Photo courtesy John Cornicello. To be honest with you, I never really liked the conventional circus. I’m not outwardly hostile toward the institution; it’s just that there were always things about it that bugged me as a child. The animals were kept in tiny cages, the clowns freaked me out…needless to say, in the realm of theatrical entertainment, circuses tend to rank near the bottom of my list. But Circus Contraption is unlike any circus you’ve ever witnessed. An irreverent theatrical estimation of what happens to a once-popular circus as the years wear on, the astounding acrobatics– and not-quite-so-astounding, but amusing efforts from performers who have slowly faded into mere shades of their former glory– betray something more sinister happening behind the curtain, as Circus Contraption’s jovial ringmaster slowly reveals a rotten core beneath his gilded exterior.Pay attention and you’ll find yourself amazed at the show’s subtleties, which can be easily missed if you find yourself too enthralled by the hilarious antics of stuntman Bunny LaMont and the mid-air contortions of Circus Contraption’s flexible vixens. The show continues at Theo’s Chocolates in Fremont, but only until May 31. Then it is gone. FOREVER. I’m just glad it’s happening until then; on first read of the press release, I thought the show ended last weekend. Thank goodness I was wrong. Anyway, visit their website and get tickets before it’s too late!