Piccolini Trio Returns to Canal Park Playhouse With CIRCUS IN A TRUNK

Canal Park Playhouse is thrilled to present the return of The Piccolini Trio with CIRCUS IN A TRUNK, created and performed by Joy Powers, Joshua Shack and John Stork. Directed by Joshua Shack, CIRCUS IN A TRUNK begins performances on Saturday, January 7 for a limited engagement through Sunday, January 29. Performances take place at Canal Park Playhouse (508 Canal Street, between Greenwich and West Streets in Tribeca). The performance schedule is Saturdays and Sundays at 2 PM & 4 PM. The regular ticket price is $20. A pre or post-show Pre Fixe brunch is available for an additional $8 in advance or $10 at the door. For tickets or more information, call OvationTix on 1-866-811-4111 or visit www.canalparkplayhouse.com.

A trio of clowns arrive at Canal Park Playhouse ready to watch the circus that never arrives. This enterprising troupe decides to perform the show themselves, literally pulling an amazing and hilarious performance full of clever surprises out an antique trunk.

Combining contemporary and classic European style clowning, The Piccolini Trio bring to life a repertoire of routines using music, acrobatics, physical comedy, juggling, pantomime, and poetic whimsy. This must-see show, perfect for anyone aged 3 to 103, was called ”completely endearing, endlessly entertaining and charming!” by nytheatre.com.

Lisa Soverino is the lighting designer. Set design is by Elizabeth Barrett Groth. Costume design is by Joshua Shack.

Part of Canal Park Playhouse’s Classic Brunch Matinee series, audience members can enjoy a selection of items from The Waffle Iron Café, open from 10 AM – 6:30 PM on Saturdays and Sundays for ticket holders only. The menu includes hot-off-the-waffle-iron spinach, mushroom, smoked chicken sausage frittatas; French toast; and of course Traditional Belgian Waffles with pure Vermont maple syrup and butter as well as the house specialty, The Playhouse Pink Waffle (a pink waffle with strawberries and whipped cream). Greek yogurt, granola and fresh fruit are also available.

The Piccolini Trio biographies:

Joy Powers (creator/performer) makes up the entire female third of the Piccolini Trio. She loves circus and clowning, and first became interested in these things after seeing Circus Smirkus at age 13. After attending Smirkus camp, she auditioned for the Circus Smirkus Tour, in which she performed for two seasons. Joy has toured the country as a clown with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. She is a featured in and narrates Signe Taylor’s acclaimed documentary Circus Dreams. Besides performing, Joy enjoys knitting, hip hop, carrot cake, and graphic novels. She loves communicating with people of other languages and cultures, and is currently learning Spanish and Russian. Her mom says she is the best clown ever.

After seeing his first circus, Joshua Shack (creator/performer and director) and decided to become a clown when he was three years old. He began performing his solo show at many local events when he was nine. From 2000-2003 he spent his summers touring with Circus Smirkus, the award-winning international youth circus; becoming Boss Clown in 2003. In 2004 he toured the U.S. with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. He has taught circus arts for the Providence Circus School and was a consultant for the Commedia Dell’ Arte play The King Stag at Boston College. He is currently Production Manager for the Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour, and designed the clown make-up for the past seven seasons. He directed, co-wrote and designed the clown play Out of Orbit in NYC. To benefit Circus Smirkus he co-directed and performed in Raising the Big Top; and conceived, directed, co-produced and performed in An Evening of Circus & Music. He also likes theater, cooking, drawing, and ice cream.

John Stork (creator/performer) began his training in circus arts at age thirteen with Zina & Valodia Augustov, former Soviet acrobats with the Moscow State Circus. He has performed with Circus Smirkus, SeaWorld, The Midnight Circus, The Second City, and on his own as a professional busker. He played “The Handyman” in the clown play Out of Orbit in NYC. In the summer of 2010 he was the star of Yakov Smirnoff’s Moscow Circus, playing the main character “Andrei The Clown” . John appears alongside Taylor Lautner and Pat Morita in the independent film Shadow Fury , as the lead villain “Kismet” , performing many of his own stunts and fight choreography. He has also appeared on television, once again performing many of his own stunts and martial-arts choreography, starring as “Goku” from Dragonball-Z in a national Burger King commercial, as “Hyper-Strike” on Sci-Fi Channel & Stan Lee’s Who Wants To Be A Superhero? and performing his comedy-martial-arts-acrobatic-board-breaking act on Comedy Central.