making progress, I think
Sep. 17th, 2025 08:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lauradi7dwThere is a circus-arts performing troupe (multiple troupes) from Quebec* called Les 7 Doigts de la main. There is some very good singing included.
Arthur and I had tickets for their performance on (as it happens) Valentine's Day 2024 at the Majestic theater. Arthur dumped me on January 11th, so he didn't want to go with me to that performance and I thought it would be emotionally fraught to go by myself, so I got a refund on the tickets.
Fast forward to September 2025 (which is to say now). They are back, this time at the ART in Cambridge. I had no real worries about breaking down at this point, so I bought a ticket, after checking which day he and his partner were planning to go (They went last week, I went today). I loved it. I of course had memories. I think I sat in exactly the same seat that I sat in in 2012 for Pippin
https://lauradi7dw.dreamwidth.org/338989.html
But they were good memories, and it didn't seem to make me resentful or any sadder than normal. I recommend the very front row. I could see the people backstage doing their supportive things and had a very clear view of the performers. The lady on my left saw my mask and put one on. The other seatmates, nope.
The version today is a re-cast of the 2019 version, which is what I think is in the video
At a weekday matinee, there was a diversity of fairly old people brought in on buses from retirement communities, seemingly a whole high school class, and some other folks in between, including one of my Tai Chi classmates and his wife, whose name I have forgotten. I should have written it down as soon as we were introduced.
The ART claims it is fully accessible
https://americanrepertorytheater.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility/
In practice there seemed to be one slot for a wheelchair (I only saw one wheelchair user - is there a limit?) There were a lot of people using walkers. They were led to their seats and then the walkers were stashed all together. Is that safe? What about a fire?
Also according to the website there is one individual-sized restroom on the main floor. It's not obvious to the casual attendee, though. When I asked where the restroom is, the usher sent me to the stairs that go to the basement. Imagine me and all those even older people, some with canes, slowly making our way down two flights. There was no obvious elevator.
Once we got to the basement, there were two more individual-sized restrooms, and one or two multi-user sorts. There was a chiding notice that implied we would object to the fact that all of the facilities were any gender, telling us to be better people. I went into the multi-person one labelled "all stalls," which I had seen before to label the ones that are without urinals. Most of the users were women, although at least one man came out as I was going in. I didn't hear any complaints, other than the woman who was mad that there were no paper towels. Maybe she doesn't know what a paper towel dispenser looks like in these modern times? I got a paper towel with no problem, because I try not to use the blowers.
I left feeling very cheerful. I got excellent T connections on the way home. Then what used to be called liberal guilt hit me hard. How dare I have a fun day when my tax dollars are paying for death all over the world?
(I went to an anti-ICE vigil yesterday morning and was going to post about it, but oh well).
*several of the performers are not Quebecois, although the British guy did go to circus school in Montreal, for example.
Arthur and I had tickets for their performance on (as it happens) Valentine's Day 2024 at the Majestic theater. Arthur dumped me on January 11th, so he didn't want to go with me to that performance and I thought it would be emotionally fraught to go by myself, so I got a refund on the tickets.
Fast forward to September 2025 (which is to say now). They are back, this time at the ART in Cambridge. I had no real worries about breaking down at this point, so I bought a ticket, after checking which day he and his partner were planning to go (They went last week, I went today). I loved it. I of course had memories. I think I sat in exactly the same seat that I sat in in 2012 for Pippin
https://lauradi7dw.dreamwidth.org/338989.html
But they were good memories, and it didn't seem to make me resentful or any sadder than normal. I recommend the very front row. I could see the people backstage doing their supportive things and had a very clear view of the performers. The lady on my left saw my mask and put one on. The other seatmates, nope.
The version today is a re-cast of the 2019 version, which is what I think is in the video
At a weekday matinee, there was a diversity of fairly old people brought in on buses from retirement communities, seemingly a whole high school class, and some other folks in between, including one of my Tai Chi classmates and his wife, whose name I have forgotten. I should have written it down as soon as we were introduced.
The ART claims it is fully accessible
https://americanrepertorytheater.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility/
In practice there seemed to be one slot for a wheelchair (I only saw one wheelchair user - is there a limit?) There were a lot of people using walkers. They were led to their seats and then the walkers were stashed all together. Is that safe? What about a fire?
Also according to the website there is one individual-sized restroom on the main floor. It's not obvious to the casual attendee, though. When I asked where the restroom is, the usher sent me to the stairs that go to the basement. Imagine me and all those even older people, some with canes, slowly making our way down two flights. There was no obvious elevator.
Once we got to the basement, there were two more individual-sized restrooms, and one or two multi-user sorts. There was a chiding notice that implied we would object to the fact that all of the facilities were any gender, telling us to be better people. I went into the multi-person one labelled "all stalls," which I had seen before to label the ones that are without urinals. Most of the users were women, although at least one man came out as I was going in. I didn't hear any complaints, other than the woman who was mad that there were no paper towels. Maybe she doesn't know what a paper towel dispenser looks like in these modern times? I got a paper towel with no problem, because I try not to use the blowers.
I left feeling very cheerful. I got excellent T connections on the way home. Then what used to be called liberal guilt hit me hard. How dare I have a fun day when my tax dollars are paying for death all over the world?
(I went to an anti-ICE vigil yesterday morning and was going to post about it, but oh well).
*several of the performers are not Quebecois, although the British guy did go to circus school in Montreal, for example.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-18 01:43 am (UTC)Glad you had a good time.
About the "liberal guilt" – you can't just be sad all the time. You would go nuts.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-18 10:59 am (UTC)Stray thought - are there still establishments where barely clothed women do pole routines for tips? I have only seen that in the movies, but I am curious to see it in real life. The guy whose archery videos I watch also sometimes combines it with a pole for stunts and has a very sincere video about how skilled some of those women are, implying that they should not be taken for granted because of the venue or their costumes. The pole guy yesterday had long sleeves and long trousers (and what looked kind of like rock-climbing shoes. Archery guy does it barefooted).
no subject
Date: 2025-09-18 05:39 pm (UTC)The poles used by "Chinese pole" artists are different. They had some sticky substance on them, and thus the special shoes. Jocelyn performed Chinese pole once in a summer program. I don't know if "pole dancers" have sticky poles or not.
Jocelyn started out with silks. She goes back and forth about what her "main circus event" is; right now it's "partner acro", which is a multi-person ground act that does not require apparatus. For aerials she is currently favoring rope and straps; silks is normally done professionally by people with more flexibility than Jocelyn has, and the acts tend to focus on grace and flexibility, rather than strength and power, and Jocelyn kind of shines in the strength and power arena, not so much grace and flexibility.
probably a literal Chinese pole
Date: 2025-09-25 05:11 pm (UTC)Re: probably a literal Chinese pole
Date: 2025-09-26 01:11 am (UTC)