Company founder, Chris Lashua, hails from Boston, Massachusetts, where he spent most of his youth riding on a BMX bike. He was discovered by Cirque du Soleil and created/performed a BMX bike act that was entirely his own. He was then commissioned to build a “German Wheel” act for the company, an act he performed for several years in Cirque du Soleil’s production of “Quidam”, cementing his reputation as a visionary of circus gadgetry. His engineering chops and creative energy led him to 'run away' with his own circus company, Cirque Mechanics.

Chris believes that innovative mechanical apparatus and the relationship between performer and machine sets his company apart and is at the heart of what makes Cirque Mechanics unique. Chris has delivered on this unique approach in the company’s theatrical productions. His innovative machines interact with acrobats, dancers, jugglers and contortionists on a 1920's factory floor in Birdhouse Factory, a gold rush era town in Boom Town, alongside renowned symphonies in the Orchestra Project, in a bicycle shop in Pedal Punk and inside a circus ring in 42ft A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels.

Chris continues to build on the might of his engineering mind, his passion for the circus and all things mechanical by designing performance apparatus in real world settings that amaze and awe. He’s currently developing material for a new production, titled Zephyr that will premiere fall of 2022.

When Chris is not developing material for a theatrical show, he is building other wacky performance devices for events, most recently the Paddle ship, a portable stage that not only floats, but also can be navigated by pedal powered paddle wheels. 

Chris is a producing partner of the Vegas International Variety Arts Festival (VIVA Fest), a Founding Board Member of the American Circus Alliance (ACA) and Founding Member of the Producers Alliance of Southern Nevada (PALS).