Omnium Circus

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Ominium Circus

Queens Theatre is proud to present Omnium: A Bold New Circus as part
of its Forward Festival of the Arts, is a national celebration of theatre,
dance, music, storytelling, multi-media, circus, and experimental work.
Forward Festival centers the aesthetics, ideas, art, and human narratives
of astounding artists who are Deaf/Disabled.

This is a long time coming. While the Deaf/Disabled represent 25% of
our population, they are significantly underrepresented in every aspect
of the performing arts. This disparity and lack of opportunity became
abundantly clear to Queens Theatre in 2016, when we made a commit-
ment to work with more disabled artists and to learn from other cultural
institutions who were offering greater accessibility services. Through
this, Queens Theatre came to fully understand the staggering gap in rep-
resentation onstage and access at performance venues, and committed
to engage artists with disabilities in all aspects of its work, and provide
complete access for disabled audiences.

To achieve those ends, Queens Theatre formed an Advisory Board com-
prised of an integrated group of disabled and non-disabled individuals
with backgrounds in theater, activism, academia, and arts administration
and launched its Theatre For All (TFA) Initiative with a goal to increase
the visibility and participation of disabled individuals in performing arts:
as artists, students, cultural workers, and audience members. Gregg
Mozgala became Queens Theatre’s first Director of Inclusion.

Through TFA, Queens Theatre has increased accessibility services at
performances, piloted new in school education programs for children/

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teens, trained all staff in disability inclusion, launched an annual profes-
sional training program for Disabled/Deaf actors; produced readings of
short and full-length plays by disabled writers and/or featuring disabled
characters at Queens Theatre and at Lincoln Center; served as a part-
ner for Lincoln Center’s Big Umbrella Festival; co-produced and pre-
sented “Emily Driver’s Great Race Through Time and Space,” an original
play by Gregg Mozgala and A.A. Brenner with Museum Arts and Culture
Access Consortium (MAC); provided school theatre education programs
inclusive of children with disabilities in Queens public schools, and held a
National Disability in Theater Convening to discuss issues at the nexus of
Disability and Theatre which was attended by over 130 representatives
of cultural organizations throughout the U.S. and more.
Forward Festival is a natural outgrowth of TFA and our work experiences
and collaborations with Deaf/Disabled people and organizations from
across the country.
The Festival will run from May 13th - 22nd and features performanc-
es and presentations by Omnium Circus, Phamaly Theatre Company
(Denver, CO), Full Radius Dance (Atlanta, GA), composer Molly Joyce,
and new works by playwrights from across the country involved in The
Apothetae/Lark National Playwriting Fellowship (recently re-homed at
Queens Theatre). Festival events will include Audio Description, Open
Captioning, ASL interpretation and other accessibility services. The
Forward Festival of the Arts will also include a conversation on Disability
Artistry at Lincoln Center with artists from the festival.
All information at www.queenstheatre.org

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Forward Festival of the Arts

Circus
Saturday, May 14th
Omnium, A New Circus - I’m Possible (World Premiere), 2pm
Dance
Sunday, May 15th Full Radius Dance, 3pm
Theatre
Saturday, May 21st
Phamaly Theatre Company’s The Spitfire Grill, 8pm
Sunday, May 22nd
Phamaly Theatre Company’s The Spitfire Grill, 3pm
Music
Sunday, May 15th Molly Joyce, 5pm
Readings of New Plays
Friday, May 13th
We Will Never Reach The Shore by Tim J. Lord, 8pm
Saturday, May 14th
The Things We Carry by Oya Mae Duchess Davis, 5pm
Sunday, May 15th 3 Bodies by Jerron Herman, 7pm
Saturday, May 21st Say It Ain’t So by Nikki Brake-Silla, 5pm
Friday, May 20th Blanche and Stella by A.A. Brenner, 8pm
Sunday, May 22nd
The Life And Times Of Stephen Hawking by Magda Romanska, 5pm

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Queens Theatre Thanks Its Major Funders

Support for Queens Theatre’s Forward Festival for the Arts includes
funding from: APAP ArtsForward for Phamaly Theatre Company’s per-
formances of The Spitfire Grill, The Apothetae/Lark National Playwriting
Fellowship, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and Jeffrey Steinman for
the The Apothetae/New American Voices Reading Series and the Mertz
Gilmore Foundation, in part, for Full Radius’ performance.

Additional funding for the Forward Festival for the Arts is through the
generous support of the National Endowment of the Arts, the NYC De-
partment of Cultural Affairs, and by the New York State Council on the
Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York
State Legislature.

Queens Theatre’s year-round programming and operations are made
possible through the generous support of Con Edison, Howard Gilman
Foundation, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the New
York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Gov-
ernor and the New York State Legislature, as well as the Shuttered Venue
Operators Grant Program.

These contributors provide Queens Theatre with a consistent founda-
tion that allows us to bring artistically and culturally significant programs
and performances to the Queens community.

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Additional programmatic support provided by:
Crystal Window and Door Systems
Farrell Fritz
Frances A. Resheske
Gary and Marcie Kesner
Jerome Robbins Foundation
Kaufman Astoria Studios
Kupferberg Foundation
Mark and Dina Misk
Mertz Gilmore Foundation
New York Community Bank
Richmond County Savings Bank
Shubert Foundation
Silvercup Studios
The Pierre & Tana Matisse Foundation
NYC Department of Cultural Affairs CASA Program
NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Su CASA Program

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Queens Theatre presents
Omnium, A New Circus I’M Possible

• Ringmaster & Poet into Opening Production
• Diabolos
• Lyra
• Comedy Quick-Change
• Ringmaster & Poet Speech
• Balancing-ladder
• Hoop-dance
• Hula Hoops
• Comedy Stilts
• Ringmaster & Poet dialogue
• Silks

INTERMISSION (20 MINUTES)

• Ringmaster & Poet dialogue
• Cape-dance
• Aerial Rope
• Comedy Glass-Bottles
• Dance
• Cyr-wheel
• Unicycle/Jump-rope
• Ringmaster & Poet dialogue
• Rolla Bola
• Ringmaster & Poet dialogue into song
• Finale Production - Entire Cast

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About the Cast:

RINGMASTER JOHNATHAN LEE IVERSON made history as the young-
est and first Black Ringmaster of the iconic Ringling Bros. and Barnum &
Bailey. He served in this role until the circus closed in 2017, making him the
last ringmaster in the 146-year history of The Greatest Show On Earth.

ANNA GICHAN, who was born deaf and raised hearing, is a fiery dancer
and emerging artist exploring the different sound realities between her
hearing aids off and on. Anna graduated from Rutgers University Mason
Gross School of the Arts (BFA, Dance) with a study abroad year at the Je-
rusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Her movement is filled with her lust
for adventure, climbing, handstands, motorcycle riding, and gymnastics.

ERMIYAS MULUKEN (Johnny), A native of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is
an accomplished professional circus artist. He amazes audiences with
his ladder, rolla bolla and juggling acts, displaying incredible balancing
skills and showmanship. Ermiyas fell in love with circus as a youth after
experimenting with rolla bolla using a whiskey bottle, glass, and some
wood. His professional training includes African Roots Circus School in
Addis Ababa, under the guidance of Zekarias Mekuria. Ermiyas has since
performed in numerous acclaimed circus productions including Mother
Africa, Funexpress in Turkey, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and, more recent-
ly, Cirque du Fringe: D’illusion at the Rochester Fringe Festival. Ermiyas
resides in Washington, D.C.

THE ESPANA FAMILY (NOE ESPAÑA, VIVIEN LARIBLE ESPAÑA, NO-
EMI LEE ESPAÑA, ELAN ALEX ESPAÑA) and MARCOS PONCE LOPEZ
make up the artistic group of Masterworx Entertainment. They perform
all over the world, thrilling and entertaining families. NOE ESPAÑA is
the award-winning fifth-generation heir to an incredible history of acro-
batic talent, with family roots in both Europe and North America, with a
repertoire that includes Flying Trapeze, Sky-wheels, Motorcycle Thun-
der-dome, Sky-cycle, and more. Noe’s wife, VIVIEN LARIBLE ESPAÑA, is
a seventh-generation circus performer, a member of the famous Larible

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family from Italy. She delights audiences with her grace and strength and
her many aerial skills, including trapeze. NOEMI LEE ESPAÑA, Noe and
Vivien’s first-born child, debuted her energetic Hula Hoop act in Spain at
age 14, whirling eight hoops at one time and using her strength in hand bal-
ancing and contortion to add a different spin in her act. ELAN ESPAÑA,
Noe’s and Vivien’s second child, began working with the Juggling Diabolos
at age six. Elan has also mastered the skill of the Cyr Wheel. MARCOS
PONCE LOPEZ, Noe España’s Wheel of Death partner, is known as one of
the “Impact Brothers,” performing a unique act with his brother that mixed
break dancing, acrobatic synchronicity, and hand-tohand.

JEN BRICKER-BAUER, who was born without legs, is a world-acclaimed
aerial silk performer, acrobat and aerialist. Jen was the first person with-
out legs to compete in power tumbling against able-bodied athletes and
became the State Champion in her division. She has toured with Britney
Spears as a featured act and performed as a headliner in arenas across
the globe. In 2015, Jen was honored to be inducted into the Gallery of
Legends Hall of Fame by the World Acrobatic Society. Her story has
been featured on countless TV shows and her book, Everything is Pos-
sible, was on the New York Times Best Seller list. She performs with her
husband, DOMINIK BAUER, an accomplished musician, and award-win-
ning opera singer from Austria.

THE KING CHARLES TROUPE, who originated from the South Bronx,
New York City, play an unbelievable game of high energy basketball on
unicycles. In 1958, founder Jerry King, took his son to the park one sum-
mer where all the kids could see Charles King display his riding skills
at the age of five years old. He started a community unicycle club that
instilled discipline, directions and Christian principles to help youth in the
neighborhood build character. In 1968, the Troupe made its debut as the
first African American group in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Cir-
cus’ 99-year history. Now in its 5th generation, the Troupe has performed
for over 100 million fans in a 50-year career. They were inducted into the
Circus Ring of Fame and were honored with a street being co-named
“King Charles Unicycle Troupe Way”!

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ROB & MISS JANE, Clowns Rob Lok, a clown from Chinatown New York
City, met Ievgeniia Pokrovska Lok (aka Miss Jane), a belly dancer from
Ukraine, when they shared a stage at the World Expo in Yeosu, South
Korea in 2012. They fell in love, got engaged in Russia and married in St.
Petersburg, FLORIDA! They realized they could create a dynamic duo
together by combining the grace and beauty of Miss Jane’s dancing with
Rob’s balancing skills. Throw in a healthy dose of rapid-fire physical com-
edy and you have a winning combination that excites audiences around
the world.

About the Dancers:

BRIANA “BEAUTIFUL” JOHNSON My name is Briana Johnson and I was
born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. At the tender age of four, my mother
was told by my pediatrician at Scottish Rite Hospital that I was deaf and
that I was born that way. This was devastating news to most of my family
but not to my mother. My mother was the only person who did not cry
or exhibit any pity towards me. She instead told me that being deaf was
a “Beautiful” thing and that I was created in the image of God and that
all things are possible for me. I began writing my own music and even
recorded my music in the studio. There was a time when I was the only
deaf student in my class and I was severely picked on and bullied. This
inspired me to prove that just because I am deaf did not mean I could
not succeed or that being deaf was ugly. I studied, over articulated, and
accepted being deaf so that I or other deaf children would not be over-
looked and misunderstood. I was a straight “A” honor student, an Honor
Society member, a cheerleader captain, and on the Dance/Step Team. I
earned a full academic scholarship and earned a BA degree in Govern-
ment/Law from Gallaudet University. I was crowned Miss Black Deaf
America 2009-2011 and I use my platform to advocate for my “Beautiful”
deaf culture. I want the world to know about the deaf community and to
10 learn sign language so that we all can be included in every conversation

and activities as well. It’s through my music and my dance company that
I continue to spread awareness about the deaf community as well as
bridge any gaps between the hearing and deaf community.

RIK DANIELS was born and raised in Bronx, NY. He was the poster child
for the March of Dimes, and later appeared on “Sunday Morning with
Charles Kuralt” and “Ripley’s Believe it or Not!” because of his achieve-
ments in becoming a NYC High School Champion Gymnast. He went on
to become a 7-time NCAA All American on pommel horse, parallel bars,
and still rings. Rik has served several terms on the board of directors of
Access to Independence of Cortland County, as well as the Finger Lakes
Independence Center and Challenge Workforce of Tompkins County. He
partnered with Nicole Agaronnik in “Advocating with Art!” by using their
fusion of Contemporary and Ballroom/Latin Dance choreography and
performances to educate and advocate the enhancement of positive
perspectives of people of ALL abilities! Rik feels blessed to have the op-
portunity to join the Omnium family and is looking forward to performing
and developing with the team!

BECKY GRACE KALMAN/ Dance Captain Becky is an actress, singer,
dancer, teaching artist and choreographer based out of New York City.
Originally from Long Island, New York, Becky is a proud Wagner College
graduate with a degree in Theatre Performance and a minor in dance.
Her zest for life and passion for the arts makes her believe that anything
is possible! Stay tuned to see where her journey takes her next...To Omni-
um Circus!

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Omnium, A New Circus Staff:

Lisa B. Lewis Founder/Executive Director
Noe Espana Artistic Director
Steve Mendelsohn CFO/Deputy Executive Director
William Meade Executive Producer
Matt Zimmerman Technical Director
Darby Smotherman Sound Designer
Rafael Monroy Sound technician
Gena Cristiani Costume Designer
Ottavio &Naomi Gesmundo Choreographers
Peter Bufano Composer
Polly Solomon Company Manager/ Stage Manager
Kim “Kip” Anthony Jones Sponsorships
Bryan Velazquez Group Sales
Anastasia Gleyzer Graphic Designer
Marie Dagenais-Lewis Social Media Manager
William Lee Intern
Justin Valencia Intern
Eric Latcheran Head Volunteer
Kevin Kujawa Pre Show Juggler
John Lepiarz Pre Show Stiltwalker

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Omnium, A New Circus Board of Directors:

Johnathan Lee Iverson , Chair
Kim Anthony Jones, Secretary
Noe Espana
Gustavo Serafini
Barbara Pflughaupt
Gina Riley Latcheran
Jill Seigel
Karel Karpe
Press inquiries:
Alan Miller
[email protected]

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Queens Theatre Thanks Its Major Funders

These contributors provide Queens Theatre with a consistent founda-
tion that allows us to bring artistically and culturally significant programs
and performances to the Queens community.

Queens Theatre’s year-round programming and operations are made
possible through the generous support of Con Edison, Howard Gilman
Foundation, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the New
York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Gov-
ernor and the New York State Legislature, as well as the Shuttered Venue
Operators Grant Program.

Additional programmatic support provided by:

APAP ArtsForward
Apothetae/Lark Fellowship Program
Crystal Window and Door Systems
Farrell Fritz
Frances A. Resheske
Gary and Marcie Kesner
Jerome Robbins Foundation
Kaufman Astoria Studios
Kupferberg Foundation
Mark and Dina Misk
Mertz Gilmore Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
New York Community Bank
Pierre & Tana Matisse Foundation
Richmond County Savings Bank
Shubert Foundation
Silvercup Studios
NYC Department of Cultural Affairs CASA Program
NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Su CASA Program

Special thanks to Speaker Adrienne E. Adams, Council Member

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Joann Ariola, Council Member Selvena Brooks-Power, Council Member
Tiffany Cabán, Council Member Robert Holden, Council Member Fran-
cisco Moya.
Queens Theatre deeply appreciates their generous support.

About Queens Theatre

Queens Theatre (QT) is a performing arts center located in Flushing
Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY. Its mission is to provide high-qual-
ity performances and programs that are accessible to the residents
of Queens, the most diverse county in the nation. The Theatre’s work
reflects and celebrates its community. QT presents dance companies,
produces, presents, and develops new works of theatre, family program-
ming, community engagement events and initiatives, and offers a
range of education programs onsite, in schools and in senior centers.
In 2016, QT launched, and has since expanded, Theatre For All (TFA), a
ground-breaking initiative to advance the inclusion of disabled people in
the performing arts.
Since COVID-19, QT has produced a range of digital programming –
readings of new plays, wellness checks with performances for seniors,
original dance showcases, a Storytellers series, an online round of its
TFA training program for Deaf/Disabled actors, and more, as well as
outdoor performances in Flushing Meadows Corona Park and at Coro-
na Plaza. During the 2021-2022 Season, Queens Theatre reopened its
doors to the public, and resumed presenting and producing a range of
performances.

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Queens Theatre Staff

Taryn Sacramone, Executive Director

Programming

Dominic D’Andrea, Director of Community Engagement
Richard Hinojosa, Education Director
Rob Urbinati, Director of New Play Development

Operations

Jay Rogers, Director of Operations
Connie Baker, Rentals & Events Manager
Charles Bennett & Jorge Toro, Building Attendants

Development

Bernadette Ott, Development Manager

Finance

Angelica Rodriguez, Finance Manager
James Cooke, Senior Financial Advisor

Front of House

Willy Mosquera, House Manager
Gabriel Rodriguez, Box Office Supervisor
Vasilios Leon, Box Office Assistant
Jordi Toro, Box Office Assistant
Robert Lavin, Shuttle Service

Production

Victor Catano, Production Manager
Steve Wolf, Assistant Production Manager/Lighting Supervisor

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Queens Theatre Board of Directors

Executive Committee

Gary Kesner, President
The MBS Group

Tracy Capune, Vice President
Kaufman Astoria Studios

Bruce D. Levine, Treasurer
Real Estate and Finance Consultant

Mark Misk, Secretary
Nash Builders, Inc.

Alfonso Quiroz,
Con Edison

Frances A. Resheske, President Emeritus
Con Edison

Members

Georgiana Benatti
New York Community Bank

Steve Chen
Crystal Window and Door Systems, Ltd.

Salvatore DiMartino
New York Community Bancorp, Inc.

Susan B. Lipsky
Kepco, Inc.

Irene Zoupaniotis
Farrell Fritz

Cameron R. Hernandez
Mount Sinai Queens

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Ex- Officio Members
The Honorable Eric Adams
Mayor of the City of New York
The Honorable Donovan Richards
Queens Borough President
Laurie Cumbo, Commissioner
NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
Michael Dockett, Borough Commissioner of Queens Parks
NYC Department of Parks & Recreation

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