Sometimes you just have to have a meltdown to get it out of your system - sometimes just having someone hear (and valiate) when you say "this really sucks!" makes you feel like it really doesn't suck so much.
To answer a couple of questions sent to me: not responding doesn't necessarily mean lack of support, but lack of feedback does leave me hanging to if anyone is listening and/or interested in what I am reporting about. The draw of Smirkus: There is no one "star" per se, the company as a whole is the star. All of our performers are under 18, and when they graduate high school, they are no longer eligible to be "Smirkos". This is no "kiddie show" - the caliber of performance and skill is some of the best I have seen, and folks who see it for the first time inevitably are completely blown away by how good the Troupers are. It is also a rarity these days, in that it is a "mud show" - we travel with our own big top, and have no indoor venues.
Today especially the show earned its name - 10 min after I arrived on the lot, the heavens opened with terrific winds, thunder, lightening, and torrential rain. I was very grateful to have my rainboots today (bright yellow!).
We are in an older fairgrounds - some say its creepy, but it reminds me a bit of the 3-county fairgrounds at home in Northampton. Speaking of home - it was great to see my friend, Kristen, while in Brattleboro - I got to go out for lunch and shopping, and felt like a "real person" for a couple of hours. It was also hard to be 45 minutes from home and not get to go visit my cats. Or take a shower and do laundry at home.
You don't realize how wonderful it is to take a shower without wearing flip flops or to use a flush toilet until you've been on tour for 6 weeks, sharing a shower stall with 30 other people...
Monday, July 19, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
almost halfway
4 more shows and we'll be at the halfway point of the tour.
In some ways it has been pretty much what I expected, in others, not so much. It is true that you follow yourself wherever you go, and touring is a great way for those who want "geographical cures" to get their fix. You feel like just as you get into the groove of a place that it might not be for you, and it is time to move again. Strangely, I like that part of this.
I'll admit to not writing much lately for a few reasons: 1) internet has been occasionally spotty and challenging, 2) I've been exhausted and not feeling well and wanting to sleep rather than write, 3) there hasn't been any real comments to the blog, so I have no way of knowing if anyone is even reading - or if what I am writing (assuming someone is reading) is of any interest whatsoever.
Birthday with the Circus was interesting. I had really been looking forward to it. When the day arrived, a few folks wished me a happy birthday, but it didn't really feel like my birthday - I worked two shows and struck the setup in preparation for strike. The tradition of being "pied" in the face with a plate of shaving cream came during dinner, by which point I had honestly forgotten it was my birthday, so I was caught completely off guard. The cooks did make a peach cobbler in my honor, but by the time I was able to get to the mess tent, it was all gone! Nope, not a piece saved for me... :( ah well, easy come, easy go.
We're getting to that point in the tour where everyone seems to be getting sick of each other and it all. I have to say, for me, I could really use a day off and some rest. This last jump I spent my "off day" talking with the presenter, and never got the nap I really wanted.
New procedures are being put into place regarding my job - I agree that they may help, but I have to admit, it was presented to me in such a way that it really made me feel excluded as a part of the team (others talked about it, decided what should be done, then informed me how I will do my job). It has been frustrating, and turned a somewhat lonely situation into feeling very isolated.
This site has been strange from the beginning. From the first, it felt like the tent was "facing the wrong direction" - even though I know it is where it is supposed to be. It's just been weird...
On to Richmond, RI tomorrow!
In some ways it has been pretty much what I expected, in others, not so much. It is true that you follow yourself wherever you go, and touring is a great way for those who want "geographical cures" to get their fix. You feel like just as you get into the groove of a place that it might not be for you, and it is time to move again. Strangely, I like that part of this.
I'll admit to not writing much lately for a few reasons: 1) internet has been occasionally spotty and challenging, 2) I've been exhausted and not feeling well and wanting to sleep rather than write, 3) there hasn't been any real comments to the blog, so I have no way of knowing if anyone is even reading - or if what I am writing (assuming someone is reading) is of any interest whatsoever.
Birthday with the Circus was interesting. I had really been looking forward to it. When the day arrived, a few folks wished me a happy birthday, but it didn't really feel like my birthday - I worked two shows and struck the setup in preparation for strike. The tradition of being "pied" in the face with a plate of shaving cream came during dinner, by which point I had honestly forgotten it was my birthday, so I was caught completely off guard. The cooks did make a peach cobbler in my honor, but by the time I was able to get to the mess tent, it was all gone! Nope, not a piece saved for me... :( ah well, easy come, easy go.
We're getting to that point in the tour where everyone seems to be getting sick of each other and it all. I have to say, for me, I could really use a day off and some rest. This last jump I spent my "off day" talking with the presenter, and never got the nap I really wanted.
New procedures are being put into place regarding my job - I agree that they may help, but I have to admit, it was presented to me in such a way that it really made me feel excluded as a part of the team (others talked about it, decided what should be done, then informed me how I will do my job). It has been frustrating, and turned a somewhat lonely situation into feeling very isolated.
This site has been strange from the beginning. From the first, it felt like the tent was "facing the wrong direction" - even though I know it is where it is supposed to be. It's just been weird...
On to Richmond, RI tomorrow!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Heat, humidity & superfans
The last couple sites have been challenging in that we are having unseasonal heat and humidity waves. It seems to be lessening, though, which is a good thing.
Folks keep asking if the tent is air conditioned - don't we wish! They keep saying "I thought you'd have fans" - then are surprised when you tell you do have them - they are under the bleachers...
We've been having great crowds at these shows - some folks leave at intermission due to the extreme heat, but most are sticking it out, and really loving the shows. The performers are true Troupers, and giving it their all, even in the hundred-plus heat in the ring.
Last night I had the Smirkus Superfan - shows up decked out in Smirkus gear, sporting a clown nose, bragging that he's been coming for 24 years (interesting since we've only been in existence for 23!), and sees upward of 10 shows a year. He did get in a tiff with a photographer who was standing near his seat, claiming the photographer was blocking his view. I was able to convince the photographer that he wanted to get a different vantage point for the 2nd half, since he'd already shot the early show from the same position.
The superfan laughed and released his frustration when I offered him a bottle of cold water to help him "cool off", and the photographer did the same when I referred to the superfan as "a very enthusiastic fan" - and told me that I must be good at public relations. It was gratifying to resolve the issue without feeling the need to ask for assistance.
Never a dull moment in the Smirkus! :)
Folks keep asking if the tent is air conditioned - don't we wish! They keep saying "I thought you'd have fans" - then are surprised when you tell you do have them - they are under the bleachers...
We've been having great crowds at these shows - some folks leave at intermission due to the extreme heat, but most are sticking it out, and really loving the shows. The performers are true Troupers, and giving it their all, even in the hundred-plus heat in the ring.
Last night I had the Smirkus Superfan - shows up decked out in Smirkus gear, sporting a clown nose, bragging that he's been coming for 24 years (interesting since we've only been in existence for 23!), and sees upward of 10 shows a year. He did get in a tiff with a photographer who was standing near his seat, claiming the photographer was blocking his view. I was able to convince the photographer that he wanted to get a different vantage point for the 2nd half, since he'd already shot the early show from the same position.
The superfan laughed and released his frustration when I offered him a bottle of cold water to help him "cool off", and the photographer did the same when I referred to the superfan as "a very enthusiastic fan" - and told me that I must be good at public relations. It was gratifying to resolve the issue without feeling the need to ask for assistance.
Never a dull moment in the Smirkus! :)
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Possible Pedophiles?
One of the challenges of working with a youth circus is that it brings out the strange in people sometimes. Yesterday we had 2 people wanting to sneak backstage to take pictures of the performers, one of whom gave the security guard a really hard time. The guy never really left the area until after the performers left the lot. It was creepy.
Another challenge is the parents who volunteer - they are wonderfully enthusiastic, but often refuse to listen. They have the attitude of "I've done this before", and forget that a) there are new things to the setup, and b) I'm new and I have my own system, that often isn't theirs.
Here in Saratoga, it has been the worst - the presenter insists on training my crew, has given me high school kids to usher who are esssentially ineffective and disappear 5 min into the show so that I am pretty much on my own for most of it - and won't listen when I tell them what I need.
Saratoga is pretty, but I'm ready to jump to Manchester...
Another challenge is the parents who volunteer - they are wonderfully enthusiastic, but often refuse to listen. They have the attitude of "I've done this before", and forget that a) there are new things to the setup, and b) I'm new and I have my own system, that often isn't theirs.
Here in Saratoga, it has been the worst - the presenter insists on training my crew, has given me high school kids to usher who are esssentially ineffective and disappear 5 min into the show so that I am pretty much on my own for most of it - and won't listen when I tell them what I need.
Saratoga is pretty, but I'm ready to jump to Manchester...
Heat, headaches, and air conditioning
The last couple stops have been quite the adventure.
Plattsburgh was really beautiful, our location literally on the beach of Lake Champlain. However, it was an intense breeding ground for industrial mosquitoes - they literally punch through denim!
It was a lot of fun in that my best friend from high school lives there, and I got to see her and her family - what a treat! Even her mom happened to be visiting.
One of our troupers was hit in the head with a Chinese Pole and had to have 7 stitches - he returned to the ring yesterday at the shows in Saratoga Springs, with an adjusted performance so as not to aggravate his injury. He was in great spirits about it all, and the situation was handled with speed and skill.
Saratoga Springs is beautiful - I haven't been here in years. It is odd to hear sirens again. The challenge here is the heat - it is in the 90's, and with humidity is over 100 degrees - today it is expected to be about 120 in the tent. The presenters are taking some fun measures to help - they have sprinklers set up, have bottles that people can use to spritz themselves with water, and are selling frozen fruit bars.
Tonight we strike and get ready to jump tomorrow to Manchester, VT - the weather says it will be more of the same, which will be challenging. I have concern for our more elderly patrons, and I feel for our tent crew, setting up the tent in this heat and blazing sun.
We also have a new cooks assistant, one of the girls who has worked for me the past 3 years at the Fine Arts Center. She's my new bunkmate, and I think it is going to go really well. We are settling in good, and she doesn't snore! :)
Oh - the other snafu - the folks who are supposed to watch the inventory for novelties and concessions missed that we were selling out of the battery-powered spray fans and they haven't ordered more. So in the middle of a humid heat wave, we are sold out of our best-selling product with no idea when they will have more...
I just keep in mind that times like these make the best stories... :)
Plattsburgh was really beautiful, our location literally on the beach of Lake Champlain. However, it was an intense breeding ground for industrial mosquitoes - they literally punch through denim!
It was a lot of fun in that my best friend from high school lives there, and I got to see her and her family - what a treat! Even her mom happened to be visiting.
One of our troupers was hit in the head with a Chinese Pole and had to have 7 stitches - he returned to the ring yesterday at the shows in Saratoga Springs, with an adjusted performance so as not to aggravate his injury. He was in great spirits about it all, and the situation was handled with speed and skill.
Saratoga Springs is beautiful - I haven't been here in years. It is odd to hear sirens again. The challenge here is the heat - it is in the 90's, and with humidity is over 100 degrees - today it is expected to be about 120 in the tent. The presenters are taking some fun measures to help - they have sprinklers set up, have bottles that people can use to spritz themselves with water, and are selling frozen fruit bars.
Tonight we strike and get ready to jump tomorrow to Manchester, VT - the weather says it will be more of the same, which will be challenging. I have concern for our more elderly patrons, and I feel for our tent crew, setting up the tent in this heat and blazing sun.
We also have a new cooks assistant, one of the girls who has worked for me the past 3 years at the Fine Arts Center. She's my new bunkmate, and I think it is going to go really well. We are settling in good, and she doesn't snore! :)
Oh - the other snafu - the folks who are supposed to watch the inventory for novelties and concessions missed that we were selling out of the battery-powered spray fans and they haven't ordered more. So in the middle of a humid heat wave, we are sold out of our best-selling product with no idea when they will have more...
I just keep in mind that times like these make the best stories... :)
Friday, July 2, 2010
there are reasons they are called "troupers"
Plattsburgh, NY is a beautiful area. Right on the shores of Lake Champlain, a short drive from the Canadian border, and only 2 hours from Montreal. Aside from mosquitoes that can punch through denim and open doors, it is wonderful here!
It was an exciting day today. In the opening act of the first show, one of the Troupers was accidentally hit in the head with a Chinese Pole during a transisiton. He ended up going to the hospital for 7 stitches, and will likely be out of the ring tomorrow, performing again beginning on Monday.
Throughout the experience, his spirits remained high, and he spent his time at the hospital laughing and promoting our show to anyone who would listen.
There's a reason they call them "Troupers"....
It was an exciting day today. In the opening act of the first show, one of the Troupers was accidentally hit in the head with a Chinese Pole during a transisiton. He ended up going to the hospital for 7 stitches, and will likely be out of the ring tomorrow, performing again beginning on Monday.
Throughout the experience, his spirits remained high, and he spent his time at the hospital laughing and promoting our show to anyone who would listen.
There's a reason they call them "Troupers"....
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Settling in to change
It is a weird thing to wake up in the same place...but different. My bunk is my bunk, but the view outside changes - and it takes some getting used to.
We have had 2 "jumps" now, first to Essex, VT, and now I am in Plattsburg, NY - so we've been on both sides of Lake Champlain. The weird part is that they're only about 80 miles driving apart on different sides of the same lake, yet the topography is completely different. Not to mention a totally different energy, and killer mosquitoes on this side...
Essex was great - sellout crowds, wonderful volunteers, a sweet site (and the best showers on the tour!), and the opportunity to work the kinks out of a lot of the system.
I had one show where I had to fit 11 wheelchairs into the seating, and learned a lot about juggling and getting creative. I had rude parents who didn't want the ushers to touch their child (you have to tap the kid to get their attention to take their hands off of where they are not supposed to be), yet didn't seem to care that the kids was in danger of being run over by a unicycle. I nearly had a riot at the last show because I had so many large groups with reserved seating that the general admission folks pitched a fit, and I had an elderly patron faint from the heat.
One of the truly memorable moments was of a mentally challenged man who was fascinated when they were preseated and got to watch the Troupers do some warm ups. He especially liked the contortionist - when I checked in with him at intermission, he couldn't rave enough about her act.
Teen Kids News came to do a segment on they show. They expected to film a little bit, film some extra footage of the Troupers practicing, do a couple interviews, then call it a day - but they were so entranced by the operation and the show, they ended up filiming the entire show! It should be an amazing segment.
Today was wonderful also because I got to see one of my best friends from high school, and finally meet her kids (10 and 7) - and see her husband, whom I haven't seen since their wedding 18 years ago. Bonus - her mom was visiting, and it was good to see her, too.
That's the fun part of touring - you get to go where your friends are sometimes! And, even though the faciliities aren't as nice as the last stop and the mosquitoes can punch through denim, we are literally on the shores of the lake, and it is beautiful here.
I'm looking forward to our shows - they should be slightly less chaotic than the last few, but good crowds.
We have had 2 "jumps" now, first to Essex, VT, and now I am in Plattsburg, NY - so we've been on both sides of Lake Champlain. The weird part is that they're only about 80 miles driving apart on different sides of the same lake, yet the topography is completely different. Not to mention a totally different energy, and killer mosquitoes on this side...
Essex was great - sellout crowds, wonderful volunteers, a sweet site (and the best showers on the tour!), and the opportunity to work the kinks out of a lot of the system.
I had one show where I had to fit 11 wheelchairs into the seating, and learned a lot about juggling and getting creative. I had rude parents who didn't want the ushers to touch their child (you have to tap the kid to get their attention to take their hands off of where they are not supposed to be), yet didn't seem to care that the kids was in danger of being run over by a unicycle. I nearly had a riot at the last show because I had so many large groups with reserved seating that the general admission folks pitched a fit, and I had an elderly patron faint from the heat.
One of the truly memorable moments was of a mentally challenged man who was fascinated when they were preseated and got to watch the Troupers do some warm ups. He especially liked the contortionist - when I checked in with him at intermission, he couldn't rave enough about her act.
Teen Kids News came to do a segment on they show. They expected to film a little bit, film some extra footage of the Troupers practicing, do a couple interviews, then call it a day - but they were so entranced by the operation and the show, they ended up filiming the entire show! It should be an amazing segment.
Today was wonderful also because I got to see one of my best friends from high school, and finally meet her kids (10 and 7) - and see her husband, whom I haven't seen since their wedding 18 years ago. Bonus - her mom was visiting, and it was good to see her, too.
That's the fun part of touring - you get to go where your friends are sometimes! And, even though the faciliities aren't as nice as the last stop and the mosquitoes can punch through denim, we are literally on the shores of the lake, and it is beautiful here.
I'm looking forward to our shows - they should be slightly less chaotic than the last few, but good crowds.
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