Goodman Theatre: The Attic
Santiago Rivera Laugerud, Tyler Meredith, and Anna Kichtchenko
Goodman Theatre Presents THE ATTIC Review - A Life Story Told In The Air
TLDR: Written, directed, and choreographed by award winning artist, Shana Carroll, The Attic takes us through moments in her life as her theatrical memoir. Every moment is shown through a different type of circus art form from aerialists to clowning and has every audience member mesmerized by the images and emotions they create.
Eduardo De Azevedo Grillo, Lucy Tan, Nancy Luna and Fran Alvarez
A Different Kind of Memoir at The Goodman
“I’ve fallen once.”
Our narrator stands in front of a black curtain, illuminated by a spotlight and her words ring out in the silence. But it’s not said with fear or hesitancy. She says it matter of fact, with an “it’s ok” kind of smile on her face. Following her statement, we now understand the subtitle of The Attic - Things I’ve Seen While Lying on My Back. It’s meant to be the moment after falling, staring up, and seeing things while you’re on your back.
This was the inspiration for Shana Carroll’s new theatrical memoir. Her career has been expansive ranging from her days as a trapeze artist with Cirque du Soleil to a choreographer to writer and director. In The Attic, we're taken through her life shown in moments. We see parents above us playing peek-a-boo as a child. At age thirteen, a middle school dance where you danced with the person you liked with arms straight out, barely touching. Age eighteen at Cirque du Soleil. Thirty with a child. Forty in demand at work. Fifty at the hospital.
And each of these moments is depicted with various circus art forms ranging from clowning, to aerial acrobatics, to hula hooping. Written and choreographed by the artist herself, Carroll has a distinct point of view and the artistic ability to create stories in a non-traditional way. We have a narrator to transition us through each of these moments and then she releases us to the ensemble to be swept away in the scene they create.
Interpretive Aerial Arts
As the curtain rises after her opening statement, our narrator walks back towards the rest of the cast. The ensemble comes alive in modern movement. We may have seen this before - the familiar bending of the body into a sway or a stop and start into a step before connecting with another person, and feels very much in the vein of interpretive dance. But then, one ensemble member picks up another and tosses her into the air. She twirls and she flies over a bed set piece and another ensemble member gracefully catches her on the other side.
Movement is central to The Attic as our story is told through these circus artists. They create scenes from the aerial, acrobatic, and clowning work to evoke emotions in us. We're taken to a night in Paris looking up at the stars as three aerial artists spin above us. We're under the big top as a trapeze bar is lowered and our narrator gives us lessons on hanging on. Or we’re in a nursery and two performers juggle eight balls between them as the other laugh in delight.
Then sometimes these moments are accompanied by a different art form, maybe music or video graphics. Our narrator picks up a microphone and sings an original piece. Ensemble members carry a video camera and walk throughout the audience, projecting onto the screen on stage.
There are few words spoken, but the movement in each scene embodies the emotions we're supposed to feel. Every single aerial, circus, flying, and clowning art form feels like it's represented here, and just when you think you may have seen it all they pull out another form that has us spellbound. And the entire ensemble makes everything look so effortless that we’re in awe of how much athleticism they’re showing and making it look so graceful and easy.
Nancy Luna, Kalani June, Lucy Tan, Santiago Rivera Laugerud, Melvin Diggs, Anna Kichtchenko, Eduardo De Azevedo Grillo, Alexandra Royer and Fran Alvare
The After Party Thoughts
As another audience member remarked, The Attic is a different kind of show for The Goodman, but definitely not unwelcome. There is a linear storyline that takes us through these specific moments in Carroll's life, but each moment feels expansive and connected so we feel like we’ve seen her life not linearly but a 360° view of each moment from all angles.
The choreography is mesmerizing. The story is beautiful and heartfelt. The message poetic. It’s a show unlike any you've seen before (except maybe Water for Elephants as Carroll also choreographed that show). For those that aren’t usually fans of interpretive movement to tell a story or prefer traditional storytelling, this may not be the show for you. But for those that love all kinds of circus acts and those that are looking for a theatrical production that incorporates many different art forms to tell a person's life story, The Attic, Things I’ve Seen While Lying on My Back is not to be missed!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Tyler Meredith
When
Now through October 4, 2026
Where
Goodman Theatre
170 N Dearborn St.
Chicago, IL 60601
Runtime: 1 hr 45min, including an intermission
Tickets
$34+
Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at (312) 443-3800 or through the Goodman Theatre website
Photos
Todd Rosenburg
Find Allie and the After Party featured on Theatre in Chicago
Alexandra Royer, Anna Kichtchenko and Nancy Luna
CAST
Fran Alvarez (Performer)
Melvin Diggs (Performer)
Eduardo De Azevedo Grillo (Performer)
Kalani June (Performer)
Anna Kichtchenko (Performer)
Nancy Luna (Performer)
Tyler Meredith (Performer)
Santiago Rivera Laugerud (Performer)
Alexandra Royer (Performer)
Lucy Tan (Performer)
Eduardo De Azevedo Grillo, Anna Kichtchenko, Fran Alvarez and Melvin Diggs
CREATIVE
Shana Carroll (Writer / Director / Choreographer)
Tina Diab (Lead Producer)
David Dower (Executive Producer)
Théâtre St-Denis (Co-Producer)
Colin Gagné (Musical Director / Composer)
Ana Cappelluto (Scenic Designer)
Marie Chantale Vaillancourt (Costume Designer)
Alexander Nichols (Lighting Designer)
Johnny Ranger (Projection Designer)
Emanuelle Kirouac (Production Manager)
Kevin Bissonnette (Director of Touring and Special Events)
Louis Joyal (Associate Director)
Christelle Vitupier (Production Stage Manager / Tour Manager)
Delphine Quenneville (Technical Director)
Dominique Hawry (Projection Project Manager)
Max Jouanneau (Head Rigger)
Jean-Félix Des Rochers-Lamarche (Head of Sound)
Lorianne Foisy (Head of Lighting)
Benoît Rouillard (Head Carpenter)
Marie-Claude Pion (Scenic Painting)
Jiyeon Lee (Scenography Assistant)
Nadia Agrebi (Video Assistant)
Pascale Bassani (Costume Assistant)
Louise Vicet (Production Assistant)
Adam Belcuore (Line Producer)
Louis Bourgaut (Casting)
Lauren Port, CSA (Additional Casting)