December 14,
2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jerry Aldredge
jaldredge@catamountarts.org
(802-748-2600 x106) or
Marialisa Calta
marialisa@smirkus.org
(802.533.7443 x 24)
NEK ARTS COLLABORATION BRINGS
TWO “OLD FRIENDS” TOGETHER
In 1987, when Circus Smirkus first
raised its Big Top in a field in Greensboro, Catamount
Arts of St. Johnsbury was there to present the youth
circus shows. Now, once again, the two Northeast
Kingdom arts groups are collaborating – this
time on an electronic ticketing system aimed at
revitalizing the arts in the Northeast Kingdom.
“We’ve come full circle,” said
Jody Fried, Executive Director of Catamount Arts.
“Catamount’s new Regional Box Office
is a way to keep commerce in the Kingdom, to keep
it local. Here are two arts organizations going
back to their roots and, in turn, boosting the local
economy.”
The new Regional Box Office has the benefit of affordability,
and of targeting local arts patrons to let them
know about the excellence of the local arts scene.
“Patrons can go on-line, pick a location to
attend the circus, and buy their tickets,”
continued Fried.
And once patrons are on-line, Fried hopes that they
will take the opportunity to check out all of the
cultural, artistic and entertainment opportunities
that can now be found in one central, user-friendly
location.
“Our Regional Box Office has not only helped
connect long-time favorites like Circus Smirkus
with their patrons, “Fried said, “but
has also helped many other area presenters to market,
promote and ticket their productions.”
“It’s like getting together with an
old friend,” said Ed LeClair, Executive Director
of Circus Smirkus. “It’s exciting for
two Northeast Kingdom arts organizations to find
a project like this that benefits not only both
of them but the entire arts community.”
Circus Smirkus, the international, traveling youth
circus based in Greensboro, will celebrate 24 years
in 2011. The summer show will play in at least four
Vermont towns, including Greensboro, Essex, Montpelier
and Brattleboro. This year, Smirkus takes a look
at journalism with a show called “Front Page
Follies: Big Top Big News!” – a look
at news-gathering, circus-style.
The success of local artists and arts venues feeds
the economy of Northeast Kingdom by providing jobs
for artists and administrators alike, noted LeClair.
For example, he said that in 2010 Circus Smirkus
provided the equivalent of 35 full-time jobs in
the area.
For information about Catamount Arts, go to www.catamountarts.org;
or call 1.888.757.5559; for information on Circus
Smirkus, see www.smirkus.org or 802.533.7443
May 10, 2020
For immediate release
Contact: Marialisa Calta
802.533.7443 ext 24
marialisa@smirkus.org
VIDEO OF VERMONTER’S
“CIRCUS PROPOSAL” GOES VIRAL
A video of a circus-like wedding
proposal made by a Warren native and Circus Smirkus
alum has gone viral, much to the surprise of the
young man involved.
Woodrow Travers, 24, now of New York City, proposed
to his girlfriend in the city’s Madison Square
Park in late May, with a full-scale production that
involved more than a dozen of his friends doing
a tightly choreographed dance as well as circus
tricks. The proposal, posted on May 30 on YouTube
(http://smirkus.org/video.html), has received more
than a 1.6 million “views” and has been
featured on The Huffington Post, AOL and other blogs.
This should be good news for an aspiring film director,
but Travers said in a recent telephone interview
that he had not posted the video to YouTube, and
had not expected the ensuing notoriety.
“Even though I chose to do this publicly,
I somehow thought it would remain private,”
said Travers. Travers said he did have friends film
the event, “but only for our personal memories.”
Others in the park captured it on film and posted
it. He said he and fiancé (Identified on
his Facebook page as Claudine Sourour) have been
trying to “lay low” and have turned
down offers to appear on NBC’s “Today
Show” and other programs. He said a wedding
date has yet to be set, noting that his fiancé
is still in law school. Travers, who graduated from
Vassar College in 2009 with a degree in film, is
enrolled in the Directors Guild of America’s
Assistant Director Trainee Program, which assigns
him to work movies and TV programs. He was reached
while on the set of “Something Borrowed,”
starring Kate Hudson and John Krasinski.
Travers came by his circus chops at Circus Smirkus
Summer Camp, which he said attended for “four
or five” years. Smirkus Summer Camp, which
has been housed in various locations (currently
at Lyndon Academy) is a traditional residential
summer camp specializing in circus arts. In 2004,
Travers auditioned for and was accepted into the
Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour, a youth troupe which
travels the Northeast each summer. He toured as
a clown. Interested in film even at a young age,
Travers made a video of his summer on tour. It can
be viewed on the Smirkus webstie at http://smirkus.org/video.html.
Other Smirkus alum are featured in the proposal
video, doing lifts, back flips, and unicycling.
Some bloggers have called this “the sweetest
proposal ever,” while others have labeled
it as a “fake.” A spokeswoman for Circus
Smirkus said the phone had been “ringing off
the hook” with various press and bloggers
trying to find out if the video captured a “real”
proposal and if the statement, made by the video’s
narrator, that Travers attended “some circus
school” refers to Circus Smirkus.
“Yes to both questions,” said Smirkus
PR representative Marialisa Calta. “I spoke
to Woody and he seems a bit in shock about his sudden
fame. Everyone at Smirkus remembers him very fondly,
and we all wish him and his fiancé all the
happiness in the world.”
The Circus Smirkus 2010 Big Top Tour begins June
25 in Greensboro, VT and tours through VT, MA, RI,
ME and upstate NY before final performance August
14 & 15. http://www.smirkus.org; 1-877-SMIRKUS
(1-877-764-7587)
# # #
Photo attached: Woody Travers, left in 2004 Circus
Smirkus show “Through the Looking Glass.”
On right is Mike Richter, featured in the proposal
video on unicycle. Center is Sam Brown. Photo by
Mimi Leveque for Circus Smirkus.
December 5, 2009
For Immediate Release
Contact: Marialisa Calta
Circus Smirkus PR
802.533.7443 ext. 24
marialisa@smirkus.org
CIRCUS SMIRKUS’S TROY
WUNDERLE REHEARSES RINGLING CLOWNS
Troy Wunderle, the artistic director of Circus
Smirkus – Vermont’s acclaimed traveling
youth circus – has signed on as Director of
Clowning for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum &
Bailey Circus at its Winter Quarters in Florida
for the rest of the year.
Wunderle, 36, of Cambridgeport, VT, is a 1995 graduate
of Ringling’s famed Clown College, and toured
with “The Greatest Show on Earth” throughout
the United States and Mexico. He has been working
with Circus Smirkus for the past 13 years.
Wunderle’s month-long stint, which began the
day after Thanksgiving and will continue until after
Christmas, has taken him to Tampa, where 130 performers
from the Blue Unit -- one of the circus’s
three traveling troupes -- have convened for rehearsals.
Wunderle is working with the unit’s dozen
professional clowns.
“The ideal candidate for this job is not just
someone who is funny,” said David Kiser, director
of talent for Ringling. “We look for someone
with excellent communication skills, someone who
can communicate not just with performers but with
the entire creative team. We found that in Troy.”
Kiser said that Wunderle, having been a performer,
can help not just with developing clown gags and
routines, but also with each individual clown’s
movement, makeup and personal motivation, and act
as liaison with the producers and directors. Kiser
also said that that Wunderle’s background
in graphic arts – he holds a degree in the
subject – helps him to design props and communicate
with the show’s artistic team.
Historically, Ringling and Smirkus have had varied
associations. Circus Smirkus founder Rob Mermin
served for a time as the Director of the Clown College,
and a number of Smirkus alumni have worked and are
currently working for Ringling.
“Every year, we come to Smirkus not just to
enjoy the show but to look for talent,” said
Kiser. “We were thrilled to discover that
Troy’s duties with Smirkus could be arranged
so that he could be free to work with us.”
Wunderle will return just in time to direct the
appearance of Circus Smirkus performers at First
Night in Burlington, VT on Dec. 31.
Kiser said Wunderle’s job is part of the “massive
feat” of creating, in only one month, a full-scale
production “worthy of the description ‘The
Greatest Show on Earth.’”
Ed LeClair, executive director of Circus Smirkus,
said he finds it “gratifying that Ringling
appreciates Troy’s talent, which is something
we’ve been enjoying for years.” With
about 15 percent of Smirkus troupers pursuing careers
as circus professionals, he added, “we are
hopeful that Ringling can continue to be a conduit
for our kids to realize their dreams.”
For his part, Wunderle says it is a “huge
honor” to be tapped for the Director of Clowning
job. “The creativity is fantastic!”
he says. “It’s exhausting, but it’s
also a lot of fun.”
In addition to his time with Ringling Bros. and
Barnum & Bailey, Wunderle has toured throughout
the United States as a freelance performer and Circus
Smirkus employee. He has worked in each of Smirkus’
three programs: He served as a coach and head coach
at Smirkus Camp (a residential summer camp); has
worked as the coach and coordinator of the Smirkus
Residency Program (which brings circus arts into
schools); and has been a coach and, most recently,
the artistic director for the Big Top Tour, the
organization’s flagship traveling youth circus
which tours the Northeast each summer. His antics
have been featured on the Disney channel, The Today
Show, Martha Stewart, Chronicle, Fetch!, Fox &
Friends and America’s Funniest Home Videos.
Wunderle runs Wunderle's Big Top Adventures, an
interactive circus arts organization based in Cambridgeport,
VT. His wife, Sara Wunderle, works as assistant
circus operations director for Smirkus, and the
couple’s children, Ariana, 6, and Emily, 8,
perform with the summer Big Top Tour.
For more information on Circus Smirkus, log on to
http://www.smirkus.org
# # #
Photo attached: “Frog Prince” Troy
Wunderle gets a kiss from “Little Princess”
Ariana Wunderle in the 2009 Circus Smirkus Big Top
Tour, “Smirkus Ever After: A Big Top Fairytale.”
Photo by Harry Powers.
For additional, high-resolution photos, please contact
Marialisa Calta, PR Specialist, 802.533.7443 ext
24 or marialisa@smirkus.org
November 18, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Marialisa Calta
marialisa@smirkus.org
802.533.7443 ext 24
CIRCUS SMIRKUS CAMP CO-DIRECTOR
RUNS TO RAISE FUNDS
Megan Rose, the director of the Circus
Smirkus Camp, is running to raise money for the
not-for-profit organization. Rose, 30, a ‘97
graduate of Essex High School, ran on the school’s
track and cross-country teams, and is a veteran
of two marathons. “This motivates me to get
out and keep running as winter approaches, and raises
money for a great non-profit!” says Rose.
She is currently running at $6.60 per mile and has
raised over $300 so far. Circus Smirkus Camp is
a traditional residential summer camp specializing
in circus arts for kids ages 6 to 18. Pledges can
be made at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=311070575690&index=1
or by sending an email to camp@smirkus.org.
###
September 23,
2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CIRCUS SMIRKUS ENDS SUCCESSFUL
SEASON
GREENSBORO, VT: Despite a flagging economy and
rainy weather, Circus Smirkus wrapped up its 2009
Big Top Tour in the black, with a record number
of sold-out shows.
“Our fans don’t seem to care about the
weather or the economy, “ said Ed LeClair,
executive director of the non-profit youth circus.
“They love the enthusiasm, the joy, and the
work ethic demonstrated by our young performers.
It inspires their kids to get off the couch, away
from TV and computers and to start exploring their
own potential.”
He added that an extra push to publicize at a grass-roots
level helped as well.
“This year our fans took matters into their
own hands. They covered New England with posters
and fliers and flooded all the blogs and websites
telling everyone how good the show was,” he
said. “Together with all the press coverage
and word of mouth buzz the show created, we ended
up setting a record for sellout shows.”
The 2009 Big Top Tour, titled “Smirkus Ever
After: A Big Top Fairytale,” played to large
crowds in 14 towns and cities around the Northeast,
including five in Massachusetts.. The circus performed
before sold-out crowds in Wellesley and Sandwich,
as well as in Kennebunkport and Freeport, ME, and
Brattleboro, Essex, and Manchester, VT. Launching
in June, it ended its 70-performance tour in mid-August,
with seven straight sold-out shows in Montpelier,
VT and at Smirkus headquarters in Greensboro. VT.
“It was really hard to turn so many disappointed
people away,” said LeClair of last-minute
ticket-buyers. “But,” he added, “it’s
a problem we’re willing to live with.”
Headquartered in Greensboro, Circus Smirkus was
founded in 1987 by Rob Mermin, a renowned circus
performer and former protégé of the
late Marcel Marceau. Mermin, who now holds an emeritus
position at Smirkus, was honored in 2008 with the
Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts,
Vermont’s highest award for artists.
The company has three programs: the touring circus
– the only youth circus in the country to
travel with is own Big Top; the summer camp –
a residential camp specializing in circus arts;
and a school residency program that sends circus
professionals to schools around New England.
The Big Top Tour is the best-known face of Circus
Smirkus and consists of some 80 people, including
about 30 performers between the ages of 10 and 18,
as well as coaches, counselors, costumers, tech
crew, equipment riggers, circus cooks and a two-man
circus band. Over the years, Circus Smirkus has
collaborated with performers and coaches from more
than 22 countries; has won awards at festivals in
Russia, Ukraine, and Sweden; and has performed several
times at the International Children’s Festival
at Wolf Trap National Park in Virginia, where it
was given the title of “The United Nations
of the Youth Circus World.” It has been featured
in many publications, including The New York Times,
The International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe,
and People, and broadcast on “The Martha Stewart
Show,” “Fox & Friends” and
a 14-part series, “Totally Circus” aired
on the Disney Channel.
The Circus Smirkus Camp also had a banner year,
with some 360 campers enrolled over its eight-week
season. The camp offers two-day, one-week and two-week
sessions for youngsters based on their age and ability,
from Smirklings (ages 6 through 9) to Advanced campers.
The camp has been offering a summer of circus fun
to children since 1990. In 2008, the Reuters New
Service produced a photo essay featuring the summer
camp which was published worldwide. In 2007, author
Yvonne M. Vissing lauded Smirkus Camp as a “model
of safety” in her book How to Keep Your Children
Safe: A Guide for Parents.
Circus Smirkus is a 501c3 organization. For more
information, log on to http://www.smirkus.org or
call (802)533-7443.
# # #
For further information, or high-resolution
jpegs, please contact: Marialisa Calta, PR Specialist;
(802)533-7443; Marialisa@smirkus.org
