It’s no secret that pandemic lockdowns put the circus industry on pause– but pausing gives us time to envision something new, and time to look ahead before we leap. Matthew Jessner’s four-part series “The 3RS” will help you to embark on any bold, new projects and ventures. Now available on CircusTalk PRO, the series offers food for thought on the future of live entertainment: moving forward, dreaming big, and considering new approaches. Borrowing from his long career in the performing arts, Matthew provides a 3-part paradigm to bring you from great ideas to final products: the 3Rs– Review, Rethink, Regenerate. Each episode sees Matthew bring in industry experts to weigh in on the issues. Keep reading to meet Matthew’s guests and get a sneak peek at the episodes.

Episode 1.

From his long tenure as Cirque du Soleil‘s global Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) during the company’s expansion, business management executive Mario D’Amico is well-equipped to delve into the philosophies of marketing live entertainment. In episode 1, Mario and Matthew develop an approach that balances the “show” and “business” halves of show business. Along the way, they share tips about building your brand identity by understanding the business mindset, communicating your vision to your audience, creative risk-taking, and the merits of expanding to new territories.

Episode 2.

In episode 2 “Measured Optimism,” Matthew postulates the future of live entertainment with help from a tag-team discussion panel: partners Pierre Phaneuf and Troy Duazo, two behind-the-scenes alumni of Cirque du Soleil. With Pierre’s experience as an artistic director and theatre producer and Troy’s extensive knowledge of human resources and marketing, the three men navigate trials and institutions to lay down the groundwork for successful productions.

Episode 3.

It’s no secret that COVID-19 has posed challenges for our industry– and answering some of these challenges will require us to think outside the box of just the arts. Luckily, Matthew is prepared to rise to the cultural moment with help from James Tanabe in episode 3: circus artist, neuroscientist, and Wharton Business School MBA who founded 51-49 Productions. Tackling the ethics of show development, James highlights the practical importance of diversifying teams, bringing new knowledge and ideas into your creative process, and developing sustainable productions. His tips will leave you with shows that engage everyone working behind the scenes, as well as your audience. Matthew and James also share career advice for budding circus artists.

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Episode 4.

In over three decades at Cirque du Soleil, former acrobat and performance design and development director Boris Verkhovsky has spearheaded innovations in performance design and development. Now Boris shares with Matthew insights into the Research and Development (RoD) process he helped patent. Episode 4 breaks down the practical aspects of large-scale production, from designing and selling shows; to testing new ideas; to the people, time and resources you’ll need for success. By envisioning the circus industry as a team, Matthew and Boris illuminate how everyone who loves circus can share the benefits of innovation.

Matthew Jessner’s series is now available in its entirety on CircusTalk PRO.

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Matthew Jessner

Producer -Belgium

Matthew Jessner got his start in the performing arts as a classical dancer with several professional companies in the USA. His career took him to Europe whereby he also performed in musicals as both dancer and singer in multiple languages.

His connection to circus arts began with the Cirque du Soleil show Saltimbanco of which he was resident artistic director for almost five years on tour in Europe and South America.

Matthew has developed extensive and diverse experience in creative production and operating shows both touring and extravagant resident shows such as The House of Dancing Water with Dragone.
His studies include music and lyric opera.

When not directing, Matthew teaches Qigong in multiple styles.

Matthew's profile