Author Archives: Circus Smirkus
Circus, Circus Everywhere
To the staff, jump days are times to move ahead to set up the next site, but to Troupers, they are the rare times they get to enjoy summer as normal kids. Each jump day is started by gathering in the place where the ring used to rest. Troupers hold hands in a circle, and learn about the coming jump. General announcements are made, home-stays are announced, and then, a Trouper will reflect on tour. They contemplate where they have come from and where they will go. They appreciate the moment. On past jumps, Troupers have swam in rivers, explored Boston, and…
Inside the Pie Car
What has four wheels and makes 19 thousand meals a summer? If you answered the Pie Car, you’d be correct! The Pie Car is a very special vehicle that travels with us on tour because it makes all of our food. The term “Pie Car” is used throughout the circus world referring to where food is cooked! It’s 6am and Cook Clark is up. He downs some coffee, blasts a little music and begins the day. Breakfast feeds all of the tour staff and generally consists of something like this: scones with homemade, candied orange peel, stove top oatmeal, bacon, sausage, and…
Rolling of the Ring Rug
As we travel all across New England and New York, the process of packing up everything at one site and jumping to another gains a methodic momentum: the bleacher pads come off, the lights come down, costumes are carried back to wardrobe. In particular, a ritual surrounds the rolling and transportation of the ring rug. This year, the red rug that adorned the floor of the ring for years was replaced with a more versatile gray rug. But the traditions surrounding the ring rug remain. During teardown yesterday in Northampton, MA, as tent crew swiftly disassembled the tent around them,…
Good Morning Northampton!
As the 4pm show in Waltham, MA came to a close yesterday evening, the entire staff jumped full speed into action. All hands were on deck as the bleachers were loaded out, lights lowered, tents taken down and the back lot disassembled. Thus began our overnight jump to the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton. During a standard jump, at the end of the show each department will begin taking down their own things, the concessionaires packing up concessions, tent crew taking down the tents. Everyone gets to sleep by 1:30am and wakes up early to pack up the area where…
The Boss Clown Olympics!
Clown Alley, the Troupers who keep the Smirkus tent ringing with laughter, were put to the test in between shows in Great Barrington by the yearly tradition of the Boss Clown Olympics. Boss Clown is a competition of wacky games based around clowning skills, such as putting on makeup without a mirror! “Boss Clown” is a traditional role across circuses which is typically given to the most senior clown and was adopted by Smirkus in the early 2000s. For many years, an obvious senior leader emerged from the clowns to serve as 1Boss Clown. But then, one year, there were…
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…
Through Fields and Fairgrounds
After leaving the fairground of Swanzey, NH, we ventured to our first stop in Massachusetts: Great Barrington. Setting up our circus lot is always a puzzle involving fitting trucks, trailers, and tents into a complex arrangement, and here the puzzle was further complicated by the trees and old buildings surrounding the Great Barrington Fairgrounds. With careful planning and nimble coordination though, we began our load-in. Soon, the blue and white tents became visible from the road overlooking the fairgrounds, offering a splash of color in the sea of green. In the center of the grounds, there’s an old race track,…
What a Special Day!
Dear Smirkus Family, Today was a special day for so many reasons! First off, we’re in beautiful Saratoga Springs, NY with gorgeous weather. We’ve had the pleasure of seeing many Big Top Tour alumni who stopped by to see the show and say hello. More than that though, it’s Smirko Sarah’s birthday! As a fourth year trouper, she was well aware that this meant a pie to the face as per circus tradition. Troy Wunderle, Artistic Director, knew that she was prepared for a pie and took great joy in setting up fake situations all day long to make her…
Seven Circusy Supersitions
Every profession, including circus, has its own superstitions. They were perhaps based in logic once, but now have become engrained in the lives of performers and have stood the test of time. The staff here at Smirkus come from a variety of backgrounds, many having also worked with other circuses. We have people who have worked with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, the Big Apple Circus, and Cirque du Soleil, just to name a few. Talking with some of these people, I’ve put together a list of common circus lore! Seven Circusy Superstitions Never sit with your back to…