Theaterworks Hartford Presents New Play Chronicling Hartford's Greatest Tragedy At The Greatest Show On Earth
By Kiersten Bjork (April 24, 2026)
There is something incredibly powerful about using live theatre to tell a true, tragic story. Circus Fire, a new play written by Jacques Lamarre and conceived by Lamarre, Jared Mezzocchi, and Rob Ruggiero, does just that–delivers a moving, heartwrenching tale of the greatest tragedy in Hartford history: the Hartford Circus Fire.
On July 6, 1944, thousands gathered in the oppressive summer heat to enjoy the spectacle of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey’s circus on Barbour Street in Hartford, CT. During the performance that day, the tent caught fire, resulting in the deaths of 167 people–many of them children–with hundreds more injured. Circus Fire recounts the moments leading up to, during, and following that tragic day, layering factual accounts and historic footage to create an incredibly impactful theatrical piece.
There is something incredibly powerful about using live theatre to tell a true, tragic story. Circus Fire, a new play written by Jacques Lamarre and conceived by Lamarre, Jared Mezzocchi, and Rob Ruggiero, does just that–delivers a moving, heartwrenching tale of the greatest tragedy in Hartford history: the Hartford Circus Fire.
On July 6, 1944, thousands gathered in the oppressive summer heat to enjoy the spectacle of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey’s circus on Barbour Street in Hartford, CT. During the performance that day, the tent caught fire, resulting in the deaths of 167 people–many of them children–with hundreds more injured. Circus Fire recounts the moments leading up to, during, and following that tragic day, layering factual accounts and historic footage to create an incredibly impactful theatrical piece.
Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr. in TheaterWorks Hartford’s Circus Fire (Curtis Brown Photography)
|
The company of TheaterWorks Hartford’s Circus Fire (Curtis Brown Photography)
|
Circus Fire is presented at The First Company Governor’s Foot Guard in Hartford, instead of at TheaterWorks Hartford’s traditional performance space. As you enter the venue and move to your seat, the space immediately begins to set the stage for the performance. The seating is in the round, arena style with the main stage a circular ring at the center. The bleachers and ring echo those of the circus, and the lighting, soundscape, and the soaring pitch of the building’s ceiling itself add to the ambiance.
The production begins in the present, with a family searching for the Hartford Circus Fire Memorial, only to realize it’s missing its signage, covered by a tarp, and all but impossible to find on their own until a local community member confirms they are in the right place. As the tarps are finally pulled away, we are drawn into the days leading up to July 6–families excited to attend the circus, local police preparing for the onslaught of crowds, and performers preparing for the greatest show on earth. Early on, the show does feel a bit disjointed–each scene is a snippet of different characters, and at times it doesn’t feel as cohesive as I would have liked. However, once the tragedy strikes, the play truly hits its stride.
Circus Fire relies on the strength of the ensemble–a group of 12 performers who play everyone from the ringmaster, clowns, and the mayor of Hartford, to mothers bringing their children to the circus, as well as the clergy, tradesmen, switchboard operators, and military in the aftermath of the fire. The company includes Mike Boland, Constantino Fernandez, Olivia Nicole Hoffman, Rebecka Jones, Caroline Kinsolving, Anastasia Maglaras, Eric Orsini, Stuart Rider, Janelle Anne Robinson, Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr., Marco Verna, and Dan Whelton. Each of the performers give strong performances, deftly handling the constant character changes with intentional choices, grounded delivery, and truth. Each of them is given their moment to speak to the tragedy, and you feel each and every word that they share. At the performance that I attended, there were some instances of actors stumbling on lines, but I do wonder if, as a new work, performers may have been juggling rewrites or new pages over the rehearsal and performance process. As the run continues, this is sure to tighten up.
While I was impressed with the company across the board, there are certain characters that jumped out to me for their portrayals. Boland, as the clown, tugs at your heartstrings with his dialogue about the realization of the emergency, and his one, singular bucket of water against the inferno. Orsini and Verna, as the local tradesmen called in to transport the bodies following the disaster, are heartbreaking, particularly as they play off of each other–Orsini as the shell-shocked young man, and Verna as the weathered, resigned leader. Kinsolving has the audience in tears as the nurse treating the injured, having to keep the news of a child’s death from their mother. Fernandez recounts the perspective of a newer member of the clergy arriving on the scene, likening the assembled religious leaders to carrion birds. As soon as the fire begins, the ensemble truly locks in, and each of them delivers punch after punch of powerful, horrific accounts of what happened that terrible day.
The production begins in the present, with a family searching for the Hartford Circus Fire Memorial, only to realize it’s missing its signage, covered by a tarp, and all but impossible to find on their own until a local community member confirms they are in the right place. As the tarps are finally pulled away, we are drawn into the days leading up to July 6–families excited to attend the circus, local police preparing for the onslaught of crowds, and performers preparing for the greatest show on earth. Early on, the show does feel a bit disjointed–each scene is a snippet of different characters, and at times it doesn’t feel as cohesive as I would have liked. However, once the tragedy strikes, the play truly hits its stride.
Circus Fire relies on the strength of the ensemble–a group of 12 performers who play everyone from the ringmaster, clowns, and the mayor of Hartford, to mothers bringing their children to the circus, as well as the clergy, tradesmen, switchboard operators, and military in the aftermath of the fire. The company includes Mike Boland, Constantino Fernandez, Olivia Nicole Hoffman, Rebecka Jones, Caroline Kinsolving, Anastasia Maglaras, Eric Orsini, Stuart Rider, Janelle Anne Robinson, Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr., Marco Verna, and Dan Whelton. Each of the performers give strong performances, deftly handling the constant character changes with intentional choices, grounded delivery, and truth. Each of them is given their moment to speak to the tragedy, and you feel each and every word that they share. At the performance that I attended, there were some instances of actors stumbling on lines, but I do wonder if, as a new work, performers may have been juggling rewrites or new pages over the rehearsal and performance process. As the run continues, this is sure to tighten up.
While I was impressed with the company across the board, there are certain characters that jumped out to me for their portrayals. Boland, as the clown, tugs at your heartstrings with his dialogue about the realization of the emergency, and his one, singular bucket of water against the inferno. Orsini and Verna, as the local tradesmen called in to transport the bodies following the disaster, are heartbreaking, particularly as they play off of each other–Orsini as the shell-shocked young man, and Verna as the weathered, resigned leader. Kinsolving has the audience in tears as the nurse treating the injured, having to keep the news of a child’s death from their mother. Fernandez recounts the perspective of a newer member of the clergy arriving on the scene, likening the assembled religious leaders to carrion birds. As soon as the fire begins, the ensemble truly locks in, and each of them delivers punch after punch of powerful, horrific accounts of what happened that terrible day.
Constantino Fernandez, Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr., Eric Orsini, and the company of TheaterWorks Hartford’s Circus Fire (Curtis Brown Photography)
|
Mike Boland in TheaterWorks Hartford’s Circus Fire (Curtis Brown Photography)
|
Jared Mezzocchi stands at the helm, responsible for both direction and multimedia experience–and what an experience the team has crafted in this unique space. Photos and videos are projected onto the roof, the walls, the balcony surrounding the room, and the floor. The fire climbs up the walls, the lions leap from the balconies, and we are even treated to live feeds of private conversations in other rooms of the building, representing the circus offices–it’s a truly breathtaking, impressive feat that is achieved, and it brings the audience right into the middle of the action. The intensity–and the intimacy–of the staging and overall production design, combined with the weight of the story itself, creates a one-of-a-kind piece, unique to the current moment and physical space. It's built for that building, and I would be very curious to see how the show would change in a different environment.
Set designer Brian Prather and lighting designer Rob Denton, in collaboration with Mezzocchi’s multimedia design, build out the world of the show effectively, with costumes by designer Arthur Wilson grounding the characters in the time period. Original music and sound design by Lindsay Jones are well done, filling the space with the sounds of the circus.
Set designer Brian Prather and lighting designer Rob Denton, in collaboration with Mezzocchi’s multimedia design, build out the world of the show effectively, with costumes by designer Arthur Wilson grounding the characters in the time period. Original music and sound design by Lindsay Jones are well done, filling the space with the sounds of the circus.
Constantino Fernandez in Theaterworks Hartford’s Circus Fire (Curtis Brown Photography)
|
Stuart Rider in Theaterworks Hartford’s Circus Fire (Curtis Brown Photography)
|
While Circus Fire is a dramatized account of an infamous event in Connecticut history, it serves as a touchpoint for audiences to remember. We are reminded–or for some, perhaps even made aware of for the first time–of the tragedy, in order for us not to forget. As more time passes between the present and that day, fewer people actually even know that it happened, and Circus Fire asks us–implores us–to remember. To not forget the lives that were lost, the souls and bodies that were scarred, and the victims that no one ever claimed. It’s incredibly sad, yet incredibly important. I highly encourage you to catch a performance before the production closes on May 31. Many performances have already been added to the run, but tickets are few and far between, so don’t wait–and don’t forget the tissues.
TheaterWorks Hartford’s production of Circus Fire plays April 16 - May 31, 2026, at The First Company Governor’s Foot Guard in Hartford, CT. Learn more and purchase tickets at twhartford.org/portfolio-items/circus-fire or by calling the Box Office at (860) 527-7838. Learn more about the Hartford Circus Fire at circusfire1944.com. The Hartford Circus Fire Memorial is found at 350 Barbour Street, Hartford, CT.
Kiersten Bjork is a professional theatremaker, performer, and reviewer (Connecticut Critics Circle) from Branford, CT.
TheaterWorks Hartford’s production of Circus Fire plays April 16 - May 31, 2026, at The First Company Governor’s Foot Guard in Hartford, CT. Learn more and purchase tickets at twhartford.org/portfolio-items/circus-fire or by calling the Box Office at (860) 527-7838. Learn more about the Hartford Circus Fire at circusfire1944.com. The Hartford Circus Fire Memorial is found at 350 Barbour Street, Hartford, CT.
Kiersten Bjork is a professional theatremaker, performer, and reviewer (Connecticut Critics Circle) from Branford, CT.