Arts and Entertainment

Cirque Alfonse dares epic - and rugged - feats in ‘Timber!’ Oct. 8 at Eisenhower

Members of Canada's Cirque Alfonse juggle axes in “Timber!,” a contemporary circus show inspired by the work and culture of Quebec lumberjacks. The performance comes to University Park's Eisenhower Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8. Credit: Jane Hobson. All Rights Reserved.

Canadian acrobats, accompanied by folk musicians, perform jovial yet daring stunts of agility and strength in Cirque Alfonse’s “Timber!” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, in Eisenhower Auditorium on the Penn State University Park campus.

Inspired by the exploits of the first North American lumberjacks and farmers, three generations of the Carabinier family, their friends and a band come together in “Timber!” to create a festive explosion of talent and skill.

“To the sound of violins and tapping feet, axes swing through the air and logs become props for numerous hand-to-hand balancing acts, log throwing contests and log driver games,” wrote a reviewer for Montreal’s Le Devoir. “This, in addition to daring axe juggling acts and acrobatic feats above the open blade of a huge two-man saw. Simply jaw dropping.”

Tickets for the Center for the Performing presentation are $42 for an adult, $19 for a University Park student, and $25 for a person 18 and younger. Buy tickets online at  or by phone at 814-863-0255. Outside the calling area, dial 1-800-ARTS-TIX. Tickets are also available at four State College locations: Eisenhower Auditorium (weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Penn State Downtown Theatre Center (weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), HUB-Robeson Center Information Desk (weekdays 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and Bryce Jordan Center (weekdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.). A grant from the University Park Allocation Committee makes Penn State student prices possible.

Hear a Center for the Performing Arts interview with Carabinier-Lépine.

Read a Center for the Performing Arts feature article about Carabinier-Lépine and the company.

Cirque Alfonse, created at the Carabinier family barn in Quebec, includes graduates of Montreal’s National Circus School, a professional dancer, a skiing champion and a trio of rollicking musicians. The troupe’s first show, “La Brunante,” premiered in 2005.

“We are on stage all the time -- for an hour and a half, There is no cut … the music, dancing (and) of course for us, the dangerous parts are quite exciting,” said Antoine Carabinier-Lépine, Cirque Alfonse performer and co-founder.

Artistic Viewpoints, an informal moderated discussion featuring Carabinier-Lépine, is offered in Eisenhower one hour before the performance and is free for ticket holders.

Northwest Savings Bank sponsors the presentation. McQuaide Blasko Endowment provides support.

WATM-ABC 23, WWCP-FOX 8 and 3WZ 95.3 FM are the media sponsors.

Related free event at University Park:The public is invited to participate in a free one-hour juggling workshop at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, in the Willaman Gateway to the Sciences (adjacent to Eisenhower Auditorium). No experience or registration necessary. Participants are encouraged to bring soft, lightweight items -- such as beanbags, tennis balls and table tennis balls -- with which to juggle. The workshop is presented in partnership with the Penn State Juggling Club.

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Last Updated September 16, 2014