My old circus life
On a spring afternoon in 1981 at Gustavus Adolphus College, five men in white face unicycled into a wooden ring on the lawn, shouting in verse that we should stop what we were doing and watch them: The Royal Liechtenstein Quarter Ring Sidewalk Circus. Nick, the ringmaster, rattled off jokes about the Reagan administration as he coaxed the Himalayan Black Bear across a painted platform. Three men burst through the backdrop, juggling to the music of a calliope. A monkey in a tutu came next, dancing with a tiny poodle.My theater professors loved to emphasize 'the cultural importance of the jester in our society' and wholeheartedly endorsed this little circus. I walked up to Nick to ask if he ever hired women. The next day, I bought a bus ticket to Lafayette, Indiana so I could "audition" as they played Purdue.
It was really an endurance test. Could I manage a 15 hour bus ride to show up in the rain to two small trucks in a parking lot and make small talk with the performers over their evening meal? I followed two guys out to feed the bear a head of lettuce, clean out the monkey cage, string the extension cord from the truck to the Student Union, and mark out the spot where the ring would be set up.
I heard later that 'I could carry a lot of heavy stuff even though I was a girl'. I watched the show and then participated in what would become my daily routine: packing up, eating a quick lunch and driving across the state to the next college campus.
My year with The Royal Liechtenstein was hard work. We put a thousand miles a week on those trucks. I saw something like 250 college campuses in 50 states. I fought and laughed with the men I worked with as we haggled through our days, carrying each others' clothes to the laundromat. I juggled, played the flute, ran the calliope, and trained the bear. We lived on the passing of the hat.
I work full time as a radio producer now and I own a house and walk the dog and cook dinner. I watch in amazement as my three children perform on a trapeze at a studio downtown. My youngest daughter has been practicing lying down in the middle of a wooden beam that she and her friend pretend is a tightrope. They told me they want to be circus performers AND mothers, and they need to be able to lie down in case they have to give birth.
You know, you couldn't drive a truck loaded with exotic animals and high risk circus equipment onto the mall of a college campus these days to save your soul. But I hope that the "real world" my kids grow up in will still include little shows with foolhardy performers--little shows that interrupt and delight the people who are passing by.
--Nanci Olesen is the host and producer of MOMbo, a radio resource for moms. See it on the web at http://www.mombo.org
posted by Nanci Olesen @ 11:49 AM
5 Comments:
i am imagining your daughter giving birth on the tightrope--now THAT, my friend, is superwoman! wowza!
You go Mom!
Kevin Curdt direct me and others to this from the RLC Blog.
I too am a graduate who looks back with fondness on those circus days with the RLC.
Currently I'm a news anchor in Providence, Rhode Island. See you on down the road.
Nanci,
At all times on that tour, you were the summit performer, utter focus even on your birthday when a towner popped out of prop offering you champagne. You never missed a beat!
Love,
Nick
Does anyone know what has become of Nick Weber and the Sidewalk Circus?
Vance, the Royal Lichtenstein Quarter-Ring Sidewalk Circus ran from 1971-1993. Nick is still around, and a huge number of alums of the show are still professional performers or retired from performing. Hope that answers your question.
Kevin
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