Photo courtesy of the Mat Bevel Institute

Members of the exotic Bindlestiff Family Cirkus perform tonight and tomorrow. Only those 18 and older can enter.

Thursday October 11, 2001

Adults-only exotic circus comes to town

Kinko the Clown and The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus have an agenda.

The self-proclaimed performers of "the deepest dreams, darkest fantasies and unexpected oddities" boast it on the opening page of their Web site, www.bindlestiff.org.

What's Kinko's agenda for tonight and tomorrow? Getting people to see his creation.

"People would be really stupid not to come to our show," Kinko said, moonlighting as Keith Nelson, the co-founder of the cirkus, as he drove a tour bus full of cirkus folk across the desert on his way to Tucson.

"It's one of the best and most original shows you can see. We have an amazing aerial act, and you get to be right under it," Nelson said. "If you're lucky, we'll put you up on stage."

The Bindlestiffs have been touring the United States annually for the last seven years, occasionally interspersing Canadian and European tours. The Bindlestiffs hail from New York City, and the cirkus tent was rocked on Sept. 11, so to speak.

"A month ago, our history changed forever," Philamina Bindlestiff, ring mistress and co-founder said. "Our show opens on the one month anniversary of our history's change."

And what's Philamena's agenda? Healing through laughter and the obscure.

"Laughter is the best balm for all wounds," said Philamina. "It's important to remember that a live act isn't just an escape. This is a time for people to come together, to sit together in one place. This is a chance to communicate."

The show, the bastard child of circus, sideshow, vaudeville and burlesque, has something for everyone (but not everyone's children - the show is for mature audiences only), Philamina said.

"The show has everything from poetic beauty to suspense to action-drama to comedy," she said.

Philamina started with a background in graphic design. She said this matter-of-factly, then trailed off as if one thing just leads to the next - she was a graphic designer, then she joined the cirkus.

"The cirkus appeals to a wide and varied group of artists and entertainers," Philamina said. "It's a medium which combines disciplines. It's a huge challenge all the time."

Mat Bevel's space manager Diane Daly booked the show after having seen it in New York.

"I think they're wonderful." Daly said. "I like circuses that play with the idea of entertainment."

The cirkus has been through Tucson a number of times, performing every time with the University of Arizona band Crawdaddy-O.

"They're a really amazing brass band, and we love being able to perform with them," Philamina said.

The cirkus is looking forward to re-visiting Tucson.

"It's really beautiful there and so different from New York," said Una, an aerialist whose view from the trapeze offers a unique perspective. "I love the Southwest part of America."

Last time the troupe came through Tucson, Philamina left the radiator cap off on their bus, and it overheated.

"We were stranded in the desert for three hours; it was awful. I hope this time nothing like that happens. It was really pretty, though. We're looking forward to returning to Tucson because it has a really great driving scene creatively," she said.

Una began a life in the cirkus just after college, when she signed on for a seven-week job working the Bindlestiff spotlight.

"The job lasted five years," Una said. "Eventually I got my own act, and I've been with the cirkus off and on since 1997."

The show runs tonight and tomorrow at the Mat Bevel Institute, 530 N. Stone Ave. Doors open at 8 p.m.; the show starts at 9. Tickets are $10, or $8 for clowns in makeup.