Sliding Down, Sticking To, Falling Through . . . and, Yes, Hitting a Wall

A jigsaw puzzle of a wall and gravity undergo severe tests by the daredevil cast of Plan B, by Toulouse-based Cie 111. Four men schooled in circus arts emerge at the top and slowly slide down the angled surface on their stomachs, quickly pinwheeling to their feet. They handspring between blocky jutting steps, and mysteriously vanish through trapdoors. A man in a Velcro suit plays "bug on the windshield." The wall comes to vertical, and of course the guys must scale it—by human pyramid, by swinging from a shelf, by applying giant suction cups. Eliciting shrieks from the young audience, the wall falls forward, braking on a cushion of air. The men continue their high jinks flat on the floor. The videotaped action is projected on the back wall, so everything looks zero gravity, including a chop-socky fight. The result—pure fun.