Fly By

Air Play didn't take flight until clowns Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone workshopped the show at the Palace Theatre last year. The grandiose space spurred the spouses to rework the entire performance, which blends circus elements with stunning creations by renowned air sculptor Daniel Wurtzel and explores the relationship between siblings on a surreal journey. The 60-foot-tall theater allowed a large white sheet, for example, that previously got stuck on the rafters of their crowded Manhattan workspace to glide elegantly. "Our hearts flew down to our stomachs," says Gelsone. With its world premiere at the Ohio Theatre Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, Air Play flows in and out of reality as the pair playfully interact with marvels such as a storm of plastic foam peanuts that the two turn into a snowball fight. "You have these beautiful things happen in the air," says Bloom, "but on the ground, people need to laugh and breathe again." playhousesquare.org