AQUÍ O ALLÁ: A CIRCUS STORY with The Actors Gymnasium

Last weekend, I had a blast photographing the Actors Gymnasium‘s brand new show, AQUÍ O ALLÁ: a circus story, with my friend Greg Inda. As of this writing, I’m still editing additional images for the show, so let’s cut to the chase!

AQUÍ O ALLÁ: a circus story

In a city that could be here, there, or anywhere else, a chosen family of misfit clowns arrives in search of a new home. Perhaps a bit deluded in their unrelenting sense of class and dignity, they bring chaos and joy in equal measure as they build a house out of nothingness. Surviving the urban jungle proves harsher than imagined, but with play and warmth, they face the reality of where they came from and where they’re meant to be… ultimately finding belonging in each other!
Summary of Aquí O Allá from he Actors Gymnasium website.

Raquel Torre directed the show, and Actors Gymnasium artistic director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi directed its circus arts. Satya Chavez created original music for the production. Jean Carlos Claudio, Kat Hoil, Kaitlyn Andrews, Satya Chavez, and Glenna Broderick, and the Actors Gymnasium’s Teen Ensemble performed the show.

This gallery offers only a glimpse of all the incredible work on display in this production.

AQUÍ O ALLÁ: a circus story was a treat to photograph, especially because I got to shoot it with my bestie Greg Inda, who was the videographer for the production. Greg and I began our friendship as improvisors in 2001, then as gaming companions. In 2007, we enrolled in digital photography classes together. We took photography road trips in the ’00s. Now we work together, pass referrals, assist one another, and so on. We go back a quarter century, so working a job together is as natural as anything. Check out Greg’s site here.

Gratitude

I am grateful to Greg Inda for the initial referral to the Actors Gymnasium, as it is always a pleasure to work with them. In addition, I’m grateful to Alice Wu, who reached out about this show, as well as the entire creative team who made this beautiful production come to life!

AQUÍ O ALLÁ: a circus story runs through March 22, 2026, and tickets and show information may be found here.

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Steven Townshend is a fine art/portrait photographer and writer with a background in theatre, written narrative, and award-winning game design. As a young artist, Steven toured the US and Canada performing in Shakespeare companies while journaling their moments on paper and film. In his transition from stage to page, Steven continued to work as a theatre photographer, capturing dramatic scenes while incorporating elements of costume, makeup, and theatrical lighting in his work. Drawn to stories set in other times and places, Steven creates works through which fellow dreamers and time travelers might examine their own humanity or find familiar comfort in the reflections of the people and places of a distant era.