MUMBO was a hybrid circus-burlesque-theater play that told the tale of Trixie Petite, an animal trainer in a French circus trying to save her act by training a monkey; while a vindictive ringmaster threatens to sell him to the glue factory and stops at nothing to force her to become his wife. 

Co-written with Bradford Scobie who played Monsieur Dingaling.  With live, original score by the psych-mambo band, Gato Loco.  Set design by Jared Davis. Costumes by Garo Sparo and Mr. Gorgeous.

I often refer to Mumbo as my "circus school thesis" show, because it was created as the culmination of 2 years of training at New England Center for Circus Arts.  The show was inspired by my research into circus history, which lead me to discover many amazing, but often tragic, elephants such as Jumbo, Modoc, Topsy and the novel, Water for Elephants. 

Some of the innovative circus elements in the show included a double hung trapeze (one trapeze hanging from the bottom of the other), a mini-trampoline designed to be a marching band drum, a burlesque flea circus and also featured Risley, or foot juggling.

The show premiered in Brattleboro, VT at Luminz Studio in February 2009 and then ran for one week at Baltimore Theater Project in March 2009.  Mumbo was staged one other time at House of Yes in Brooklyn in 2011.