Circus Amok is a New York City-based circus and theater troupe that produces free outdoor performances every year in the NYC parks. Founded in 1989 by performance artist Jennifer Miller

Jennifer Miller

Jennifer Miller is an American circus entertainer, writer, and professor at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. She has lived as a woman with a beard for most of her life. She is a juggler and fire eater. Miller lives in New York City....

, who directs the company, the troupe began touring the city parks annually in 1994. The company performs in small neighborhood parks and well-traveled public squares in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens. Circus Amok's performances address various political themes and social justice issues, which in recent years have included housing, health care, gentrification

Gentrification

Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...

, gay marriage, immigration, the Department of Homeland Security, police brutality, and public education..

History

Circus Amok started doing one-off performances at P.S. 122 in 1989, and began developing and performing free outdoor shows in 1994. They have regularly toured public parks in Manhattan

Manhattan

Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

, Brooklyn

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

, Queens

Queens

Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....

, and the Bronx

The Bronx

The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...

since then.

Past shows:

• The Ozone Show (1989)
• Spies are Us (1990)
• The Survival Show (1991)
• I Am You, the Hypothalamus Story (1992)
• NY: Ground Under (1994)
• NY: Ground Under II (1995)
• $$$ Money Amok $$$ (1996)
• Quality of Life (1998)
• Quality of Life II (1999)
• Come And See For Yourselves! (2000)
• The Medicine Show (2001)
• The Experimental Walking Tour (2002)
• Home * Land * Security (2003)
• The Back to School Show (2004)
• Princess!: The Tail of a Lost City (2005)
• Citizen * Ship (2006)
• BeeDazzled! (2007)
• Sub-Prime Sublime (2008)

External links

• Official Website
• Village Voice article, July 8-14, 1998
• New York Times Video