TigerLion Arts’ “Big World” Showcases Circus Arts and More at Theodore Wirth Park

At Minneapolis’s historic Theodore Wirth Pavilion on May 8, 9, and 10 only, Big World, a circus-based “walking play” by TigerLion Arts, set out to teach about love and togetherness. The show begins with five “experts,” all scientists from around Europe studying the power of love, coming together to build a “love bomb” to bring the world together. Hijinks ensue.

Maddie Heath

I didn’t fully follow the story, personally, but I sat back and became invested in the mix of circus arts, slapstick comedy, puppetry, and audience engagement, which included singing and dancing. In addition to the five clown actors, Big World includes two mimes, who roll around on unicycles and large balls, balance long sticks on their faces, and walk on stilts; the Brass Messengers, a brass band that provides live music throughout the performance; and two puppeteers operating a large bear puppet. Honestly, seeing Big World was sometimes like watching a play in a different language. In line with the circus theme, much of the performance was done without dialogue, and the audience followed the story through body language, music, and the use of props.

Maddie Heath

The costume design for Big World was immediately striking. The five main clowns wear bold, androgynous outfits featuring polka dots, stripes, and unusual color and style combinations. The mimes wear the usual black-and-white outfits and makeup, with statement patterns and lace details. A young boy who befriends a bear is dressed in the cargo shorts and ascot of a Boy Scout, a sash draped across his chest. He even got to briefly roast marshmallows toward the end of the show.

Big World is what TigerLion Arts calls a “walking play,” which includes following the performers and ushers down a paved path to a few different locations surrounding the Theodore Wirth Pavilion. It was necessary to have good walking shoes and dress for the weather, even though the course wasn’t very long. Small camping chairs were available for audience members who needed them. Walking and interacting with the cast between scenes really lent itself to the themes of community and harmony with humanity and nature shown throughout the show. Big World took full advantage of its outdoor setting as a stage, using the hills, trees, and bushes around the pavilion as natural visual barriers, and timing performances in the hour and a half or so preceding sunset for even, comfortable lighting.

Maddie Heath

As the sun was setting, we convened back in the indoor pavilion for the last section of the performance, which included the audience holding hands and walking together around the main room of the building as the band continued to play. After the show, the performers stuck around to talk with the guests, and refreshments were served. The whole performance only ran for around an hour, which at the same time felt too short and also just the right length for the attention spans and bedtimes of the target audience.

Big World was clearly made to appeal to children and families, but I was happy to see a truly diverse spectrum of age groups represented. I was particularly glad to see a healthy mix of ages because I remember not really “getting” circus arts as a child. I cringed when clowns were booked at my friends’ birthday parties, and though I knew some people who did circus and circus-adjacent performing arts, they never really appealed to me. I’m delighted to have given this wonderfully dynamic art form another opportunity to impress me as an adult, since it has provided me yet another way to enjoy the extent of human physical and artistic ability. In Big World’s case, the close proximity to the actors, the audience engagement, and the world crafted in the introduction to the show helped me connect with the characters and story and appreciate even the simplest of clown tricks in a way I hadn’t before. I would recommend TigerLion’s shows to families, yes, but also to those looking to reevaluate their relationship to lesser-appreciated performing arts styles, and anyone who needs a little more whimsy in their life.

Maddie Heath

You can find more about TigerLion Arts and their past and upcoming productions on their website.