Circophony is a circus training and performance program for young people ages twelve to nineteen. Based in Middletown, CT, Circophony is a collaboration between two local theater companies, ARTFARM and Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater. During the Fall Semester Circophony offers twice-weekly training which is open to any young people interested in Circus Arts. Training includes strength and flexi
bility, acrobatics and tumbling, juggling and other forms of object manipulation, stilt dancing, unicycling, clowning and physical comedy, and other performance skills. The Fall training program culminates in a Circus Showcase in November. This winter (2018) Circophony will be mounting an original circus theater production called "As You Wish!", a circus-infused theatrical response to "The Princess Bride". Both the Training Program and "As You Wish!" are directed by Dic Wheeler with Assistant Director and Lead Trainer Allison McDermott. Dic has been performing, teaching and directing circus in the United States and Europe for over thirty years. A charter member of the American Youth Circus Organization, Dic is founder of the Children's Circus of Middletown, ARTFARM's Circus for a Fragile Planet, and was Artistic Director of Oddfellows Playhouse from 1981 to 2005. He is currently Executive Director of ARTFARM (art-farm.org)
Lead trainer Allison McDermott is an aerialist, acrobat, stilt dancer and circus performer. She has been Lead Teaching Artist in ARTFARM's Circus program since 2009, performs with Circus for a Fragile Planet and independently, directs the Advanced Program at the Children's Circus of Middletown, and is a graduate of the Professional Track Training program at the New England Center for Circus Arts in Vermont (allisonmcdermott.com)
Dic and Allison also perform together in “Isaac Newton’s Little Apple Circus”, a Performance/Workshop which used Circus to teach about basic Physics for grades 3 – 8.
