By Matthew Wexler
Since 2002, the Canadian-based physical theater troupe, The 7 Fingers, has leaped, tumbled, juggled, and defied gravity in their unique form of “contemporary circus.” They’ve even brought their unique form of live performance to the unsteady waters of Virgin Voyages cruise line. Now, their 2018 show, Passengers, pulls into PAC NYC.
Loosely tied together by the theme of train travel, the cast of 10 turns out all the tricks you’d expect at Cirque du Soleil, minus the fantastical costumes and multi-million-dollar scenic and costume design. But Passengers delivers bells and whistles of a different sort.
Director-choreographer Shana Carroll, one of the company’s original seven members, draws upon now-familiar skills but no less breathtaking to witness. Aerial straps, juggling, contortion, hand-to-hand balancing, hoops, and pole climbing all make an appearance, resulting in well-earned audience oohs and ahhs.
Caroll’s brief program note—“Life happens along this track … twisting and turning through valleys and plains”—is indicative of her ephemeral approach. Passengers works best as a loosely stitched theme when the company unites in breath or percussive sound-making. Less successful are the moments of spoken word or sung composition, which lack the command and nuanced expression of the physical world created.
Train travel, at least for most Americans accustomed to the convenience of their own cars, holds a nostalgic quality. But a ride on New York City’s subway system or a sold-out train on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor line tells a different story. Passengers dips its well-flexed toes into what it means to share space with others in motion, but ultimately prioritizes the journey over the final destination.
Passengers plays at PAC NYC through June 29.
‘Passengers’ takeaway
High-speed rail travel is expected to arrive in the U.S. in late 2028. According to the New York Times, Brightline West, connecting Rancho Cucamonga, California (37 miles east of Los Angeles), to Las Vegas. Several other multi-billion-dollar projects have stalled. But if you want to experience the allure of train travel, slow down (and save your coins) for a luxury experience on one of Belmond’s routes.
