Yes, there are tons of amazing exhibitions throughout Texas up right now and some really interesting performance art happening (see Christina Rees’ recent op-ed “We’re All In This Together, Naked”), but there are also CATS. And, for the most part, these cats are also naked. (Does fur count?)
Samantha Martin and her Amazing Acro-Cats have returned to Texas! The Chicago-based circus troupe/rock band of cats will be purrforming (yes, they use a lot of puns in their press materials) in Texas for a couple of weeks. Houston fans have already missed some dates, but there are still several shows at Freneticore (January 28th and 29th at 7pm, January 30th at 1pm, 4pm, and 7pm, January 31st at 1pm, 4pm, and 7pm). Then they’re off to Texas Theatre in Dallas for two purrformances (February 2nd and 3rd at 7pm), then to three purrformances at Fort Worth’s Stage West Theatre (February 4th, 6th, and 7th at 7pm).
For those worried about animal abuse, their website assures that the cats in the troupe are mainly former orphans, rescues, and strays; plus, the troupe forms local partnerships that involve fostering and finding homes for cats and kittens as they travel from city to city in their custom cat bus. And, if they were tortured, they would probably be better trained—their human assistants don’t seem at all concerned when the cats just don’t feel it (c’mon, they’re cats!). Witness their performance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert a couple of months ago:
