Michel Rodriguez Cintra in Lookingglass Theatre's 'Circus Quixote', photo by Joe Mazza
(PRINCETON, NJ) -- McCarter Theatre Center presents Circus Quixote, a gravity-defying theatrical spectacle from Chicago's famed Lookingglass Theatre Company, in association with The Actors Gymnasium, running March 4–15, 2026. Blending epic adventure with high-flying circus artistry, the production reimagines one of literature's most iconic dreamers for a world that may need him now more than ever.
From the creators of McCarter favorites Lookingglass Alice and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Circus Quixote offers a visually dazzling interpretation of Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes. Adapted and directed by Kerry and David Catlin, with circus and movement direction by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, the show blends storytelling, circus arts, and Lookingglass’ signature visual style to bring Cervantes’ classic vividly to life.
Somewhere in La Mancha lived a man who read so many books that his brains dried up — so he decided to become a knight. As Don Quixote embarks on a folly-filled quest to restore good deeds to the world, whether the world wants them or not, audiences are swept into a windmill-tilting adventure of imagination and heart.
The company includes Michel Rodríguez Cintra (Don Quixote), Micah Figueroa (Sansón Carrasco), Laura Murillo Hart (Dulcinea), Julian Hester (Master Nicolás), Eddie Martinez (Cervantes/Sancho Panza), Jacinda Ratcliffe (Antonia), and Olivia Lindsay (Sister Sofía), with understudies Alexander Quiñones, Austin Rambo, and Valeria Rosero. The production stage manager is Amber R. Dettmers, and the assistant stage manager is Aaron McEachran.
Tickets are available for purchase online or by calling Patron Services at (609) 258-2787. Recommended for ages 8 and up. McCarter Theatre Center is located at 91 University Place in Princeton, New Jersey.
More relevant than ever, Cervantes’ iconic dreamer dares us to imagine a better world — and to speak truth, even when it feels impossible. As Lookingglass’ dramaturg Gabriela Furtado Coutinho writes in the program notes:
“Lookingglass Theatre Company can tell the story in a way few others can: defying gravity, lifting the most magical and fantastical elements of the text, replicating the surprise readers must have felt when it was first published.”
She continues, “May your time in La Mancha be filled with laughter, wonder, and comfort as we remind ourselves that if striving to do radical good is madness, then rigorous madness may prove a healthy reaction to a mad world.”
Michel Rodriguez Cintra in Lookingglass Theatre's Circus Quixote, photo by Joe Mazza
Post-Show Conversations and Accessibility Events
* Post-show conversations follow the 2:00pm matinee performances on Sunday, March 8; Thursday, March 12; and Saturday, March 14.
* An ASL-interpreted performance will take place Saturday, March 14 at 2:00pm.
* Open captioning and audio description will be available Sunday, March 15 at 2:00pm.
For optimal seating related to accessibility services, contact Patron Services at (609) 258-2787.
The Creative Team
David Catlin — Playwright & Director | Founding member of Lookingglass Theatre Company. Previous McCarter credits include Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Lookingglass Alice. Artistic Associate with The Actors Gymnasium and Head of Undergraduate Acting at Northwestern University.
Kerry Catlin — Playwright & Associate Director | Educator and theatre maker whose work bridges circus and ensemble storytelling. Arts educator in Chicago and English and Research teacher at Walter Payton College Preparatory High School.
Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi — Circus & Movement | Co-founder and Executive Artistic Director of The Actors Gymnasium and longtime Lookingglass ensemble member. Award-winning circus choreographer known for bringing athletic theatricality to the American stage.
The Performers
Michel Rodríguez Cintra — Don Quixote | Cuban-born dancer, actor, acrobat, and educator. Credits include Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, Hedwig Dances, Lucky Plush Productions, Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, Physical Theater Festival Chicago, The Actors Gymnasium, and Lookingglass Theatre Company. Television credits include Lookingglass Alice on PBS.
Micah Figueroa — Sansón Carrasco & Others | Chicago actor, director, and choreographer specializing in physical theatre, circus, and stage combat. Credits include Lookingglass Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Dallas Theatre Center, and Kitchen Dog Theatre.
Laura Murillo Hart — Dulcinea & Others | Colombian-American actor, musician, and physical theatre artist. Graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul and Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre.
Julian Hester — Master Nicolás & Others | Chicago actor and director with SAG Award and Equity Jeff nominations. Stage work includes Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Writers Theatre, and Lookingglass Theatre Company.
Olivia Lindsay — Sister Sofía & Others | Chicago-based actor, clown, and musician. Stage credits include Blackbird, Uncle Vanya, and Far Away. Graduate of The Actors Gymnasium Professional Circus Training Program.
Eddie Martinez — Cervantes/Sancho Panza | Chicago actor whose credits include Lookingglass Theatre Company, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and major regional theatres nationwide. Member of the Teatro Vista Artist Collective.
Jacinda Ratcliffe —Antonia | Housekeeper/Aldonza, Dulcinea u/s is a performing artist and choreographer whose recent credits include Evanston Salt Costs Climbing (First Floor Theater) and Circus Quixote, Portal, and Ice Cream Circus (Lookingglass Theatre). She is an ensemble member with Lucky Plush Productions, a faculty member at The Actors Gymnasium, and Associate Director of Chicago Movement Collective. Rep: Big Mouth Talent.
Alexander Quiñones —Cervantes/Sancho u/s | makes his Lookingglass debut with Circus Quixote. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Theatre program, he was most recently seen as Orlando in As You Like It at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Additional credits include Goodman Theatre and The Kennedy Center, with an upcoming appearance at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival.
Austin Rambo —Sansón Carrasco, Amadís de Gaula u/s | a heightened physical theatre actor who made his Chicago debut in the Jeff Award–winning All Quiet on the Western Front. A graduate of The Actors Gymnasium’s two-year professional circus training program, he now serves on faculty and is an ensemble member with Chicago Danztheatre.
Valeria Rosero —Antonia, Sister Sofía u/s | a Chicago-based circus, dance, and theatre artist. A Northwestern University graduate, she completed professional circus training at The Actors Gymnasium and Aloft Circus Arts. She also holds certification in Spanish diction, radio script writing, and voiceover from Tecnológico Espíritu Santo in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
McCarter is one of the country’s flagship theaters and a vibrant center for community and the performing arts. Located on the campus of Princeton University, the company is an independent nonprofit, serving as a nationally renowned, multi-disciplinary creative hub for arts and ideas, offering theatre, music, dance, spoken word, and educational programs for all ages.
A two-time Tony Award winner, McCarter’s legacy of artistic excellence dates back to its first performances in 1930. Our Town, You Can’t Take It with You, and Bus Stop all premiered at McCarter, paving the way for a long history of launching remarkable works that have gone on to tens of thousands of performances worldwide.
The company is equally revered for presenting global artists on its stages, including Yo-Yo Ma, Samara Joy, Hasan Minhaj, Jon Stewart, Caetano Veloso, Rhiannon Giddens, Patti Smith, Esperanza Spalding, Lake Street Dive, and Herbie Hancock. Of the 100,000 community members who engage with McCarter each year, more than 5,000 are students participating in educational programs in Princeton, Trenton, and schools across the region. McCarter leads with values of justice, joy, and beauty in belonging—creating a space where artists and audiences can come together to celebrate the power of live performance.
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