REFLEX
REFLEX is a theatrical performance by Jay Gilligan that links space exploration with juggling. He weaves stories of the Voyager Mission and his 40-year career into a reflection on curiosity and discovery. Through inventive juggling, he creates images and sounds that spark wonder and connection.
Overview:
REFLEX is a theatrical performance that explores the connection between human space exploration and the art of juggling. At its center is a simple but profound question: what does it mean to go into the unknown? Sending machines into space and throwing objects into the air may seem like very different gestures, but both express the same drive to test limits, search for knowledge, and imagine possibilities beyond ourselves. Juggling becomes a way to reflect on the larger human story of curiosity and exploration.
Created and performed by Jay Gilligan, REFLEX combines accounts of the Voyager Mission, Carl Sagan, and the Golden Record with stories drawn from his 40-year career. The performance weaves together science, history, and autobiography, showing how distant events in space and personal moments on stage can echo one another. In looking back at his own journey, Jay places his craft within a longer lineage, finding connections between the art of juggling and humanity’s ongoing attempt to understand its place in the universe.
Using a wide range of object manipulation techniques, from ancient traditions to new experimental methods, Jay creates sequences where sound and image emerge directly from the movement of objects. Each pattern suggests ideas of orbit, signal, or balance, transforming simple props into representations of cosmic structures. These moments reveal how art and science share the same impulse to build meaning from motion and pattern. In doing so, REFLEX creates a space where audiences can reflect on wonder, connection, and the shared human desire to reach for something greater than ourselves.
"Jay Gilligan takes inspiration from Michael Moshen and Derek Delgaudio, toying with gravity and physics in ways I've never seen before...
Check it out! Bravo!"
- Neil Patrick Harris, Actor & Producer
"Jay challenges you to define what juggling is in your mind and changes your preconceived notions about the nature or movement and patterns... You think you're going to see a juggler, then you find out you have no idea what a juggler is!"
- Théater Pizzas Review, NYC
Production Details:
Company:
Shaking the Sky
Show Title:
REFLEX
Performers:
Performer:
Jay Gilligan (USA/SWE)
Length:
60 minutes
Target Audience:
All Ages
Language:
English (a non-verbal version of the show is also available)
Performance Space:
Cleared and clean 5x5 meter floorspace, minimum 3 meter ceiling height. Blackout not required but theatrical lighting can be discussed if desired.
Technical Requirements:
3 standard 220v electrical outlets with extension cords near the performance area.
Load in Time:
4 hours prior to showtime.
Load Out Time:
1 hour after the last audience member has left.
Shoe Size:
Production Details:
Company:
Shaking the Sky
Show Title:
REFLEX
Performers:
Performer:
Jay Gilligan (USA/SWE)
Length:
60 minutes
Target Audience:
All Ages
Language:
English (a non-verbal version of the show is also available)
Performance Space:
Cleared and clean 5x5 meter floorspace, minimum 3 meter ceiling height. Blackout not required but theatrical lighting can be discussed if desired.
Technical Requirements:
3 standard 220v electrical outlets with extension cords near the performance area.
Load in Time:
4 hours prior to showtime.
Load Out Time:
1 hour after the last audience member has left.
Shoe Size:
REFLEX is a theatrical performance that explores the connection between human space exploration and the art of juggling. At its center is a simple but profound question: what does it mean to go into the unknown? Sending machines into space and throwing objects into the air may seem like very different gestures, but both express the same drive to test limits, search for knowledge, and imagine possibilities beyond ourselves. Juggling becomes a way to reflect on the larger human story of curiosity and exploration.
Created and performed by Jay Gilligan, REFLEX combines accounts of the Voyager Mission, Carl Sagan, and the Golden Record with stories drawn from his 40-year career. The performance weaves together science, history, and autobiography, showing how distant events in space and personal moments on stage can echo one another. In looking back at his own journey, Jay places his craft within a longer lineage, finding connections between the art of juggling and humanity’s ongoing attempt to understand its place in the universe.
Using a wide range of object manipulation techniques, from ancient traditions to new experimental methods, Jay creates sequences where sound and image emerge directly from the movement of objects. Each pattern suggests ideas of orbit, signal, or balance, transforming simple props into representations of cosmic structures. These moments reveal how art and science share the same impulse to build meaning from motion and pattern. In doing so, REFLEX creates a space where audiences can reflect on wonder, connection, and the shared human desire to reach for something greater than ourselves.
