Hello, we are
Drifters Company
Drifters Company is a multi-generational ensemble of acrobats, storytellers, and caregivers residing on unceded Cherokee lands in and around Asheville, NC. Our intrepid crew includes alumni of Cirque Du Soleil and Broadway, environmentalists, healthcare heroes, community organizers, and our children.We create genre and gravity-defying works of art-for-social-change to amplify stories from Appalachia that are at risk of being washed away by the mainstream. As an LGBTQ+ led ensemble, we're dedicated to “queering” the dominant aesthetics of circus, releasing preciousness to make room for authenticity.The name “Drifters” pays homage to the literal and spiritual currents that brought us together in the wake of Hurricane Helene devastating our home community. Our name also references a song from acclaimed musician Mel Hsu’s album A Prayer for Broken Glass, which inspires and scores our first full-length devised work, Helene, currently in process (more info below).Drifters Company stewards artistic vessels full of heart, grit, grief, and hope, in service of showing that we can rebuild, heal, and make our dreams real, together.
About our current project
Helene
The Earth is calling us home.In the wake of one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in U.S. history, Helene rides the waves of tragedy, heartbreak, resilience, and hope that crashed through an unsuspecting mountain town 500 miles from shore. Based on real experiences of the cast, the show follows an isolated neighborhood of Appalachians who become reliant upon each other for survival in the aftermath of the storm.Inspired and scored by music from Barrymore Award-winning Mel Hsu, Helene takes theater to epic new heights, blending song, dance, and breathtaking acrobatics to tell a story at risk of being washed away by the mainstream.With the impacts of climate change looming heavy over our lives, Helene recons with what it takes to feel empowered in a world so out of our control. As tensions rise, can we use them to propel us into a better future before we break? If we fail, can we rebuild? What does it take, at a site of so much pain, to keep showing up anyway?
Play with us!
Asheville Acro
Our company members offer weekly, all-levels acro classes through Asheville Acro. DM us to be added to our Whatsapp group for updates!Interested in using acro to heal and strengthen community? Trans Acro offers monthly workshops at Firestorm Books!Ready to take your training or coaching to the next level? Check out Progressive Partner Acrobatics for seasonal intensives.