“A multimedia troupe of infinite jest with an imagination to match.” — The New York Times
Squonk creates bold, music-driven, large-scale spectacles in public spaces—where audiences don’t just watch, they jump in and become part of the show. Performances are always free and open to all.
More than 30 years ago, Squonk’s first performance unfolded in a Pittsburgh junkyard, complete with dancing cranes and roaring bulldozers. That inventive, anything-is-possible spirit still defines the company today. Squonk transforms plazas, parks, industrial sites, and downtown streets into stages for collective wonder, sharing original work with more than one million people across Asia, Europe, Canada, and 37 U.S. states, as well as at venues like Lincoln Center and on Broadway.
In Joy Machine, Squonk pushes participation further than ever before. For the first time, the audience is invited fully onstage—into Squonk’s world of imagination. The central idea is simple and radical: joy is not something to be consumed, but something we build together.
Joy Machine transforms public space into a kinetic, musical playground where the performance only comes alive through collective action. The audience is not an add-on to the work—they are its engine. The experience is fluid and open-ended: some people may simply watch, others may jump in hands-on, while some take center stage. Every performance is shaped by the people who take part, making each show entirely unique.
During the performance, large-scale visual and musical elements are assembled, activated, and animated by the audience. A monumental street puppet is built in real time, then brought to life through hand cranks and levers powered by many hands at once. A drum wall emerges, turning participants into musicians facing their friends and families as they drive the rhythm of the moment. Whirling acrobatic puppets are set in motion by audience members pulling ropes from the “house.” In the finale, everyone is invited to take turns paddling giant wings—many people powering one shared flight of joy.
At its heart, Joy Machine is about connection. In a time of digital saturation and social fragmentation, Squonk offers something increasingly rare: a shared, in-person experience where people gather, participate, and create something playful, meaningful, and surprising together.
By working outdoors and removing barriers to entry, Squonk meets communities where they already are. The ensemble—Pittsburgh-based artists, musicians, designers, and technicians—collaborates to build each production from the ground up, ensuring that every performance is not just presented to the public, but made with them.
Squonk: Built to delight. Set in motion by you.