Cue-to-Cue and a Stumble-Through- Friday, June 28th
Circus Smirkus is a place full of magic, but the magic that is most evident happens in the circus ring. After weeks of rehearsals, it was breathtaking to see the show finally come together in the cue-to-cue rehearsal on Tuesday and the first stumble-through of the show on Wednesday. It’s exciting to see the acts rehearse, and to watch acts from bambouk (a swinging aerial apparatus that two people perform on) to diabolo as the Troupers perfect their skills and their routines.
We’ve been lucky to have beautiful weather (albeit punctuated by a few rain clouds—but rain just means rainbows!) for most of this week. After dinner each night, many of the staff gather on the porch to read, write, and just talk, and after council we’re often joined by the Troupers. Monday was a pleasant evening, and so Juggling Coach Tyler Parks and the Troupers played a game of “Dinosaur Frisbee”—you can be either a T-Rex (arms must be bent, and can’t be straightened) or Pterydactyl (arms must be straight out to the sides, and can’t be bent). Catching and throwing the frisbee seemed even more entertaining when everyone was pretending to be a dinosaur!
Every part of rehearsal is exciting to watch, but my favorite to watch has got to be charivari! Charivari is the opening of the show, and from dance to tumbling to pyramids, it’s the first chance the audience gets to see the entire cast perform together. There are a lot of different movements going on in charivari, and with only two days to go until the first show, it’s rewarding to see it all coming together (and I can’t wait to see what it’ll look like when everyone is in costume!).
At stumble-through on Wednesday, the troupe “stumbled through” the show in order, stopping every now and then to fix mistakes, set light cues, and figure out the details of choreography and where each prop should be placed for the show. All 28 Troupers (27 plus Trouper-in-Training Ariana Wunderle) spent the whole day in the chapiteau, cheering for each other and applauding as everyone rehearsed their acts. The support that the Troupers give one another is inspiring.
Many surprises certainly await those who will be at the first performance of Oz Incorporated tomorrow. I can’t reveal any of the surprises, and with costumes, lights, music, and props, you’ll just have to click your heels three times, repeat “There’s no place like Smirkus!” and wish for the show to be here!