Duel Reality

In This Program

• From the Artistic Director
• About the Show
• For Our Patrons
• Cast
• Creative Team
• High Stakes, Circus-Infused Shakespeare: An Interview with Shana Carroll
• Welcome to Seattle Rep’s 2025/26 Season
• Print Edition
• More About Seattle Rep

Dear Friends,

Welcome to Duel Reality, the final production of Seattle Rep’s 2024/25 Season. I’m so glad you’re here today to experience the return of Montreal-based and globally renowned circus collective The 7 Fingers. In 2023’s production of Passengers, audiences were thrilled by this ensemble of physical performers, who filled the Bagley Wright stage with eye-popping feats of acrobatics, lyrical moments of dance, physical comedy, dazzling choreography, and stagecraft led by director Shana Carroll. We couldn’t resist the opportunity to invite them back to Seattle to share their follow-up creation, Duel Reality, which takes its inspiration from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

At today’s performance, the warring Montagues and Capulets face off with a blend of jaw-dropping acrobatics, inventive physical theater, and human-centered storytelling, all performed before a house divided between the two families. Whose side are you on? And can our star-crossed lovers avoid their storied fate? 

That question—“Does the story as we know it always have to play out the same way?”—is often at the core of theater’s purpose and power. Even in the wake of a bloody and divisive tragedy on stage, we can feel a sense of hope when the curtain comes up because it didn’t really happen, and we have the chance to make different choices in our own lives. 

And at a deeper level, throughout any work of theater, we see artists, artisans, and theater staff working together to act out this shared message of hope for a better future for the benefit of our community. Theater is both a form of creative collaboration and an opportunity to express a better version of ourselves and the world we want to live in. This might be why this art form has persisted for thousands of years and, I hope, will for thousands more. In our perpetually polarized and isolated society, people need this feeling of hope and yearn to achieve the sense of unity that theater provides.

That’s why we’ve continued to make theater at Seattle Rep for more than 60 seasons and over 500 productions. Let’s carry on! As Seattle’s lead producing resident theater, we collaborate with our region’s extraordinary artistic talent, featuring local actors, directors, designers, and artisans working alongside peers from around the country and world as we produce extraordinary plays #BuiltBySeattleRep. 

Every so often, though, we want to bring you an artistic experience we might not be able to put together locally—and today’s performance is one such example. With Duel Reality, Seattle Rep is hosting the national tour of a distinctive, finely crafted, must-see piece by an internationally renowned ensemble. In our recently announced 2025/26 Season, we’ll bring you a similarly can’t-miss show with Tectonic Theater Project’s Here There Are Blueberries (learn more about this production and the rest of our 2025/26 lineup on page 16). I invite you to join us for the new season ahead!

Our 2025/26 Season includes some of the most significant plays of the 21st century, with riveting plots and unforgettable characters that draw you into each narrative. Whether it’s a renowned comedy or drama, a world premiere, or one of the greatest musicals of all time (with Seattle Rep origins!), we chose our shows with you, our local audience, in mind. I hope you’ll bring friends and family together to experience this wide range of stories that explore and celebrate the different ways we remain resilient in the face of life’s challenges and draw strength from each other to keep going.

Until then,

Dámaso Rodríguez
Artistic Director

P.S. Make note: The curtain will rise again very soon! Our new season begins August 28 with Broadway and West End favorite The Play That Goes Wrong on the Bagley Wright stage. This is a comedy the whole family won’t want to miss!

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Dámaso Rodríguez   |   MANAGING DIRECTOR Jeffrey Herrmann

Seattle Rep presents
a production by Les 7 doigts de la main (The 7 Fingers)

Originally Produced & Created with
Virgin Voyages

With Commissioning Partner
ArtsEmerson, Boston

Written, Directed & Choreographed by
Shana Carroll

Adapted from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

The soundtrack contains excerpts from Sergei Prokofiev’s Dance of
the Knights and lyrics from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

This performance of Duel Reality is made possible thanks to the touring assistance program of the Quebec Council for the Arts and Letters.

Associate Sponsor

Perkins Coie

Season Sponsor

May 29 – June 22, 2025 | Bagley Wright Theater

We welcome you to take pictures of the set before and after the show.

Share Your Photos 

#DuelRealitySREP
@seattlerep

Photography, recording, and use of cell phones are strictly prohibited during the performance. 

Mission 

Seattle Rep collaborates with extraordinary artists to create productions and programs that reflect and elevate the diverse cultures, perspectives, and life experiences of our region. 

Vision 

Theater at the heart of public life.  

Values 

Artistic Vitality
Sustainability
Generous and Inclusive Practices 

Code of Conduct 

Seattle Rep is committed to being a racially, culturally, and socially just organization. We promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of the work we do, and uphold a safe environment wherein all people are welcome to our space and are treated with respect and dignity.

It is our expectation that all patrons and those affiliated with Seattle Rep will align with this code of conduct and we reserve the right to relocate or remove any person from our theater who disregards this expectation.

Land Acknowledgment 

Seattle Rep acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the Coast Salish people. We honor with gratitude the land itself and its innumerable stewards, past and present. We recognize Washington’s tribal nations, all of the Tribal signatories of the Treaty of Point Elliott, and the urban Native communities who continue to live and thrive in this space. This acknowledgment does not take the place of authentic relationships with Indigenous communities, but serves as a first step in honoring the land we are on and the people and cultures it has nurtured.

Learn more about how Seattle Rep is working to support and build relationships with Native communities.

Emergencies 

In an evacuation, wait for an announcement for further instructions. Ushers will be available for assistance. Familiarize yourself with the exit route nearest your seat.   

Accessibility 

Seattle Rep is committed to accessibility for all and will work with patrons to accommodate requests. We offer a variety of options to help make our performances accessible.

ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES: We offer select English and Spanish Open Captioned, Audio Described, ASL-Interpreted, Sensory-Friendly, and mask-required  performances. Find dates here or contact the Box Office for more information.

HEARING LOOP: Seattle Rep is equipped with hearing loops that transmit sound directly to t-coil enabled hearing devices. There are also receivers and headphones available to borrow at Coat Check. Look for the Hearing Loop signs which indicate coverage at performances, ticket windows, concierge, and concessions.  

WHEELCHAIR SPACES, WIDER SEATS (BAGLEY), TRANSFER SEATS, AND ADDITIONAL SEATING OPTIONS: Please see an Usher or House Manager to see what accessible seating options are available for your performance.  

SENSORY GUIDES & KITS: Scene-by-scene guides of the sensory impact of this show and kits containing headphones, fidgets, sunglasses, and communication cards are available at Coat Check.  

LARGE PRINT & BRAILLE PROGRAMS: Available at Coat Check. 

ALL GENDER RESTROOMS are located on the second floor of the Leo K. Theater and a single-stall restroom is located near the Bagley Wright Theater restrooms on the first floor.  

WELLNESS ROOM is located near the Bagley Wright Theater restrooms on the first floor.  

Contact Us 

BOX OFFICE 
Call 206.443.2222
Text 206.565.2996 

ADMINISTRATIVE
206.443.2210 

About The 7 Fingers

The 7 Fingers is an arts collective unlike any other. In 2002, the seven founders set out to redefine circus by stripping down the spectacle to its thrilling essence. 

This contemporary company tells stories using death-defying acrobatics with a life-affirming theatricality that is unique to The 7 Fingers. Since its inception, the company has expanded from its own signature touring shows to creating theatrical experiences as diverse as the very artistic directors themselves: original productions varying from intimate one-man shows to large-scale arena performances; Broadway musicals; artistic collaborations with renowned international artists and companies; production design and direction; special events; Olympic ceremonies; televised performances; fashion, art, and music events; immersive experiences, and much more. 

Every one of these projects carries The 7 Fingers’ unequivocal mark. The company has consistently spread its horizons by mixing genres and exploring new ways to tell stories. Fascinated by the human condition, The 7 Fingers create performances that celebrate our world, our time, and our humanity. Their shows tour the globe and bring audiences to their feet wherever they go. 

Learn more and sign up for The 7 Fingers newsletter at 7Fingers.com.

Daniela Corradi

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Daniela is a circus artist specializing in juggling. She started in 2014, studying with numerous artists from Argentina and Brazil. She has performed in multiple festivals and circus conventions, winning an accolade in 2018 for her act in the International Jugglers Association Regional South American Competition. Daniela is a member of Centro Cultural Ocupação Ouvidor 63 and circus collective 6/12 Circus as a performer, and on event, production, and technical teams. Since 2022, she has worked with The 7 Fingers on Duel Reality.

Carlos Francos Péré

Carlos was born in Barcelona and taught himself parkour and acrobatics throughout his youth. In 2016, he joined the Rogelio Rivel Circus School and specialized in double Chinese pole, floor acrobatics, and teeterboard. Since graduating, he has worked with the National Circus of Catalonia and The 7 Fingers (Dear San Francisco; Duel Reality on Virgin Voyages cruises as a Chinese pole and teeterboard artist); learned banquines and hoop diving; and been part of the Hospitalet city winter circus production SOC.

Adam Fullick

Adam is a graduate of the National Centre for Circus Arts, specializing in hand to hand, general acrobatics, and Cyr wheel. Twelve years of elite international competition experience in sports acrobatics, 2016 British champion. Credits: World tours of award-winning contemporary circus shows (Bromance, Fauna) and with award-winning cruise lines (Virgin Voyages); work with acclaimed film and TV companies (Disney, Apple TV, Marvel, BBC); international cultural art festivals; and international events and ceremonies (2024 Brit Awards with Dua Lipa, Commonwealth Games opening ceremony 2022, among many others).

Gerardo Gutiérrez Flores

Born and raised in Mexico City, Gerardo began his passion for the circus at age 15 with juggling and floor acrobatics. At 22, he entered Mexico City’s Cirko de Mente diploma program, graduating in floor acrobatics and hoop diving. After four years of hand-to-hand training at Cirko de Mente with his partner Michelle Hernandez, the two began working in circuses, television shows, festivals, and more in their country, and have worked abroad in Canada, Germany, and Austria. In 2022, they joined The 7 Fingers and Virgin Voyages’ cruise show Duel Reality in the roles of Romeo and Juliet.

Michelle Hernandez

Michelle was born and raised in Mexico City. Her lifelong passion for dance led her to graduate in ballet from Mexico City’s National Institute of Fine Arts in 2012 and then drew her to the circus arts. She began training with aerial apparatus such as straps and silks. A year later, she and her partner Gerardo Gutiérrez Flores trained in hand-to-hand at Cirko de Mente in Mexico City. Michelle and Gerardo have worked with circus companies, TV shows, and festivals in their country and abroad, and in 2022, joined The 7 Fingers and Virgin Voyages’ cruise show Duel Reality as Romeo and Juliet.

Einar Kling Odencrants

Einar is a Swedish teeterboard jumper and graduate of the University of Dance and Circus in Stockholm. After graduating, Einar flipped his way around the world performing and competing internationally. He has a Gold Medal from Cirque de Demain, Gold Elephant from the Moscow International Circus Festival, and a Bronze Clown from the Monaco International Circus Festival. He is also an accomplished circus designer and photographer. @ekopics

Miliève Modin-Brisebois

Miliève is an acrobat from a family of artists. Growing up surrounded by music, theater, painting, and circus arts, Miliève stands out for her playfulness and straightforwardness, with both qualities evident in her performances and artistic approach. A graduate of the École de cirque de Québec in Chinese pole, she has been a part of several different companies and shows. She often says, “If you don’t make me laugh, I don’t want to know”—in the nicest way, of course.

Anton Erik Persson

Anton is a teeterboard artist and acrobat from a small town in Sweden who loves to fight against the laws of gravity. After beginning gymnastics, he attended circus school in Denmark where he tried the teeterboard for the first time and became enamored with the sensation of flying and flipping. Anton then continued his studies at CNAC (National Arts Centre) in France for three years, perfecting his technique. Anton has performed in Hungary, Sweden, France, Spain, and Australia, among other places. He also enjoys trampoline, snowboarding, cliff diving, circus, and parkour.

Méghane Poulet

Born in France and raised in Texas, Méghane started circus at the age of seven and immediately fell in love. What began as a hobby quickly became a passion, which led her to pursue circus more seriously by attending the National Circus School of Châtellerault when she moved back to France. She was then accepted into the wonderful École de cirque de Québec, from which she graduated in 2017. Since then, Meg’s been living the dream and touring the world with companies like Cirque Éloize, Dragone, Cirque du Soleil, Gravity & Other Myths, and of course, The 7 Fingers.

Santiago Rivera Laugerud

Santiago is a Guatemalan-born multidisciplinary artist and owner of circus company, Cie Zirconium. He is influenced by contemporary dance and physical theater, specialized in juggling, and trained in hoop diving and Chinese pole. Santiago was the first Central American to be accepted into the National Circus School of Montréal. Guatemalan collaborations include En el arte producciones, Teatro Fantasia at IRTRA Petapa, and Escuela de circo Batz. His work has been recognized by multiple organizations, including Guatecirko, Montréal Completement Cirque, TOHU, and Cirque Éloize.

Ashleigh Roper

Ashleigh was born in South Africa and, after moving to the U.K., began gymnastics at age five. Her family then moved to Australia, where she transitioned to rhythmic gymnastics and discovered her natural flexibility and love for the hula-hoop. She studied at the National Institute of Circus Arts, specializing in hula-hoop and aerial hoop. Since graduating, Ashleigh has performed in productions in spiegeltents and theaters across the globe. Most notably, she performed in The 7 Fingers’ Duel Reality on board the Virgin Voyages cruise line and is now part of the Duel Reality tour cast.

Arata Urawa

May 29–June 11 

Arata was born and raised in Japan. After a career as a Japan juggling champion and Asian diabolo champion, he was invited to perform in circus festivals. He then decided to get into the professional circus world and studied at the National Circus School in Montreal after graduating from the Tokyo University of Science. Arata received the Bronze Medal at the 39th Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain. Being a part of The 7 Fingers is a dream come true.

Vitor Martinez Silva

June 12–22

Vitor is a professional multidisciplinary artist. At six years old he discovered his passion for diabolos, and after exploring the realms of gymnastics and musical theater, he moved to Canada at age 13 to pursue his dream of becoming a professional circus artist. Over seven years at the National Circus School of Montreal and after graduating in 2025, he has honed his skills in diabolo, Cyr wheel, skipping rope, and boleadoras, which has led him to work with legendary directors and for renowned festivals and companies, including Cirque du Soleil.

Shana Carroll

Writer, Director & Choreographer 

Shana Carroll is co-founding artistic director of contemporary circus company The 7 Fingers. Since its founding in 2002, Shana has directed, written, and choreographed many of their touring and/or resident shows, including Passengers, Cuisine and Confessions, Sequence 8, and Traces. In 2024, Shana was co-choreographer and circus designer for Water for Elephants on Broadway, for which she received the Chita Rivera Award for Best Choreography and Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations in the same category. A former trapeze artist of 20 years, a Cirque du Soleil soloist, and an alumna of Montreal’s National Circus School, Shana first got her start in San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus. In 2023, in recognition of her contributions to Québec culture, Shana was honored as a Compagne des Arts et des Lettres du Québec from the Conseils des Arts et Lettres du Québec.

High Stakes, Circus-Infused Shakespeare

Beyond the Stage

An interview with writer, director, and choreographer of Duel Reality and co-founding artistic director of The 7 Fingers, Shana Carroll

Seattle Rep: We’re thrilled to have The 7 Fingers back at Seattle Rep! You brought the original work Passengers to us last season. Where did the idea to use Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as inspiration for what would develop into Duel Reality come from?

Shana Carroll: It’s been an ongoing dream to do 7 Fingers/circus-infused renditions of various Shakespeare works. I was a theater kid before delving into circus, and my heart and imagination often circle back to beloved classics. In truth, we’ve written various Shakespearean-circus adaptations through the years that have not (yet!) seen the light of day.

The concept for Duel Reality emerged after we were asked to create a show for a specific bifrontal “alley” stage configuration. That setup really lent itself to exploring polarity—the audience divided in half, facing each other—and resembled a sports arena in many ways. This inspired a kind of sporting event-influenced performance that would lean into the notion of tribalism and dichotomy, with groups in red and blue facing off against each other; a testosterone-fueled, exhilarating experience of rooting for a team (that then turns sour when we realize that we, the audience, are complicit in tragedy). After years of contemplating what sort of Shakespeare adaptation we could someday create, we realized: What perfect context for Romeo and Juliet! And suffice to say, the notion of polarized, warring tribes is also deeply relevant right now.

SREP: How do you see Shakespeare's language being elevated by physical movement and circus feats?

SC: What I love about Romeo and Juliet is that the stakes are just so high! Families, lives, and humanity itself are held in the balance by two children who just fancy each other. And circus language has constant, real, undeniable stakes. Using real physical risk to underscore dramatic risk means the audience is feeling those stakes alongside the characters, not just intellectually, but viscerally, too.

The start of the show generates a sort of thrilling football game energy. The inherent athleticism of the circus arts induces visceral, emotional responses from audiences as they witness moments of physical prowess, and both performers and audiences get swept up in that competitive spirit. The audience is not just impartially observing two fictional families fight, but they see themselves as part of a team. And when your team wins a point, we feel that sense of adrenaline and tribalism in our blood.

SREP: Romeo and Juliet is one of the best-known stories in Western literature, and more than 400 years after its debut, our society is still fascinated with it. Why do you think the play remains intense and engaging when most audience members already know the plot and ending?

SC: Love and war. It is the ultimate war story and the ultimate love story! The two most primal forces in our nature. It is in our DNA to “other” another society, because to feel safe we need to feel we belong, but to feel we belong, we need to have a contrasting party that does not belong. So unfortunately, warring tribes in whatever form they take will never fade in relevance. But these two young romantics see past their families (or tribes or gangs or parties…) and love each other within and through that. Because even more fundamentally than wanting to belong, we want to be seen and loved. It’s what stops us from killing each other.

Even though the original story ends in tragedy, it does so as a cautionary tale, which slaps us awake to the real dangers of our most primal, warring urges.  We ache to be reminded that love can triumph over war—though in Shakespeare's story, it is through great sacrifice—and we know love is what curbs our worst urges and gives us hope for the future. For a tragedy, this story contains immense messages of hope.

SREP: What do you hope audiences take away from Duel Reality?

SC: The themes of community, trust, and connection are key components in most of our shows, and I believe that circus is the most fitting form to demonstrate humanity’s interdependence. For one person to fly in the air, it takes two people to throw them and another two to catch them. At every moment, the performers are putting their lives quite literally in each other’s hands—trust is not a luxury, but the key to survival.

However, in the case of Duel Reality, the show starts with—dramatically speaking—the opposite message: a battle! But even through the battle we are subliminally messaging a larger point about interdependence through the simple mechanics of what we do. So, by the end of the show, we realize the antidote to the conflict is this notion of community, and we have actually been experiencing it all night long without realizing it.

I want audiences to walk away from this show feeling a little healed, with a little more faith in our connectivity and in what humans can do when they are willing to throw and catch each other.  

Our upcoming season will explore and celebrate the different ways we remain resilient in the face of life’s challenges and draw strength from each other to keep going. With six of seven productions #BuiltBySeattleRep in our backstage workshops, we’ll continue to showcase Seattle’s immense pool of artistic talent, featuring local actors, directors, designers, and artisans producing extraordinary art as only Seattle Rep can.

Print Edition

More About Seattle Rep

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