Described as a living poem, ZED is a timeless evocation that draws on the mysteries of the Tarot and all its arcana. It's an imaginary world that conjurs the vitality of the human condition and holds a mirror to our true selves. The show, which premiered on October 1, 2008, marked Cirque du Soleil's twenty-second production overall, the first permanent theater and show in Japan, and its first permanent venture outside of North America.

As a living poem, ZED is the meeting of two worlds: the heavens - where iridescent colors, paler shades and pearl and silver predominate – and the earth, which emphasizes ochre, green, turquoise, gold and Venetian blue explode before us. At the center of it all is a wide-eyed, white-clothed harlequin named Zed (played with energy and innocence by Reda Guernick), who represents all of humanity in all its guises: from wisdom to folly and from discovery to adventure.

This world of the arcana, in which ZED finds its inspiration, teems with life and vibrant characters, including the Great Goddess, The Magician, The Sphinxes and the Satyrs – all engaged in a lyrical odyssey to the heart of the human experience. And through eleven different performances, featuring an eclectic cast of mixed progeny one expects from Cirque du Soleil, these characters weave an incredible story of the human condition – from birth, to discovery, to the realization of purpose - sharing and growing.

Zed grows as he discovers the world on his journey of initiation, bridging the gap between the People of the Sky and the People of the Earth. But he doesn't merely walk us through the individual numbers; he helps thread the tapestry that binds them to each other, and us all, completing stunning images framed in breathtaking tableau from which an entire world is sewn.