Every time we enter a subway car, we enter a forced community. Each person has a different destination and dreams. Yet, we are united by time and space. Passengers examines human nature through a train journey.
The 7 Fingers is a Montreal-based artist collective. Their goal is to combine circus, theater, dance, music, acrobatics, and words to examine the human condition. What they have done is strip acrobatic circus acts down to their essence. The cast consists of Kaisha Dessalines-Wright, Marie-Christine Fournier, Eduardo De Azevedo Grillo, Marco Ingarama, Anna Kictchenko, Maude Parent, Michael Patterson, Pablo Pramparo, Mellejade Tremblay-Bouchard, and Will Underwood. Each combines superb athleticism with great acting.
As they examine this forced community of strangers, one act flows seamlessly into the next. For example, as a woman spins hula hoops, two acrobats leap through the hoops, leading to the next act. Projections show different backgrounds as the train moves through time and space. The journey incorporates original music, poetry, and a concise lecture on quantum physics.
Passengers is a presentation that offers something to every person in the audience. Reactions will vary from the open-eyed joy of a young boy to a serious discussion I overheard as we were leaving. Two adults, in reaction to the lecture on Einstein and physics, were discussing the effects of time travel. Just as each passenger on the train brings something unique to the production, each member of the audience leaves with a new, unique view of the world.
