Performances

Current Performances

The Vivarium (2024)
Sparrow Studios- Olympia, Wa
Arts walk weekend
October 4th @ 8 p.m.
October 5th @ 4 p.m. & 8 p.m
October 6th @ 4 p.m. & 8 p.m.

The Vivarium is the story of a young person coping with the loss of a close friend by turning to a hobby of collecting and researching insects. However, these complex creatures cant flourish in the captivity of a glass jar and the young Bug Collector struggles to accept that keeping them isnt the same as keeping them safe.

The Vivarium is the second production by A Frayed Knot Circus (founded in 2017 by creators/performers Ariel Schmidtke and Esther de Monteflores). The original production was created in 2020 by Ariel Schmidtke and Esther de Monteflores. The show was never fully released due to COVID. The current production casts Olympia performer, Audrey Spinazola, as the Praying Mantis, and several Olympia musicians will play the musical score live.

A Frayed Knot Circus fuses circus arts with shadow puppetry as well as mask-work, dance and physical theater to create a fantastical world on stage. A world of humor, whimsy and melancholy. A world of earnest absurdity.

A local Olympia choir will sing parts of the musical score live.

Past Performances

Ophelia
Sparrow Studios- Olypmia, Wa
March 18, 19, 25, & 26

Poster for upcoming show featuring an image of characters on a hoop, show dates (March 18, 19, 25, & 26), location (Sparrow Studios, Olympia,) ticket and pricing information

Photo by Bill Purcell

Ophelia is a duet. Based on what has been referred to as Shakespeare’s “most relevant” play in contemporary society, we have constructed a retelling of Hamlet from the perspective of Ophelia, combining aerial trapeze, lyra, acrobatics, and shadow puppetry alongside an abridged version of Marika Hackman’s We Slept At Last. Shakespeare’s Hamlet has remained a prominent touchstone within the realm of art and humanities for centuries because of its universally relatable themes regarding moral responsibility, loss, sanity, and revenge. Ophelia, in Shakespeare’s production, is little more than a side character; a casualty of other characters' (mens’) indiscretions–– and what is lost is her story. The show Ophelia centers Denmark's noblewoman and poses questions about the nature of grief and how it manifests in our actions, relationships, and conceptions of self, while (at last) putting to sleep our heroine's narrative.

The vivarium (2020)

COVID-19 UPDATE: We have had to cancel our run of the Vivarium indefinitely. However, we filmed one weekend of the show at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, which is available for viewing on Vimeo. We ask that you consider making a donation to our Venmo accounts as a virtual ticket. We thank everyone who has already made a donation to our show, and hope we'll be able to bring it to you live in the future.

Venmo Accounts:
Bess Hepner: Bess-Hepner
Esther de Monteflores: Esther-deMonteflores
Ariel Schmidtke: Ariel-Schmidtke

For alternate payment options please email here.

Inspired by Haley Heynderickx's album I Need to Start A Garden, The Vivarium is the story of a young person coping with the loss of a close friend by turning to a hobby of collecting and researching insects. However, these complex creatures can’t flourish in the captivity of a glass jar and the young bug collector struggles to accept that keeping them isn’t the same as keeping them safe.
Details:
Cast: Ariel Schmidtke and Esther de Monteflores and featuring musician Bess Hepner

Meet Our Musician, Bess Hepner!
Bess Hepner is a dynamic guitarist and multi-genre artist who can effortlessly hop between funk and classical, collaborating with hip hop artists, circus performers, and folk singer-songwriters. From ages 15 to age 20, Bess played in the Western Massachusetts-based band Who’da Funk It?, a dance band that encompassed punk, funk, ska, afrobeat, soul, RnB, hip-hop, jazz, blues, rock, klezmer, bossa nova, etc. She studied classical guitar at Smith College with Phillip De Fremery 2012-2016. In 2016 Bess moved to Seattle and began pursuing her solo project bess hepner. In April 2019 she released her debut solo album 17-24, a coming of age album, which includes visual art and soundscapes. In addition, Bess is currently involved with Bess and Amber, a neo-soul Seattle duo. She has played bass for Erika Lundahl, guitar for Israeli-Russian jazz vocalist Alina and has done music for A Frayed Knot’s circus production “The Vivarium.” She teaches guitar, ukulele and voice at Meter Music School and Mode Music Studios in Seattle.

website: https://www.besshepner.com/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/besshepner/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/besshepnermusician/

This project was supported, in part, by an award from 4Culture.

A System of Strings

Two creatures, a monkey and a bear, have just escaped from a life of captivity. As the creatures emerge into a world that is unfamiliar, they cope with their transition in divergent ways. This tension is embodied by the distinction between the show’s two primary circus disciplines (slackwire and trapeze). One creature ascends into a world of myth and madness while the other treads a line of reality and human socialization. The two creatures try to maintain their connection to each other as their paths diverge, ultimately watching their bond unravel until a single string remains. Inspired in part by the contrast between lightness and darkness in the Alaskan winter, this show brings light to the stage through shadow puppetry integrated with circus arts. A System of Strings occupies traditionally unused spaces in the theater, starting in the lobby and ending among the rafters, creating an immersive experience for audiences.