The STREB at S.L.A.M. performance described in a single sentence would be:

Circus meets the ballet goes to a club and ends up on the moon.

OK — before you lose your sanity let me explain. Driving up to the empty warehouse in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, I did not know what to expect. I was instantly overcome with nostalgia due to the relaxed, fun, colorful setting reminiscent of the circus. The aroma of popcorn and cotton candy welcomed several energetic children accompanied by their excited parents, chatty couples and fashion forward teens as they entered the show area.

Inside the performance area I was surprised at the non-traditional seating and lack of general rules. Chairs were limited, the trapeze mats constituted the general seating and if you move you lose (I mean it!). House rules — NONE, as long as no one’s sovereignty was harmed, every teenager’s and rowdy kid’s dream. The audience truly made up the “Petri dish of experience” that the action architect, Elizabeth Streb described before the show. Streb explained that she wanted to send the audience into space from the action lab she referred as a Petri dish. The performers were taking us along for the ride of a lifetime.

The STREB at S.L.A.M. performance was one unforgettable experience. Gravity lost its definition as the audience was thrust into space along with the performers or otherwise referred to as action engineers. Leaping through wood slabs, running into clear walls, dancing robots, intentional falling, and high speed rotating stages were the norm on this journey. The audience was forced to the edge of the seats or mats in most cases as the action engineers did shocking stunts involving trapezes, a large iron bar, and a double rotating stage. The high energy crew performed stunt after stunt with little to no rest in between.

The final stunt involved a human pendulum in which the performers weaved in and out of and leaped off of. Looking around at my fellow audience members, I realized that everyone had their mouths open in amazement. The performers were just that captivating! The consecutive stunts accompanied with music composed by David Van Tieghem created an amazing show for the young and old alike. Tieghem’s music emphasized each engineer’s movement and added another element of intrigue to the show.

In short, the show was a once in a lifetime experience. I mean it’s not everyday that you can take a trip into space. For all those fun loving, thrill seeking people here on earth, I suggest that you go to the show that runs from March 27 to May 17, 2009. The only catch is you may have to provide your own seating. Get ready to launch in 5-4-3-2-1!
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Check out a profile of action aficionado Elizabeth Streb: