A man and woman appeared high above Eastern Avenue, their bodies swinging, somewhat dangerously, on the rafters next to the famous Patterson Theater marquee.
“Pizza! Pizza!” they called, their faces full of animated delight, she in a flowered dress and he in striped pants with suspenders. When they re-emerged on the street, next to the interactive bus stop with its enormous “B”, “U”, and “S” letters, they gestured wildly at the top of the “B” where pizza boxes lay. Then they scampered up the wooden letter dozens of feet high.
These bright, gleeful characters came from the imaginations of aerial actor Mara Neimanis and aerialist Mark Harding. This was a rehearsal for the first of four, free performances by Neimanis that she hopes will expand people’s minds, and make them see that aerial art isn’t just what they see at the circus.
For “Unexpected Places 4 Unexpected Aerials,” Neimanis chose unlikely locations for her art—along with the BUS stop, she’ll perform at the industrial corridor on Parkdale Avenue, and at the Clipper Mill Campus. Though this performance has a clown-like, jovial feel, the others will feature different subject matter as she works with different spaces.
Neimanis hopes the work will also shine a light on the Creative Alliance—the hub located at the Patterson Theater that for the first time helped to commission this work—as well as co-funder Rubys Artists Project Grants. And, she aims to unite people.
“I want the imagination to run,” she said. “And I want the city to come together, for people from all over to have a good time.”
Neimanis got the idea for the first show after a Good Samaritan kept dropping off pizzas at the bus stop for whoever was hungry. To lend a little more of a show-like atmosphere, astroturf and lawn chairs will go up across the street, and the audience is promised a surprise at the end.
Back in front of the Patterson, Neimanis and Harding chased each other through the street and up and down the letters, never showing the difficulty of their antics as they fought over the pretend pizza. A passing man pulled out his cell phone to document their feats.
“Here’s some for you,” Neimanis said in a squeaky, high-pitched voice, miming handing a slice to a woman walking to her car.
The woman smiled and reached out her hand. She could have simply walked on after obliging Neimanis. But instead, she gobbled the pretend gift up.
Dates, times, and locations of Neimanis’ performances:
- East & Eastern; A Clown Duet In Praise of Pizza (with Mark Harding) at the Creative Alliance marquee and BUS, 3134 Eastern Ave.
10 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 15. - While U Wait (with ellen cherry) on BUS, 3134 Eastern Ave.
7:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19. - A Sail Still Flies (with Mark Harding) at 3500 Parkdale Ave., in the outside, industrial corridor at
Parkdale Ave. and Clipper Park Rd. 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.,
Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10 and 11 - November Homage at Clipper Mill Campus, 2010 Clipper Park Rd. 6-8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19