Last week, most of Boom went out to see Loft, a show by the Seven Fingers. It was a Circus show, in the style of Cirque du Soleil - you know, the spinning on fabric, somersaulting over knives, trip-hop-lounge comedy contortionism? That sort of thing. So we went down into East Amsterdam, by tram and foot, and arrived at a warehouse that was sinking into nearby construction sites. The space inside, though, was eclectic and cathedral. The stage was a sort-of apartment, and the audience entered from stage, meaning you crawled out of a refrigerator in the kitchen of the Loft, arrived on the set, crossed it and turned around to sit down in your seat. This was a great way to introduce us to the dangers of the stage, and also a smug way to get back at theater-goers who arrived late. When a group of people showed up 10 minutes after the show began, the circus had to stop, and the tardy few entered on to the stage, facing the audience. We applauded, and they learned their lesson.
The Seven Fingers are all ex-cirque performers, who wanted creative freedom and a new start. Some had been with C since 13, and were emotionally exhausted after years of doing the same routines. This hunger lent the show a very exiting and personal feel. It wasn't the grand, polished spectacle that Cirque shows are; it was an individual exploration of the stage space, as well as a charming introduction to each of the performers. I didn't like Cirque. I loved Loft.
After the show, we met the performers and invited them over to Boom. They participated in a Late Night with us, hung out, went on a boat ride, and then did a Skill Swap. Meaning, they taught us how to crawl up onto each other and balance on handstands on shoulders and we taught them ... freeze tag and blind line. Some of the Boomers even got a fling. Jimmy talked about how nice it was to meet a fellow, professional performer who wasn't an improviser. To be on equal footing, but without the competition.
We also played Paintball this weekend. 5 or 6 hours of it. Describing paintball is never as interesting as playing it. So I'll just say that I'm still the proud owner of 4 perfect circular bruises, which I display proudly like medallions. They're the day's purple hearts. Except, they're ... more like circles. But still purple.