Late, late in the evening, Sheila told me about a catalyzing moment in her artistic life, a performance by a cabaret ensemble called Circus Contraption, which gave her direction and inspiration when she needed it. Two members of the troupe were later killed in a mass shooting at a Seattle cafe, and as Richard Thompson’s guitar rang through the living room, Sheila told us she often longed to revisit that night. She wished that she could feel that specific creative fire once more. She felt piercingly the sorrow that the troupe’s future was foreclosed by tragedy.
I didn't think anyone still remembered Circus Contraption. (... pause for a moment of recollection and nostalgia ...) The shooting of Drew and Joe at Cafe Racer wasn't the end of the circus. That was quite a bit earlier. The musicians were still playing the music in various bands and ensembles, but the performers had moved on to other things by the time the shooting took place. And while it did end any possibility of a Circus Contraption reunion, it did not draw the curtain on the circus itself. That space was already empty...