Wild Rumpus Circus

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Caitlin Jefko

Performers at a past Wild Rumpus Circus show.

Performers at a past Wild Rumpus Circus show.

For more than two decades with Wild Rumpus Circus, founding directors Marcia Miquelon and Jacob Mills have been teaching the circus arts to students of all ages. And, for much of that time, the company has given their students the chance to show their new skills with an annual late winter performance. “Wild Things” is this year’s original production, featuring acrobats, clowns, puppets, music and more. Shows are at 2 and 7 p.m., March 18; and 2 p.m., March 19.

media release: The Wild Rumpus Circus will bring its latest collaborative creation,“Wild Things,” to the beautiful MyArts theater (1055 E. Mifflin St, Madison), with shows at 2:00 p.m. And 7:00 p.m. On Saturday, Mar. 18 and at 2:00 p.m. On Sunday, Mar. 19. Featuring an all-ages cast of aerialists, stilt walkers, acrobats, German Wheelers, tight wire walkers, jugglers, puppeteers, musicians and clowns, “Wild Things'' will be a delight for all ages.

Seats are $20 for adults, $15 for youth ages 12 and younger.  They can be  reserved in advance at https://therumpusroom.org/wild-rumpus-ticket-sales-form/ or purchased at the door. All seating is general admission. The show run time is approximately 1 hr. 15 min, with no intermission. 

This will mark the Wild Rumpus Circus's 14th annual “Winter Circus,” and its second production at MYArts. Annually, the shows  feature around 30 youth through adults who are guided by professional performers and choreographers through a collaborative creation process to make original, engaging circus acts and stories. For nearly a decade, the Winter Circus took place in the Goodman Community Center gymnasium, which was carefully transformed into a big top environment with the addition of curtains, theatrical lighting and even a circus ring curb. “Compared to the work we had to do to make a gym into a theatrical environment for so many years, MyARTS is downright luxurious, and it opens up many new staging, lighting and creative possibilities for us,” says co-artistic director Jacob Mills. According to Jessica Courtier, MYArts Director of Community Partnerships: “We're so thrilled to have Wild Rumpus Circus at MYArts! The WRC shows are delightful and bright and use our theater in ways no other group does, and are excellent experiences for audiences of all ages. We're looking forward to seeing what magic they'll bring this year!”

Since 2002, Wild Rumpus Circus has been bringing the delights of the circus to children and

adults in southern Wisconsin through its popular camps and performances. Founded and directed by teaching artists Marcia Miquelon and Jacob Mills, Wild Rumpus Circus offers kids and adults the chance to explore stilt walking, trapeze, acrobatics, clowning, juggling, tight wire walking, pantomime, physical theater, circus history, visual art and more. Classes are offered regularly at the Rumpus Room in Mazomanie and at the Goodman Community Center in Madison.

Marcia Miquelon is a dancer, aerialist,

stilt walker and certified yoga teacher whose background includes ballet, modern dance, improvisation, African, and Latin dance as well as telemark skiing, long-distance cycling, and plenty of special event coordination. Her love of teaching has taken her from the ski slopes of Utah to the classrooms of Southern Africa. She joined Cycropia Aerial Dance (www.cycropia.org) in 1994, and performed, choreographed, directed, and served in

administrative roles with this unique artists collective until 2015. She became a certified yoga teacher in 2004, and completed her adjunct certification in the Skinner Releasing Technique in 2005. In 2013, she received a special “Topnotch Teacher” award from WISC-TV.

Jacob Mills is a professional actor, physical comedian and educator. He has been performing and teaching since 1974. Jacob studied theater at Cabrillo College in California, the Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute in Chicago, and is a graduate of the Hayes-Marshall School of Theatre in Portland, Oregon. He is a past Artist-In-Residence for the City of Chicago, and his performances have been featured in a wide array of venues in the US and Europe, including schools, theaters, festivals, cruise ships and corporate events. He can be seen and heard on local and regional TV and radio spots. Locally he has performed with Cycropia Aerial Dance, Cherry Pop Burlesque and Chicago’s Zyngara New World Circus. He has been a featured instructor at the Rhinelander School of the Arts, offering week-long residencies for the UW Madison. From 1981-2009, he toured and performed with the juggling and comedy duo, Cheney and Mills. In 2002, Jacob teamed up with Marcia Miquelon to found the Wild Rumpus Circus where he teaches mime, mask movement forms, acting, improvisation and a variety of circus skills.