Artistic Director’s Welcome
Welcome to the 2025/26 Season!
Whether this is your first time with us or you have been with us for years, I’m so glad you’ve joined us for Passengers, a breathtaking theatrical experience blending cirque, music, and dance.
A.R.T.’s mission is to expand the boundaries of theater, always including the audience as a partner, and so I’m excited to (re)introduce you to the acclaimed Montreal-based contemporary circus collective that merges acrobatics, theater, dance, multimedia, and music to tell human stories using super-human skills.
Co-produced by TOHU (Montréal, Canada) and ArtsEmerson, Passengers is written, directed, and choreographed by Shana Carroll, one of the co-founders of Les 7 Doigts, as they are known in Montreal. I’ve always admired The 7 Fingers’ artistry and physical virtuosity, and I was deeply inspired by my collaboration with 7 Fingers co-founder Gypsy Snider. Her circus choreography in our 2012 production of Pippin not only thrilled audiences, but revealed how contemporary circus is so much more than spectacle—it is profound storytelling.
Here at A.R.T., the Engagement team collaborates with each creative team to develop an Essential Question to catalyze conversation amongst our community of artists, audiences, staff, and Lavine Learning Lab students. For Passengers, we invite you to consider: In what ways does life happen while in transit? Is the journey truly more important than the destination?
In Passengers, travel is a metaphor for life’s ever-changing landscape. It reminds us that as we travel on our own individual journeys, every encounter we have—whether fleeting or enduring—has the potential to shift our perspectives, change our hearts and minds, and bring us together. Thank you for embarking with us on this season’s first journey.
Diane Paulus
Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director
American Repertory Theater
Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director:
Diane Paulus
presents
PASSENGERS
Creative Team
A Production by
The 7 Fingers
Written, Directed, and Choreographed by
Shana Carroll
Written, Directed, and Choreographed by
Shana Carroll
Shana Carroll is Co-founding Artistic Director of The 7 Fingers. Since its inception in 2002, Shana has directed, written and choreographed a dozen or so of their touring and/or resident shows, including Passengers, Cuisine and Confessions, Sequence 8, and Traces. Shana’s collaborations extend beyond The 7 Fingers- in 2024 she was Co-choreographer and Circus Designer for Water For Elephants on Broadway, for which she received the Chita Rivera Award for Best Choreography as well as Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circles nominations in the same category.
Composer and Musical Director
Colin Gagné
Lyrics
Shana Carroll
Shana Carroll is Co-founding Artistic Director of The 7 Fingers. Since its inception in 2002, Shana has directed, written and choreographed a dozen or so of their touring and/or resident shows, including Passengers, Cuisine and Confessions, Sequence 8, and Traces. Shana’s collaborations extend beyond The 7 Fingers- in 2024 she was Co-choreographer and Circus Designer for Water For Elephants on Broadway, for which she received the Chita Rivera Award for Best Choreography as well as Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circles nominations in the same category.
Scenic Design
Ana Cappelluto
Costume Design
Camille Thibault-Bédard
Lighting Design
Éric Champoux
Projection Design
Johnny Ranger
Sound Design
Colin Gagné with Jérôme Guilleaume
World premiere at TOHU in Montréal, Canada on November 14, 2018.
U.S. Premiere at ArtsEmerson on September 25, 2019.
First performance at the Loeb Drama Center on September 2, 2025.
Production Support of Passengers is provided by Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP.
Media Support of Passengers is provided by WBUR
A.R.T. Season support is provided by Harvard University, The Barr Foundation, The Bob and Alison Murchison New Work Development Fund, The Shubert Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Barton & Guestier, and Meyer Sound.
The A.R.T. 2025/26 Season is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which receives support from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Co-producer TOHU (Montréal, Canada), ArtsEmerson (Boston, États-Unis)
Commissioning Partner Moscow Musical Theatre (Moscou, Russie)
Runtime: 90 minutes with no intermission
This production contains haze and flashing lights.
Company & Staff
Cast (in alphabetical order)

Performer
Victor Crépin

Performer
Victor Crépin
Born in Tours, France, Victor discovered the Georget Circus at the age of 12, when the troupe settled permanently in his village with their big top to open a circus school. Victor quickly enrolled with the goal of learning acrobatics. There, he was introduced to a wide variety of circus disciplines and met many artists. While continuing his general studies in the French school system, he trained intensively and had the opportunity to perform on stage numerous times. It was during this time that he realized he wanted to become a circus artist.

Performer
Eduardo De Azevedo Grillo

Performer
Eduardo De Azevedo Grillo
Eduardo chose the National Circus School to push beyond his limits and step out of his comfort zone. The school allowed him not only to develop his art on a technical level, but also to open himself to the world and learn from different cultures. Since graduating in 2022, Eduardo values above all the friendships he made along the way, which remain very dear to him.

Performer
Isabella Diaz

Performer
Isabella Diaz
Isabella Diaz was born in Chicago, Illinois where from a young age, they found a joy for movement through gymnastics and competed for 15 years. Their formal dance training began at the age of 16 through the Chicago High School for the Arts, and continued at Western Michigan University and the Joffrey Ballet School. In 2016 they joined Pilobolus Dance Theatre as a part of their main company and had the honor of participating in new creations that premiered at historical venues, such as Jacob’s Pillow and the American Dance Festival.

Performer
Marie-Christine Fournier

Performer
Marie-Christine Fournier
Born in Quebec City, Marie-Christine discovered her passion for acrobatics at the age of 15 when she began competing in artistic gymnastics. At the age of 20, she entered the École de cirque de Québec to continue her artistic development, where she participated in professional training in circus arts as a generalist acrobatic flyer, specializing in fixede duo trapeze. After 2 years of training, she was recruited by Cirque du Soleil at the age of 22. She began her career as a trapeze artist and toured internationally with Cirque du Soleil for nearly a decade.

Performer
Téo Le Baut

Performer
Téo Le Baut
Téo Le Baut’s circus journey began in 2002, when he was born in Barcelona in the middle of a Cirque du Soleil tour. His parents were performing as a hand-to-hand duo at the time, and they would go on to inspire Téo’s own career path.
It quickly became clear that circus would be an essential part of his life. Upon arriving in Montreal, he enrolled at the National Circus School, where he completed his entire education, graduating in 2021.

Performer
Amanda Orozco

Performer
Amanda Orozco
Mandi Orozco, originally from Orlando, Florida, began performing at Disney World at age eight, appearing with Stevie Wonder and Tim McGraw. Trained in various dance styles, she won numerous awards for her technique and stage presence.
In 2006, she transitioned into circus arts, specializing in aerial tissue and touring with New Vision Cirque across the U.S. and the Caribbean, including performances at celebrity events.

Performer
Michael Patterson

Performer
Michael Patterson
Michael grew up in the U.K., and from a young age, always knew he wanted to be a performer. By chance, his interests led him to discover a youth circus, where he quickly fell in love with the challenge and artistry. His time there inspired him to continue his training at the National Circus School in Montreal. Since graduating in 2019, he has continued to hone his craft and has been working as a professional circus artist, performing all over the world.

Performer
Basile Pucek

Performer
Basile Pucek
Basile Pucek is a Canadian and French artist born in Montreal, a vibrant and inspiring city that nurtures his artistic growth. His education has been shaped over the years by the supportive influence of his family, friends, and most importantly, through his training at the National Circus School of Montreal. This prestigious institution ignited in him a deep passion for the art of movement and physical expression. After graduating, Basile collaborated with numerous companies, bringing his talent to a variety of projects.

Performer
Santiago Rivera

Performer
Santiago Rivera
Multidisciplinary artist Santiago Rivera Laugerud was born in Guatemala in 1997 and owns his own circus, Cie. Zirconium. Dedicated to the arts from an early age, he is influenced by contemporary dance and physical theater. While he specializes in juggling, he had the chance to develop other disciplines such as hoop diving and Chinese pole. Santiago is the first Central American to be accepted into Montreal’s National Circus School, recognized as one of the best circus schools in the world.

Performer
Méliejade Tremblay-Bouchard

Performer
Méliejade Tremblay-Bouchard
Méliejade is a versatile artist whose journey into the arts began early, exploring gymnastics, singing, and various dance styles, including classical, contemporary, and Irish. Her passion for circus was sparked at the age of five during a summer camp at the Quebec Circus School, where she discovered a way to merge her diverse artistic skills.
Music
Arrangements
Colin Gagné in collaboration with Jean-Sébastien Leblanc
“Train is Coming” and “Saint Louis Blues” Jean-Sébastien Leblanc
“La Hora de la Hora” Jérôme Guilleaume
Lyrics
“La Hora de la Hora” Boogát
Text
“Einstein’s Train” Conor Wild
Voice and Instruments
Boogát, Mykalle Bielinski, Alexandre Désilets, Guido Del Fabbro, Jérôme Dupuis-Cloutier, Colin Gagné, Jonathan Gagné, Gabriel Godbout-Castonguay, Dominiq Hamel, Sheila Hannigan, Olivier Hébert, Frannie Holder, Jean-Sébastien Leblanc, Jeffrey Moseley, Mathieu Roberge, Guillaume St. Laurent
Additional Staff
Production Director (Creation)
Sabrina Gilbert
Technical Director (Creation)
Simon Lachance
Associate Director (Creation)
Isabelle Chassé
Production Stage Manager
Charlotte Legault
Head Coach
Francisco Cruz
Touring Staff
Resident Director, Tour Manager
Christelle Vitupier
Technical Director (Creation)
Sandy Dionne
Light Operator
Lorianne Foisy
Audio and Video Operator
Jean-Félix Des Rochers Lamarche
Rigger
Max Jouanneau
Access Staff
Director of ASL
Sabrina Dennison
ASL Interpreter
Dave Heard
Audio Description
Eddie Maisonet
Open Caption
c2
Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director: Diane Paulus
SENIOR STAFF
Director of Facilities and Capital Projects: Peter Atkinson
Public Relations Director: Rebecca Curtiss
General Manager: Connor Davis
Managing Director: Anna Fitzloff
Executive Administrator: Kathleen Fowkes
Director of Finance: Julia Goldmacher
Senior Theater and Facilities Manager: Tracy Keene
Chief Development Officer: Eileen Kennedy
Director of Production: Krystin Matsumoto
Director of Artistic Programs & Dramaturg: Ryan McKittrick
Associate Artistic Director: Dayron J. Miles
Producer: Evan O’Brient
Chief Marketing Officer: Jennifer Weissman
STAFF
Artistic & EngagementArtistic Coordinator & Special Assistant to the Artistic Director: Karina Cowperthwaite ProducingAssociate Producer: Emma Watt Marketing & CommunicationsAssociate Director, Creative Services: Joel Zayac DevelopmentAssociate Director, Institutional Giving: Anna Cline FacilitiesAssistant Project Manager: Alex Giorgetti FinanceController: Toufiq Aitelfqih Patron ServicesHead of Patron Services: Emma Putnam |
ProductionProduction Manager: Skip Curtiss ScenicAssistant Technical Director: Victor Gutierrez PaintCharge Scenic Artist: Gerard Vogt Stage OperationsStage Operations Manager: Kevin Belcher CostumesCostume Manager: Muriel Mangual-Bennett WardrobeWardrobe Manager: Alycia Marucci SoundSound Manager: Camilo Atehortua LightingLighting and Projections Supervisor: Matthew Adelman PropertiesProperties Manager: Erin Kehr Production OverhireElectricians: Makenna Harnden, Andy Tran, Oakley Walker |
Did you know? The 7 Fingers has multiple productions in the United States: their permanent show “Dear San Francisco” at Club Fugazi in San Francisco, multiple shows aboard Virgin Voyages cruise ships, and “Duel Reality,” which is touring across the country.
This show was created in collaboration with the original cast: Sereno Aguilar Izzo, Louis Joyal, Maude Parent, Samuel Renaud, Sabine Van Rensburg, Brin Schoellkopf, Freyja Wild, Conor Wild
This show is dedicated to Raphael Cruz