Waltham flips for new Circus Smirkus show, ‘Game On!’

Gore Place this month will play host to Circus Smirkus, “the only traveling ‘tented’ youth circus in the United States,” according to the organization.

The Greensboro, Vermont-based nonprofit has been putting on family-friendly shows at Waltham’s Gore Place since 2010, according to Executive and Artistic Director Rachel Schiffer.

“The backdrop and the site [are] beautiful,” she said. “We feel pretty lucky to be able to share that space.”

Now in its 38th year, Circus Smirkus chooses a different theme each season ahead of its New England Big Top Tour. This summer’s theme – “Game On!” – was developed by Schiffer and new show director Fritz Grobe and puts board games in the spotlight. Previous years’ themes included “The Imaginarium,” which brought a toyshop to life, and “A Midsummer Night’s Circus.”

During this summer’s shows the 29 performers, who range in age from 12 to 18 and come from 14 states (including three from Massachusetts), will showcase their skills in “a vast array of circus arts, including aerials, acrobatics, juggling, [and] clowning,” according to Circus Smirkus. The nonprofit has not included animals in any of its productions since 2005.

Although Schiffer confirmed the upcoming shows will highlight family favorites like Clue, Mousetrap and Monopoly, when asked what other board games will be featured, she said, “We can’t give away too much.”

Part of the fun of the show is that it becomes “a collective guessing game” for audience members as they try to identify which game is inspiring each performance, she said.

“It’s a smart show, and it’s a show that really connects kids and adults with the nostalgia,” Schiffer said. The performances also feature “some really fantastic props and costumes.”

In addition to the annual Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour, the nonprofit offers Smirkus Camp for children and Smirkus School Residency programs.

The 2025 Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour will stop at Gore Place, 52 Gore St., in Waltham on

• Friday, July 25, at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
• Saturday, July 26, at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Sunday, July 27, at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Tickets cost $40 for those 13 and older and $25 for children ages 2 to 12. Children under 2 are free. Popcorn, ice cream, cotton candy and more will be available for purchase. For more information, visit www.smirkus.org.