Revel in New York
A look at the city through its people
Bindlestiff Family Cirkus
New York, NY
1-877-BINDLES
Since 1995 the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus has traveled the world, bringing its unique hybrid of vaudeville, circus, burlesque and sideshow to theaters, clubs, colleges and festivals. The company has produced innumerable cabaret shows, all ages productions and sophisticated adult shows.
The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus was co-founded by Stephanie Monseu and Keith Nelson, and the size of the circus can range from 2-16 members depending on the show. Over the last five years the company has begun developing more theatrical productions, including 2001's Buckaroo Bindlestiff's Wild West Gender Bender Jamboree, 2003's High Heels & Red Noses and 2005's From the Gutter to the Glitter: A Night Out with the Bindlestiffs. In 2004 Bindlestiff instituted its annual children's performance program, the Cavalcade of Youth, in which young performers and technical staff (ages 8-20) have the opportunity to hone their skills with variety arts professionals.
The Bindlestiffs have taught circus arts to inner-city children through the New York Housing Authority. The have toured the country numerous times in their custom built Autonomadic Bookmobile. They have lectured and performed at Hampshire College, NYU, Yale and the Tyler School of Arts. They publish their own annual newspaper, The Roustabout Reporter, and have appeared all over television including the legendary HBO program Real Sex.
