First Show, Coquille, Circus Travels 4
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poetroy
Posted on: 01/23/08
First Show, Coquille, Circus Travels 4
After the rooster's much-too-early morning call, Jim grumbled and groaned and finally got up. He couldn't stop complaining all morning about "that damn bird," and amused himself creating recipes for soup. However, the rooster turned out to be part of the clown act, so he had to relent and let him live.When it was time to set up for the first show, we carried speakers, drums, music stands, music, the trumpet, and various noisemakers over to the high school auditorium, and set them down against the wall out of the way, while the back drop was being hung, canvas laid down, and rings assembled in place.
Just as it had the day before, everything appeared to be in complete confusion, but we soon discovered that, in the circus, what appears to be chaos is usually performers setting things up for their acts, and doing exactly what they need to be doing.
The clown, still in street clothes, kept bringing in props for his act. There was a large box with the words "CHICKEN PLUCKER" on the side, and two big spark plugs on top. A huge camera on a stand was labeled "INSTAMATIC," and a pink motor scooter, with a big spark plug in front of the handlebars, had a silly-looking parasol on top. I tried to imagine what he was going to do with all those things.
The roustabouts brought in two huge semicircles of canvas, laid them down, and then assembled a red and white ring around the circumference. A second ring was set up near by.
Two acrobats from Poland came and started to hang the back drop. It was entertaining to watch, as they used their acrobatic skills to do it, taking turns standing on each other's shoulders. Two women were with them watching, and a little boy, who hopped around in excitement, noticing everything and asking questions in Polish. He was very cute--like a little grasshopper.
The ringmaster set up his mike, and brought in paraphanalia for the tricks he did between the main acts. He gave the microphone the usual "testing, testing!", and it gave out a horrible screeching noise, like what one might expect from a wounded owl. Jim sent me to the motor home for his tools and glasses so he could try to revive the ailing mike. After several minutes of tinkering, it became obvious that rigor mortis had already set in. It was definitely dead. Someone had to rush into town for a replacement before the show began.
Concession stands for refreshments, balloons, and toys of all descriptions, were set up out front, and were manned by circus performers. I was surprised at this, and asked the clown, who happened to be near by, "why are the performers doing concession?s" "That's customary," he answered, "they get a percent of whatever they take in. Concessions are what really brings in the money for the circus."
People began coming in, adults and kids, carrying popcorn, snow cones, balloons, and trinkets. They straggled in at first, and then began to fill the stands rapidly. There was something about the eager crowd, the buzz of conversation, the expectant faces, the colorful balloons, that changed the atmosphere. It was no longer a just a high school auditorium, it was a circus about to begin, and everything was festive and full of excitement.
The first act featured the Shetland ponies led by the blonde girl we had seen riding the bull the day before. Apparently she had just learned the act, and kept forgetting what she was supposed to do. The poor ponies got confused and kept turning the wrong way, while she desparately tried to straighten them out. The crowd didn't seem to mind at all, and kept clapping and cheering her on.
Then came the clown, whose painted clown face had a wonderful sad smile. He wore baggy plaid pants and a ridiculous green jacket that seemed to be much too small. Between the spark plugs and the "dynamite", his act was loud enough and funny enough to keep the kids laughing all the way through. The camera was a big hit, because the clown got a little kid from the audience to volunteer to come up and have his "picture taken", and then when he pushed the lever to take it, there was a loud noise, and snakes and other creatures (fake, of course) exploded out of the camera. The little kid went running back to the stands, and everyone got a good laugh, except possibly the hapless volunteer.
A rather handsome man in "western" clothes and a cowboy hat then did an act with a Brahma bull. When the ringmaster announced the act, he built it up as if it were an enormous, fierce bull that would come out snorting and pawing the ground, ready to do battle. George played "The Lonely Bulls" on the Cordovox, Jim the trumpet part with great fervor, and then a little Boston Bull Terrier trotted out with horns on his head looking anything but fierce. The crowd roared. The real act with the actual bull followed, and was amusing, but I think everyone liked the bull dog the best.
The elephants did their act without a hitch, walking around holding each other's tails with their trunks, sitting on their red stools at the proper time, lifting their front legs and trumpeting exuberantly. They seemed to be getting a big kick out of what they were doing.
A lady gymnast, Elena Omar, performed on a platform. Her act included her playing the mandolin while standing on her head, and playing it quite well. After that, with all sorts of preparation and fanfare, and a loud announcement from the ringmaster that, "Miss Elena Omar will now attempt to do the impossible right before your eyes, Ladies and Gentlemen, she will balance herself on just one finger!" And she did. Or she looked as if she did, and the audience was breathless.
The Polish acrobats did a "perch-pole" act, and the star of it was one of the women who was watching earlier as the men hung the back drop. One man placed a perch pole on his shoulders, the other clambered up to the top of the pole, balanced himself, and put another perch pole on his own shoulders. Then the woman, who looked oh-so-different in her gorgeous sparkling costume, climbed to the top of the second perch pole, balanced herself, and then stood on her head! Wow! What guts! No net, no nothing. The audience went wild.
A handsome young man in a purple cape trimmed with gold, was announced by the ringmaster as, "The greatest trapeze artist in the world, Thaddeus Beran!" He came striding in looking like royalty itself, threw off his cape revealing a beautiful physique, and bowed low to the audience. Oddly, there was a straight chair attached to the side of his trapeze. At the beginning, he ignored this, and performed some fabulous balancing feats, right side up, upside down, sideways, all beautifull done. Finally he took the chair, sat in it, and balanced himself on the trapeze as he swung gently back and forth. At one point he pretended he was going to fall, and then recovered his balance. There were screams from the young girls in the audience, and then sighs of relief.
This, my very first circus performance in which I had any involvement, and where I saw everything so close at hand, was quite a show. The people, young and old, clapped and cheered, seemed to enjoy themselves thoroughly, and when it was over, left reluctantly with happy faces. There was magic in it, in the performing and in the excitement of the people watching. I understood in a way I never had before, why some people love to perform, and others love to watch. They give something to each other, and in that mutuality is the magic.
poetroy
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