Theater Ninjas [1] present the latest version of their original performance "The Excavation," a theatrical celebration of the life, death and re-birth of Pompeii in popular culture. Using the Ames Family Atrium as a staging ground for this sprawling choose-your-own-adventure-style performance, the Ninjas explore the comic and tragic legacy of this famous city through a blend of site-specific performance and interactive storytelling. Theater Ninjas will also be integrated into the exhibition during special Ninja Days [2] in March, April, and May. This exciting collaboration between the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland-based Theater Ninjas brings together performance and the visual arts in a one-of-a-kind experience filled with humor, pathos, and catastrophic volcanic eruptions.

“The Excavation” opens during MIX: Apocalypse, the museum’s monthly First Friday event series. MIX ticket required for March 1 performance. All subsequent performances are free.

Support for the Theater Ninja project has been provided by The Cleveland Museum of Art's Painting and Drawing Society, Dr. Nancy Clay-Marsteller, Antoinette Miller, and Mr. and Mrs. John D. Schubert.