Hardcore Juggling Troupe Visits Finney
By Cat Richert

Once upon a time, on the far-away planet of Karamazov, there lived four eccentric brothers. They would spend hours tossing obscure and random objects into the air. Phonebooks, eggs, meat cleavers and dry ice littered the corners of their humble abode until they finally perfected the art of juggling.
The Flying Karamazov Brothers may not actually be from another planet (although this has not yet been proven), but their unique brand of madcap humor and amazing juggling feats probably led some Finney Chapel audience members to wonder. A delight for anyone’s inner child, the show combined acting, musical interludes, fast-paced humor and, of course, juggling of the highest quality.
Scanning the audience during Catch, one could find many a quizzical face — the Brothers’ act was so random and disorganized at times, it elicited the question, “Where the hell do they came up with this stuff?” This is largely due to the fact that Catch is a “best-of” compilation of skits performed over the years. Parts of other shows, such as Juggle and Hyde and The Flying Karamazov Brothers Do the Impossible were incorporated into Friday night’s performance.
Yet, somehow, this zaniness was exactly what made the show so appealing.
The juggling skills of Makarov, Vanya, Misha and Nikita were inarguably the most engaging aspect of the performance. The show began with relatively basic bowling pin tossing but quickly progressed into a chaotic montage of sketch-juggling comedy.
“The Gamble” asked audience members to contribute items (heavier than 10 ounces, lighter than 10 pounds and no larger than a breadbox) to be juggled 10 times by Brother Marakov. During this particular performance, the winning items included a Cleveland Area phone book and a giant stuffed snake.
Of course, the Brothers have contended with far more challenging items. In past performances, objects included livers, computers and ice cream. It seems that nothing is too daunting for the Brothers. Throughout the entire show, the group intermittently presented the “Nine Objects of Terror” ranging from a meat cleaver and dry ice to a salt shaker — a very ominous object, indeed. As the flaming torch spun into the air, the audience held its breath in anticipation; luckily, there were no cleaver wounds or third degree burns. The finale of Catch involved a successful tossing of all the objects.
An especially remarkable skit in Catch involved bowling pins and giant snare drums. As they juggled the pins, the brothers allowed each to drop in time on the drum, beating out an intricate rhythm. These skits proved the Brothers’ continued success in pushing the limits of their abilities and traditional theater.
Equally impressive was the cast’s knowledge of the Oberlin vibe. Many jokes and references were made to the current College administration, little-known Oberlin artifacts and the Feve. Even the “Falling Man” portrait in Mudd did not escape the Brother’s dialogue.
Without the addition of singing, acting and dancing, Catch would merely be a juggling act. Remarkably, these extraneous skills are hardly the product of extensive theatrical training. After meeting in their University of Santa Cruz dorm, the original Karamazov Brothers (Paul Magid, Howard Jay Patterson and Randy Nelson) coined their name after Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov and hit the road in 1973. Since then, the Brothers have won an Obie Award, starred with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in The Jewel of the Nile, opened for and taught members of the Grateful Dead and performed in venues all over the world.
The Flying Karamazov Brothers certainly made an impression on the audience with their humor and juggling talents. While the show was both stimulating and entertaining, a little more organization would have made it easier to keep up with. Nonetheless, anyone who can Polish clog dance while juggling and make it even remotely palpable deserves some credit.

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