Smirkus Comes To Marshfield
Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the Patriot Ledger on July 26, 2017 and was written by Mary Whitfill
MARSHFIELD — Kids crowded around a circular stage, climbing over each other to get a better view as young circus performers soared, danced and spun Wednesday.
Circus Smirkus, a traveling show made up of performers 12 to 18 years old, had come to Marshfield to present shows that are raising money for the Marshfield Education Foundation.
“There is a useful enthusiasm and a spirit of giving these kids all share with the audience,” Circus Smirkus artistic director Troy Wunderle said.
The first two shows were presented Wednesday in front of audiences containing parents and wide-eyed children. This year’s theme, “Midnight at the Museum,” put the performers in a sleepover at the “Smirksonian Museum,” inspired by the American Museum of Natural History.
The show begins with one mischievous sleepover guest unlocking the door to the museum’s archives, unleashing cavemen, pirates, skeletons and animals from museum exhibits.
The talent of the young performers was on full display.
“Yay! ‘Contortion!’” 9-year-old Tess Neuman of Marshfield yelled at the start of the anthropology-themed act. “That must be so hard. They’re so flexible.”
As audience members toured the museum, characters came to life and were showcased in exhibits featuring Roman statues, ballerinas leaping from paintings and astronauts experiencing the effects of zero gravity.
“I like it when they juggled, and I liked it when one of the spacemen tripped on a banana,” 5-year-old Emma Tierney of Norwell said.
Emma attended the show with her mom, Kerri, and 2-year-old brother, Eric.
“I didn’t realize it was kids performing until we got here, so now I’m doubly impressed,” Kerri Tierney said. “I’m impressed not only with their acts, but also their stage presence. It’s so entertaining.”
Before being selected for the show, kids send performance tapes to Circus Smirkus, and 40 are invited to a live audition. Thirty are brought on for a summer of traveling shows across New England.
“You get to have this unique experience that not a lot of people get to have,” said Alexa Wang, a 16-year-old performer from Jamaica Plain. “Everyone has a passion for circus, and we all care deeply about the art, so it’s great to be surrounded by those people.”
Circus Smirkus was invited to Marshfield by South River Elementary School PTO President Nancy Belezos, who thought the shows would be a good fundraiser for the Marshfield Education Foundation. A portion of the money from ticket sales and sponsorships will go to the organization, which awards grants to fund the ideas of teachers and administrators.
Get your tickets today for the 30th Anniversary Big Top Tour: Midnight at the Museum at smirkus.org!