A couple of monkeys and a clown car no longer does a circus make. Now audiences, designers, owners and performers expect the circuses they watch and perform to bend the quality and quantity of
space and time, seek out the truths behind fantasy and reality, and hit an emotional and even spiritual spot unreachable by any other art form. Albrecht, a specialist whose credits include a
quarterly journal devoted to the circus arts, augments his case studies of productions of leading circuses, including detailed descriptions of the collaborative and individual creative work
involved, with commentary pitched to the fascinations of the audience. Commentators include directors, clowns, acrobats, musicians, animal trainers, and dancers as well as instructors in
schools for all the above. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
