Conceptually, the costume and makeup design for ECHO are slick, contemporary, and clean, with fewer flourishes than most Cirque du Soleil productions. Costume Designer Nicolas Vaudelet uses color to draw a contrast between animals and humans, with more than two dozen animal heads fabricated in white, and 26 brightly colored outfits for ECHO’s human characters. While Makeup Designer Julio Cesar Da Silveira’s concepts incorporate a subtle yet powerful geometric touch to create a connection point between the two groups. Together they strike the perfect balance between fashion, circus, and story.

For the PAPER ANIMALS and COLOR PAPER PEOPLE, Costume Designer, Nicolas Vaudelet has clad all characters in white fabric made to resemble crumpled paper. The wrinkles give the feel that these characters’ lives are still being crafted. While the PAPER ANIMALS wear white head to toe, the COLOR PAPER PEOPLE wear white suits featuring a rainbow of different colors. If you look closely though, you’ll see that all of these artists are wearing the same style of suit.

Future FUTURE is the curious and caring protagonist of ECHO. Representing the energy and awareness of today’s youth, she sees the world through the eyes of a new generation. Her natural curiosity inspires her to seek out her place in the world, and with her playful companion, the EWAI, she wanders upon an enigmatic CUBE, setting in motion a journey of life, discovery, hope, and connection. Ewai the Dog A symbol of unconditional love, the Ewai the Dog is FUTURE’s selfless companion whose only wish in life is to make her happy. Thanks to his playful and curious nature, EWAI helps FUTURE make unique connections with the animal characters they encounter on their journey. When he gets carried away chasing the hopeful light of the FIREFLIES, he loses track of FUTURE, and searches urgently to get back to her side. The Cartographer The CARTOGRAPHER is a mysterious character with an inventive mind. With his bright energy and vibrant colors, he flies around the CUBE casting vivid light projections with every movement. In constant pursuit of new ways to move forward and look at things the CARTOGRAPHER introduces FUTURE to the concept of science. Like an inquisitive scholar, he is there to offer FUTURE knowledge and options, but will never tell her where to go or what to do, because he knows that on a journey of discovery, it’s up to everyone to decide their own path. Double Trouble Representing an era of industrialization, DOUBLE TROUBLE pride themselves on productivity, but the more they try to maintain order, the more they lose control. The comedic duo consistently pushes to keep the work moving, recruiting the characters of ECHO (and even members of the audience) to stack boxes, build structures, and help them achieve their ambitious goals. Despite their demands, something always seems to go awry, leaving DOUBLE TROUBLE visibly annoyed. When they grow impatient with the pace of work, they decide to take matters into their own hands. (Red and Orange is a synthetic color that represents consumption and trade. Their hat is a nod to the English businessmen of the 1940s.) The Fossorial The FOSSORIAL is an introverted creature who lives alone underground. Once in a while he pops his head above the surface to see what’s going on, because any action taking place above ground has a direct impact on his home and livelihood. Having to mold himself to so many circumstances beyond his control has turned the FOSSORIAL into a master of improvisation, but also makes him distrustful of others, including a young girl named FUTURE and her friendly companion EWAI. The Fireflies When the CUBE gets stripped away by the efforts of DOUBLE TROUBLE, two beautiful FIREFLIES appear to return hope to the world of ECHO. Suspended by their hair, they soar above the stage in a spiritual performance of acrobatics and light projections.

{Future} {Ewai} {Cartographer} {Double Trouble} {Fossorial} {Fireflies}