Theatre Development Fund – TDF: This may be the first year that Stephanie Monseu is standing in the spotlight at the Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center, but she's been training for the job for more than two decades. A veteran variety and neo-vaudeville performer, she cofounded the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus in 1995 and has traveled the country charming crowds with her fire-eating, whip-cracking, stilt-walking and fast-talking. But for her latest gig, the statuesque star serves as the poised presence at the center of the swirl, a warm and stylish host welcoming audiences of all ages to the big top.
8 comments:
What a refreshing article about an industry that I haven't heard much about in a little while. I like the new branding that the article helps to give the circus. Stephanie Monseu explains the circus today saying "circus as an artistic expression of the human need for wonder and magic will always persist". I think this is a great description of how the circus has survived so many years. It's hard to imagine a circus of overly trained lions and uniquely shaped people marketed as freaks exiting in today's society and that's why I think Stephanie's quote really brings out the magic behind those outdated methods of entertainment. When I first started reading this article, I assumed that Stephanie was going to be the first women ring mistress, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that she was actually the 4th women to hold the title. Overall, there are a lot of aspects of Circus today that have brought the magic of the artform and left the offensive specticle behind.
As someone who knows hardly anything about the circus industry, I was very pleased to learn that major circuses in the industry are taking major steps forward to have more women in leadership roles and going against the typical gender stereotypes. It is clear that this reversal of traditional roles is one that the audience and the general public needs and wants because one of the audience’s favorite acts at this circus is Duo Fusion where the wife is balancing and lifting her husband. The combination of acts like this one and having a female ringmaster, I’m sure, will inspire young girls who come to see this circus and encourage them to chase their dreams and not just settle for what is expected of them. Monseu says it great by saying “any young girl coming to the show will find different female personalities and skills and body types to look up to.” This is very important because if young girls see people who look like them and act like them on stage and performing it will reassure them that they too can do that one day if they want or that they can do whatever they want to do.
This is amazing! While I understand a lot of people have problems with circuses because of the perceived mistreatment of animals, there is so much more to circuses than just the elephants. The stunning feats of athleticism are amazing to watch, and the dedication to entertainment is incredible. Companies like Cirque try to often put a story and other layers and elements to their productions that are worth it, but not everyone’s cuppa. Sometimes you just want to watch a lady lifting her husband while wearing heels and leave the story telling for later. I also love that Big Apple Circus also has demonstrable equity with the women that they have. So many women in positions of power back stage, with as many being featured on stage, is incredible. I would’ve loved as a little girl to go see a ringmistress at the circus instead of a ringmaster! And I could not agree more with the following quote from Stephanie Monseu: “circus as an artistic expression of the human need for wonder and magic will always persist.”
So I have to admit, looking at the photo, I was like of course they put her in a corset and sexualized the female ring master in a way that traditional make ringmasters are not portrayed. that still irks me, but, I do think having a female ringmaster is a positive thing overall. I also appreciate that the article is reporting on her, not just how her being a woman is important, and takes the time to discuss specifics. The idea that even the old circus productions are now capable of showing "any young girl coming to the show [that she can] find different female personalities and skills and body types to look up to," is an important step towards equality and inclusion. Monsue also points out other positive signs that perhaps the circus can evolve by pointing out that "our general manager is a woman, our company manager is a woman and there are a lot of women in power behind the scenes as well." This is a good sign that the circus isn't just using the easy public position of having a women to push inclusivity, but that they are also promoting women behind the scenes too.
I remember going to the circus as a child and similar variety shows in Las Vegas when I was a child, and I absolutely loved the experience. Even with the demise of a few of the big name circuses, which I support largely due to their mistreatment of animals in their shows, I am glad that circus as a whole is not disappearing. I think there is so much more to circus than animals, and all of the amazing physical stunts and routines are just as entertaining. I was also delighted to hear about the number of women in the administrative side of this circus company as well. I think having women in upper management definitely contributes to the number of successful women at the lower levels of the company, and that seems to be very true here. I am all for preserving the magic and wonder of the circus in a way that presents strong female performers, makes do without animals, and continues to entertain everyone who goes to see it.
I too had a smilier reaction to this article and photo to those of my classmates. It is so cool that there is a female ring master. This really is breaking the stereotypes of the circus and a big step towards equality and inclusion. I also love the way the article talks about her, it is respectful and talks of her well. However, I was frustrated with the photographs, because while her presence is amazing and she and the women around her are doing great things in their community, I hated that her ringmaster costume was so sexualized. When has a male ringmaster ever worn lingerie as a part of their outfit. It is things like this that take away from the fight they are fighting because they still put women in a different light and view than men suggesting that they need to look sexy for anyone to want to pay attention to them. Despite that though, I think it is amazing that she continues to push boundaries.
I do not know very much about the circus industry, but I do know that I have always been very interested in it. Now that I think back, I literally cannot remember EVER seeing a female ringmaster leading a circus - so this is VERY exciting for the circus industry, in my opinion. All over the world in every different type of performance industry, it seems like we are making bigger leaps of progression when it comes to equal gender representation - especially in leading positions. I am really proud of Stephanie Monseu for becoming the ringmaster of this circus because I think it is such a cool position to be able to have. The circus is already full of so many different types of talent and diversity, that I find it sad that female ringmasters are not a more common occurrence. I hope that Stephanie Monseu will be able to start a new generation of common female ringmasters through her performances at the Big Apple Circus.
I very much enjoyed reading this article, and I congratulate Stephanie Monseu on her new role. Hopefully, other circus companies will be possibly following in Big Apple’s steps and hiring more women in leadership roles. As some of the other comments mention, it could be viewed as questionable how she as a female ringmaster is portrayed, but we are only seeing the photos. It could be argued that it is problematic to view women as sexual objects if they are wearing anything form-fitting, and there is a movement of women taking back power over their body by dressing however they want to dress. Personally, as somebody who has participated in performing acrobatic-esque arts, I always liked wearing costumes that made me feel beautiful. I understand the issue of sexualizing a female performer, but we also don’t know all the context and how she feels about wearing said costume. As other comments mentioned, Monseu wants to inspire other women and girls, and I think she will be a fabulous addition to Big Apple.
Post a Comment