About the Circus

Our Mission:
To bring awareness to local environmental issues by building a community voice through the use of Theater and festivity.

Environmental injustice comes in a variety of forms. No matter what shape it takes, it causes isolation among victims. Victims initially find themselves without a voice and powerless to stop the degradation of the environment around them. They not only feel isolated, but their health is often compromised, further stripping them of their dignity as a human being, further isolating them, and making them feel even more helpless.

One of the most effective ways to combat and prevent suffering is to create community. Community allows each individual to be supported by others that are experiencing the same feelings of helplessness and anger. Through a process of sharing their angers and frustrations with others who feel similarly, they can begin to build a community voice, which is crucial in the process of beginning to fight for their rights.

In this day and age of private lives, the need for community has increased greatly.
Just as a public garden can bring people together, we believe a festival for Pittsburgh and the environment will be very effective at building community and giving a voice to beings, human and non, that are often unable to speak out about the issues they are facing. It is our hope that The Tree River Circus will gather together a community of people who love this city and want to celebrate it in whatever way they are able.

Pittsburgh is a city with a very dirty history. These skies were once full of endless smog, and the night sky glowed red. Over the past few generations, we've managed to make this city into a great green giant.

Now that this city is has regained much of her green, it's easy to forget about the dirty history behind us. We often take our parks for granted, and we've forgotten our past.

The Tree River Circus is meant to be a tribute to the past, present and future of Pittsburgh and her relationship to the environment. It is a celebration for the parks, rivers, animals and humans that call this city home.