Tag Archives
Behind the Scenes: Jeff Maynard
Our final Jump Day began with a rousing version of “When the Saints Come Marching In,” played by staff members parading around the bunk trailers with accordions, trumpets, drums, kazoos, and all sorts of other instruments. We coiled our muddy cables and started off towards home, the Circus Barn in Greensboro, Vermont. After driving just over an hour, we made the turn onto Circus Road! Car horns honked in excitement. People audibly sighed as they breathed in the icy Vermont air. A small group gathered in the wooden chairs on the porch. Though it had been almost two months since…
Behind the Scenes: Elizabeth Stubbs Part 2!
Here is the second part of a look into the life of one of our concessionaires! -Emma “We moved into a tiny bunk in one of four trailers. Our room was about the size of an average bathroom, with 2 bunks, up and down, and a tiny closet. It was crowded, but comfortable enough. That first night I was surprised by the motion of the trailer every time someone moved around. After a few days that became my method of ascertaining whether my neighbors were home. It was beautiful at the barn. There were fireflies at night and a hummingbird…
Behind the Scenes: Elizabeth Stubbs
Hello All! This week I have the pleasure of sharing a post by Elizabeth Stubbs. Elizabeth is a Smirkus fan, friend, former Trouper parent AND concessionaire (and also an all around lovely person)! Here she’ll share her path to becoming a Smirkus concessionaire and give you a little look into what she does behind the scenes. She’s done so much with Smirkus over the years that there was no possible way to fit it all into one blog post. Instead, Elizabeth’s story will be shared over two posts! Hope you are all having a lovely summer, Emma “Evolution of a Concessionaire…
Behind the Scenes: Alisan Funk
Hello all, This summer we’re going to be highlighting work from all across the circus lot with guest blog posts by coaches, tent crew, the pie car and more. I hope you enjoy our first guest writer, Alisan Funk, our head aerial coach! -Emma “They arrive for rehearsal. I assess – how bright are their eyes? Are they attentive, hungry for the next piece of the puzzle? Or are they crumbling under the heat/cold/ rain/fatigue? Are they focused? I need to decide if pushing them today will lead to confidence, endurance and skill, or if it will risk an injury….
Lighting the Night!
Hello Smirkus Family, Today the Troupers added evening rehearsals in addition to all of their day classes. However, believe it or not, this post isn’t about how hard Troupers have been training (though they are training incredibly hard) but rather the scoop on a behind the scenes thing that you might not otherwise get to see: lighting. Lighting illuminates the dark, directs focus, and can change the whole mood of a tent. Yet, with troupers training in the Chapiteau from early morning through to the night, it can be difficult to find a time to get the lights set up….