Parents get plenty of mileage out of blaming their behavior on kids. Your local cineplex is overrun by non-kiddies enthralled with Shrek’s latest adventure under the guise of spending quality time with the young’uns. Likewise, droves of moms, dads, and child-free adults will flock to Arsht Center this weekend when Mexico’s revered Marionetas de la Esquina performs The Circus. Anybody who has seen Being John Malkovich or Forgetting Sarah Marshall knows marionette theater can be cerebral as well as visceral. Founded in 1975, Marionetas de la Esquina combines dynamic puppeteering, storytelling, and ornate setting. With The Circus, it take audiences behind the scenes of an old-fashioned big top. Two puppeteers pull the strings of 13 marionettes, including lions, seals, acrobats, and clowns, while a real-life actor serves as the master of ceremonies. Expect all the color, pageantry, and music of a traditional circus presented from a highbrow, imported-puppet angle (that’s how you should describe it to your adult friends). Marionetas will present two English performances at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday at Arsht Center’s Carnival Studio Theater. A Spanish performance will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Sat., Feb. 26, 2, 5 & 11 p.m.; Sun., Feb. 27, 2 p.m., 2011