ZOOM | Summer 2018

What do you get when you mix
aerialists, a zany script, expert
sound effects, theatre, huge
trees, awesome costumes, a
long winding path, and anyone
young or old or marginalized, especially anyone young
or old or marginalized who wants to join the team? Oh,
and give it a good stir so that it comes out different
every time. You might get something like the Rainforest
Circus.
Chad Hershler and Sandy Buck are the brains, brawn,
and spirit behind the Rainforest Circus and the nonprofit
Deer Crossing The Art Farm. They’ve lived on
the Coast since 2007. With a background in writing,
acting, and theatre, Hershler loves stories, preferably
live ones. Buck is a costume designer who worked for
years in film/TV/theatre. They both have a passion for
inclusivity, and together they are a formidable duo.
Nature is always an important theme in these “forest
theatre” productions, but big ideas and big emotions
are always part of the mix. The 2015 “Cosmos” show,
with its soundscapes, aerial “dancing,” and zany
characters, was eerie, beautiful, funny, and memorable.
Hershler has a knack for writing and acting wonderfully
sophisticated, nervy soliloquies that juxtapose so
well with the calm of ancient trees, really bringing the
intensely human together with enduring Nature.
WORDS | NANCY PINCOMBE
And when they say “inclusive,” it’s not just some kind
of nod to political correctness and artspeak. Reaching
out, getting feedback, educating, and involving the
community are woven into every step of their process.
They hold workshops and camps, set up displays at
outdoor markets, and take their show on the road, last
year to Esquimalt, Gabriola Island, and Malcolm Island.
With their core cast, they team up with arts organizations
in what they feel are “underserved” communities and
invite the public. The result is a skeleton show that gets
fleshed out a little differently in each place.
How in the world do they pull it off? So many moving
parts! So many considerations! “Time,” Hershler says,
“you have to allow a lot of time.”
SURPRISES, WONDER & DELIGHT
RAINFOREST
CIRCUS
This dynamic approach is so complex that it starts to
be simple. He explains, “The outcome is important, but
the process is equally important. You can’t compromise
one for the other.”
In this year’s “Submerged,” unexpected underwater
creatures as an estranged couple have to go “deep” to
resolve past issues. This sounds like rich territory for
both Hershler’s insightful writing and Buck’s fantastic
costumes.
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VISIT WWW.DEERCROSSINGTHEARTFARM.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION.
PHOTOS BY GRANT SIMMONS (TOP TWO) AND CHLÖE LANGMAID.