On Sept. 9, The GasLight Circus will kick off its third season of guns, thieves and alcohol with the “Six Feet Under” show at The Alwun House.
To tell this narrative, The GasLight Circus has incorporated the Bullet Catch, a “very dangerous” and incredible stunt. Ringmaster Jerome “The Jester” Keenom is the founder of the circus and will be the brave soul performing The Bullet Catch.
Keenom said the stunt “has killed 12 magicians in its history,” and he hopes to not be the thirteenth. Keenom said no magician in the Phoenix metropolitan area had completed it before. At their rehearsal a week before the show, no one practiced the Bullet Catch because “[Keenom] could get hurt or worse before the show.”
Along with this novelty act, attendees can look forward to seeing the return of popular acts, such as torch juggling, fire performances and Shawn Cook’s Cyr Wheel. Other stellar performances range from hat juggling and belly dancing to acts from the “stage magician of the year.”
New featured performers include Ruslana, a gifted belly dancer, and Damien Kouts, whose talents are twirling and hypnotism.
He is not only one of the newest additions to the cast, but at 16 years old the Phoenix native is also the youngest performer in the circus’s history. His love for circus and performance was born at the Renaissance Fair where he and his family frequented annually.
This show is unique in that a large percentage of it is improvised. Keenom said they add this element to elicit raw emotions from the attendees. On average, the shows are about two hours long, but that can vary due to improvisation.
At the end of each season, the GasLight Circus hosts a Carnival Ball Charity Show where 100 percent of the proceeds are donated to charity. Last year, Keenom picked Arizona Veterans Helping Veterans. Last spring GasLight exceeded their goal of generating $1,000 to donate to charity.
Keenom said delivering the check “meant the world” to him because it was the moment he knew GasLight was here to stay.
Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show begins at 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $15 or online at alwunhouse.com for $12.
Contact the reporter at <ahref=”mailto:jidupont@asu.edu”>jidupont@asu.edu.
