Jeff Boyer in ‘Bubble Trouble’ Nov. 22

Ovations for young people series highlights bubble art and science

Jeff Boyer brings “Bubble Trouble” to Edison Theatre Saturday, Nov. 22, as part of the ovations for young people series. Hires images upon request.

A bubble volcano? A bubble roller coaster? A bubble cannon and bubble trumpet?

In “Bubble Trouble,” performer Jeff Boyer takes bubble art and bubble science to illogical extremes — sculpting, juggling and building with the most ephemeral, effervescent material imaginable.

At 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, Boyer will present this inventive mix of comedy, music and jaw-dropping bubble technology as part of the Washington University in St. Louis’ ovations for young people series at Edison Theatre.



All the colors of a rainbow

Like any good teacher, Boyer begins with questions rather than answers. What is a bubble? What holds it together? What determines the colors of its surface?

Though his skills can border on the magical, the result is not mystery but illumination — a playful introduction to basic scientific concepts like cohesion, surface tension and the nature of light.

“You can see all the colors of the rainbow on the surface of a bubble,” Boyer said, iridescent spheres bouncing from his fingertips. He explained that white light comprises different bands or wavelengths, each representing a particular color, which fracture upon hitting the bubble’s surface. “The thickness of that bubble determines what you see.

“Can you make bubbles with a pair of scissors?” he asks with a mischievous smile. “How about with a hairband?

“Some say yes, some say no.”



ovations for young people

The ovations for young people series will continue March 21, 2015, with percussionists Scrap Arts Music. Concluding the series, on April 11, 2015, will be Giordano Dance with “Jazz Dance Beat … Then and Now.”



Tickets and sponsors

“Bubble Trouble” begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22. Tickets are $12. Tickets are available at the Edison Box Office or online at edison.wustl.edu.

Subscriptions to all three ovations for young people events are available for $27, or $24 for university faculty and staff.

Edison Theatre is located in the Mallinckrodt Center, 6465 Forsyth Blvd. For more information, call 314-935-6543 or e-mail edison@wustl.edu.

Edison programs are made possible with support from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency; the Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis; and private contributors.