Science Circus

Just about the first thing folks will see if they visit the “Gallery of Impossible Balance” at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza this Saturday is a window washer falling onto the Forum Theatre stage.

This is how Jim Jackson, who plays the window washer, makes his entrance in his one-man show, which also turns out to be a one-man circus.

All over the “gallery” set up on the Forum’s stage are “Do Not Touch” signs. But the art on display is, as Jackson puts it, “clown art,” so it’s not difficult to guess whether it’s going to be touched or not.

Kids who attend the show, “Impossible Balance,” which is part of the Performances to Grow On series, will be enthralled by what happens when Jackson gets to fussing around with what’s on that stage. Sculptures get shattered, of course, but then are put back together--sort of.

There will be a three-wheeled, scientific-looking contraption of doubtful practical usefulness onstage. Jackson calls it “Newton’s bike” and it gets disassembled and reconstituted as a giant unicycle.

Combining magic and acrobatics, Jackson performs this act on a 17-foot-long teeter-totter. He memorably dramatizes some of the events in the famous Greek myth of Sisyphus and turns the proceedings into a memorable physics lesson as well.

The Denver-based performer has been touring the country putting on shows such as this for two decades, sometimes giving as many as 400 performances a year.

Despite being good theater, his show is also a good learning experience (or maybe it’s a good learning experience because it’s good theater). This week Jackson has accepted invitations to visit several elementary schools in Ventura County with a special version of his show.

In these mini-shows, he emphasizes the scientific content and tries to provide the kids with some insight into Greek mythology. He even recommends such books as Vickie Cobb’s, “Why Doesn’t the Earth Fall Up?”

Jackson appeared at Rose Avenue School in Oxnard and Oak Grove School on Tuesday, Williams Elementary in Point Hueneme on Wednesday, and will be at McAuliffe Elementary in Oxnard today. He will be at Briggs and Blanchard schools in Santa Paula on Friday.

In the course of Saturday’s Forum Theatre show, Jackson will ask a young volunteer from the audience to assist him. The volunteer will help with a plate-juggling act that always ends in disaster. For the plates, that is.

Jackson will also attempt to clean up, using lots of soap bubbles. In past productions, he has been able to pull off the rather amazing feat of producing soap bubbles so large that his young assistant has ended up inside one. This act always adds an element of suspense to his show--and gives its title extra meaning.

BE THERE

“Impossible Balance,” a circus-style performance by Jim Jackson, Saturday at 1:30 p.m., Forum Theatre, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. $10 for children, $12 for adults. (805) 650-9688 or (805) 583-8700.