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AIR PLAY

Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone / United States

Circus and science collide in a gorgeous homage to the power of air. Flying umbrellas, larger-than-life balloons, giant kites floating over the audience, and the biggest snow globe you’ve ever seen will make you gasp in wonder and laugh until it hurts.

“AIR PLAY holds the whole audience in the palm of its outstretched hand. A winning combination of visually stunning sculptures and cheeky but heartfelt storytelling that keeps both adults and children enthralled.”
–British Theatre Guide

“Something wonderful is in the air. AIR PLAY is delightful.”
–The New York Times

“Silly and tender, this might be one of the most beautiful performances you will ever see. here is the proof that the visual poetry of Acrobuffos’ AIR PLAY, without words, has the ability to transcend the mind, touch the heart, elevate the spirit and bring to life the very air we breathe.”
–Broadway World

AIR PLAY is a visual poem using no words. It lives on the edge of definition:  part comedy, part sculpture, part circus, part theater. To audiences around the world the wonder and discovery of AIR PLAY are bold reminders of childhood and growing up.

With visual images seemingly sewn from the sky, AIR PLAY‘s poetic ode to friendship brings to life the very air we breathe.

“The curtains open and we see a man holding on to a huge piece of light fabric, dancing in the air, moved by a circle of fans. The wonder begins and I suddenly feel like a child again, receptive to every single magical moment in Air Play.”
— A Younger Theatre

The creation of husband & wife team Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone, AIR PLAY merges their circus and street theater performance art with the sculptural artistry of Daniel Wurtzel. 

AIR PLAY will enchant and electrify the young and young at heart.

“You feel you’re witnessing divine natural occurrences rather than carefully devised circus stunts.” –Hartford Courant

“Fun for all ages is a common puff in the arts, but with Air Play it’s strictly true. A joy from start to finish, Air Play will entrance children and act as a great reset button for stressed adults.” –Sydney Morning Herald

“Making Magic Out of Thin Air”  Click to read The New York Times article

Air Play

Conceived, Created and Performed by Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone
Air Sculptures in collaboration with Daniel Wurtzel
Directed by West Hyler

AIR PLAY is made for venues seating 500 to 2,000.
DURATION: 55 minutes.      
AUDIENCE: For everyone, ages 5 to 105.
VENUE SUITABILITY:  Air Play requires a great deal of height. We use fans that blow fabric, balloons, packing peanuts, and plastic bags into the air. 
STAGE STYLE: Proscenium. Please contact us if you’d like to present Air Play in a concert hall, in the round, or on a thrust stage.  
MINIMUM STAGE REQUIREMENTS: 60 feet wide (including wings), x  35 feet deep x
a minimum 30 feet of unobstructed space above center stage. 42 feet of height preferred.
(18 meters wide x 10.5 meters deep by 9 to 13 meters high.)
SIZE OF TOURING PARTY: Four. 2 performers. 1 stage manager. 1 production manager. 
LOAD-IN /TECH TIME:  8 hours (with pre-hang) plus breaks.  

Request the password to our Downloads for complete technical rider and marketing tools: click here

New York City’s New Victory Theater, Cleveland’s Playhouse Square, New York City’s Flushing Town Hall and Lehigh University’s Zoellner Arts Center have all lovingly supported the development of Air Play.  A New Victory Theatre LabWorks grant recipient, Air Play was showcased on its main stage.

Performance History
October 27 – November 1, 2015  Air Play premiered at the Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square, Cleveland

2016
International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY) Showcase Montréal Canada
Teatro del Lago Frutillar Chile
Strathmore North Bethesda MD
Byham Theater EQT Children’s Theater Festival Pittsburgh PA
Ordway Center Flint Hills International Children’s Theater Festival St. Paul MN
Yale University Theater International Festival of Arts & Ideas New Haven CT
Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre London UK

2017
Arts Centre Melbourne Australia
Clay Center FestivALL Charleston WV
Baker Hall Zoellner Arts Center Cirque IT! Bethlehem PA
Sharon Morse PAC The Villages FL
Brooks Center Clemson SC
Tianqiao PAC Beijing China
Shanghai Grand Theatre China
Hopkins Center Hanover NH
Theatro Circo Braga Portugal
Brighton Dome UK

2018
Oxford Playhouse UK
The Lowry Manchester UK
Lawrence Batley Theatre Huddersfield UK
Harmonie Leeuwarden Netherlands
Des Moines Civic Center IA
Miller Auditorium Kalamazoo MI
Tennessee Performing Arts Center Nashville
Fine Arts Center Amherst MA
Weis Center Lewisburg PA
New Victory Theater NY
RVCC Branchburgh NJ
Strathmore N Bethesda MD
College of St. Benedict St. Joseph MN
AT & T Performing Arts Center Dallas TX
Ann Arbor Summer Festival MI
Out of the Box Festival QPAC Brisbane Australia
Hong Kong International Arts Carnival
Yuen Long Theatre
Kwai Tsing Theatre
Dunedin Arts Festival NZ
TSB Showplace New Plymouth NZ
Baycourt Theatre Tauranga NZ
Bruce Mason Centre Auckland NZ
Festival Cervantino Guanajuato Mexico
Beijing China
Shanghai Grand Theatre China
Alaska Center for the Performing Arts Anchorage
Cirque Noël Helmut List Halle Graz Austria

2019
University of California Chico CA
Mt. Baker Theatre, Bellingham WA
Capitol Theater Yakima WA
Ordway Center St. Paul MN
Walton Arts Center Fayetteville AR
Omaha Performing Arts Center NE
Rozsa Center Houghton MI
Pablo Center Eau Claire WI
Merrill Auditorium Portland ME
Philadelphia International Children’s Festival Annenberg Center
McCarter Theater Princeton NJ
EQT Children’s Theater Festival Pittsburgh PA
Aalst Belgium
Leeuwarden, Noom, Kerkrade, Zaandam Netherlands
Eindhoven, Haarlem, Apeldoorn, Alkmar Netherlands
Groningen, Amersfort, Amstelveen, Stadskanaal Netherlands
Kunming China
Esplanade Singapore

2020
Gold Coast Australia
Sydney Festival Australia
Purchase Performing Arts Center NY

2021
BYU Provo UT
Cache Valley Logan UT
Kingsbury Hall Salt Lake City UT

Zoellner Arts Center Bethelehem PA
Weis Center Lewisburg PA
Winter Center Millersville PA
McGlothlin Center Emory VA
UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center

2022
New Victory Theater New York City
Weinberg Center Frederick MD
Hylton Center George Mason University Manassas VA

Frostburg State University MD
Modlin Center Richmond VA
Sheldon Theatre Red Wing MN
Gogue Center Auburn AL
Seattle Children’s Theatre
FestivALL Charlestown WV
BroadStage Santa Monica CA
Appell Center York PA
Moss Center Blacksburg VA
Eisenhower Theater Kennedy Center Washington DC
Academy Center Lynchburg VA
Tohu Montreal QC Canada

2023
Zellerbach Theatre Annenberg Center UPenn Philadelphia PA
Canberra Theatre Center Canberra Australia
The Pavillion Sutherland Sydney Australia
Adelaide Festival Adelaide Australia
Centennial Hall Arizona Arts Live Tucson AZ
Governors State University Naperville IL
Des Moines Performing Arts IA
Gangdong South Korea
Gunsan South Korea
Gangneung South Korea
Taipei Children’s Festival Taiwan
National Koahsiung Center Weiwuying Taiwan
Strathmore Bethesda MD
Riyadh Saudi Arabia

2024
Wharton Center E Lansing MI
Newman Center Denver CO
Union Colony Civic Center Greeley CO
Krannert Center Urnbana IL
Playhouse Square Cleveland OH

For upcoming engagements visit the Events page