Totem (Cirque du Soleil)
| Totem | |
|---|---|
Logo for Cirque du Soleil's Totem | |
| Company | Cirque du Soleil |
| Genre | Contemporary circus |
| Show type | Touring show |
| Date of premiere | April 22, 2010 (Montreal) |
| Creative team | |
| Writer and director | Robert Lepage |
| Director of creation | Neilson Vignola |
| Set and props designer | Carl Fillion |
| Composers | Guy Dubuc Marc Lessard |
| Costume designer | Kym Barett |
| Lighting designer | Étienne Boucher |
| Choreographer | Jeffrey Hall |
| Sound designer | Jacques Boucher |
| Makeup designer | Nathalie Simard |
| Acrobatic performance designer | Florence Pot |
| Rigging designer | Pierre Masse |
| Projection designer | Pedro Pires |
| Other information | |
| Preceded by | Viva Elvis (2010) |
| Succeeded by | Zarkana (2011) |
| Official website | |
Totem is a touring show by Cirque du Soleil that premiered in Montréal on April 22, 2010. It was written and directed by previous collaborator Robert Lepage (Kà). Cirque du Soleil describes Totem's theme as the evolution of humanity from its primordial, amphibian state toward the aspiration of flight, taking inspiration from many of humanity's founding myths. The show was awarded the 2013 New York Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience.
All of Cirque du Soleil's previous touring productions were originally created to be performed inside large, custom-designed tents (called the grand chapiteau), but many of those shows have since been re-staged in arenas and other venues after the conclusion of their "big top" tour. Totem's creation team faced the challenge of designing a show that could be adapted for arenas and other venues from the outset.