Early Morning at the Circus Barn
At 5:30 AM I woke up to the sound of an arc welder. Our back lot manager Jesse needed stanchions for the midway and the sun was up. No sense wasting daylight. At 6:00 I was at my desk in “the nest,” the renovated farmhouse attic space that overlooks the entire Circus Smirkus lot site. From my window I watch a tractor cutting hay in the field around the Big Top. The driver is careful to avoid the tent stakes, but cuts it close harvesting his hay. Vermont farmers don’t like to waste anything. Downstairs I can smell pancakes and…
What long legs you have…
Hey everyone! I was thinking that even though I have only been at Smirkus for over a week, it feels that I have been here for much longer. The familial atmosphere has created a warm and welcoming environment for me and I feel that Smirkus is home. I just want to thank everyone here for being so inviting and accepting of my presence. Since Katrin Leblond’s arrival on Monday, there has been an incredible jolt of energy on the Smirkus campus. Though, Katrin left that evening, her partner in crime — Tour Wardrobe Supervisor Siobhan Martel — will travel with…
They’re BAAAAAACK!
We love it when our “graduates ” come back! Today, Greylin Nielsen, Jamie Nanni, Jacob Tischler and Taylor Wright-Sanson (not pictured) came for a visit, just hanging out and contribution their “elder statesperson” wisdom to the new troupe. “When you go out into the ‘real world,’” said Jacob, a junior at Carnegie-Mellon University, “It’s so nice to have a place like this to come back to. Being here is really a gift.” Greylin will be a sophomore at Smith College, Jamie starts her freshman year at Northeastern University, and Taylor will be a sophomore at Wheaton College in Massachusetts. Thanks…
CLOTHES MAKE THE CLOWN
. . . and the aerialist, and the juggler. Today’s excitement, if you haven’t guessed, was that Costume Designer Katrin LeBlond and Tour Wardrobe Supervisor Siobhan Martel drove down from Montreal with racks of colorful, way-cool costumes. We’ve promised the directors and the troupers not to give too much away, but the “reporter’s specs” modeled by Siobhan give you a flavor: We’re lucky that Siobhan tours with the troupe, repairing, washing and caring for the costumes and keeping us all in high spirits with her indefatigable energy and good humor. But we were sad to say goodbye to Katrin —…
And the Pitch
Greetings all! It’s hard to believe, but there are precisely 14 more days until “Frontpage Follies: Big Top Big News!” premiers! The troupers are hard at work perfecting their skills in preparation for a spectacular opening day. A visit to the Academy tent this morning found the hula-hoopers learning choreographed moves for their act. As usual, I was blown away by the amount of effort it takes to control the hula hoops and move in unison. And, of course, they make it look easy…. The big excitement came tonight at Council. Troy, the artistic director and Jesse, the creative director…
It’s World Juggling Day!
Hey everyone, Today was the troupers’ day off, but they still managed to celebrate World Juggling Day in style! Best, Alex Tour Communications Intern alex@smirkus.org
Rollin’ on the Bola
Hey everyone, Happy Friday to you! As I write this, I am observing Diabolos (Chinese yo-yos) spinning from the window. Diabolo is a type of juggling in which an hourglass-shaped device spins and twirls on a string with sticks. It’s another exciting day here in Greensboro. The troupers are hard at work and continue to make great strides in the progress of their show. Our concession items are trickling in as the debut of the production arrives. Today I spoke with Cindy and Kasey, concessionaires, who were busy organizing T-Shirts in preparation for the tour. I personally can’t wait to…
Water, water Everywhere!
Howdy Smirkus Fans! It was another lively day here in Greensboro. The troupers are well on their way to creating a very memorable show for audiences young and old to revel in. The pleasant weather has continued to stick around, which definitely has raised morale (the weather forecast is threatening to bring back the rain…let’s hope the predictions are wrong!). The clowns took advantage of the 82-degree weather by practicing their water spitting techniques. To a layman, spitting water may not seem to be a difficult task, but surprisingly, there is a certain finesse that allows for optimal distance, fullness,…
Cirque du Jour
Good evening all! Today was a gorgeous Vermont day at the Circus Smirkus Headquarters. This was the first sunny and warm day during rehearsals. The troupers continued rehearsing for the show, which premiers in 17 days. The dedication and endurance of the troupers, and expertise of the coaches is a testament to the the amazing feat that this cast will have accomplished when July 3 arrives. This afternoon Alice Levitt, a food writer for Seven Days, came to do a piece on our very own Pie Car. Levitt interviewed Katie Schroeder, our head cook, and a variety of Smirkus staff…
Back to Our Roots
Good Evening! Thanks for the feedback on this blog. I appreciate all the comments and encourage you to keep ’em coming. This morning, the Smirkos had a special meeting with the Circus Smirkus Creative Team. Jesse Dryden, creative director, and Troy Wunderle, artistic director, explained to the troupers that each one of them is vital to the final product — the 2011 Circus Smirkus show. Troy drove the point home by showing the Troupers a puzzle and then by removing one of the pieces; the absence of just one piece made a difference to the entire aesthetic of the puzzle….