see them again.”

This clever prelude suggested something magical would follow, but it didn’t quite work out that way. After setting up the boy-joins-the-circus story line, it was never dealt with again. There was no pay-off.

Like its abandoned premise, the 90-minute Fern Street Circus didn’t live up to advance billing. A vast majority of the performances were underwhelming, the circus’ message lacked poignancy, and the entire event seemed thrown together at the last minute.

Director John Highkin dreamed up Fern Street Circus after seeing a local performance by Montreal’s Cirque du Soleil in 1987. Clearly influenced by the Cirque’s fusion of theatrical storytelling with circus-style performances, Highkin and co-producer Cindy Zimmerman wrote “ Pino the Barber,” a parable about white man’s abuse of Native Americans.

The concept is admirable; the results less so. Rather than actually combining circus and theater, Highkin simply placed the two different styles next to one another.

The first half of Fern Street Circus consisted of straightforward circus performances--juggling routines, acrobatic performances, etc. The second part, made up of “Pino the Barber,” mimed a story about oppressive Anglos.

Only two of the nine performers seemed prepared for the circus. Juggler Jamie Adkins manipulated a combination of objects--rubber chickens, ping pong balls, apples, etc.--wonderfully and provided the circus’ primary entertainment. Ringleader Victor also turned in a solid performance, maintaining a strong presence and propelling the action forward between routines.

The other performances just weren’t very impressive. Rob Shaffron’s shaky tightrope routine inspired little awe; Elysia Paladino’s contortion act seemed pretty ordinary; and Judy Milstein’s bathos-ridden comic relief--eating a handful of soda crackers, escaping from flimsy binds--drew only sporadic chuckles.

One can’t help rooting for Highkin and the Fern Street Circus project: The troupe’s community interests and enthusiasm are downright infectious. Still, some 13 months of work and $15,000 of city money should have produced something much more focused and polished than “Pino the Barber.”

“PINO THE BARBER”

A Fern Street Circus production. By John Highkin and Cindy Zimmerman. Directed by John Highkin. Scenery by DeLoss McGraw. Musical director is Mark Danisovszky. Choreographer is Bruce Nelson. Stage manager is Victoria L. Kargacos. With Abel Silvas, Olga Macias, Judy Milstein, Sebastian Macias, Rob Shaffron, Jamie Adkins, Don Victor, Kory Adosada and Elysia Paladino. At 5 p.m. Friday, noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday, and noon and 2 p.m. Sunday, through Oct. 6. Tickets are $1-$4. At Grape Street Park, near corner of Grape and 30th streets, Golden Hill. 235-9756.