| Going to the Circus |
 |
Going to the Circus
Circus
Life
The Circus Lot
The Circus Tent
Circus Superstitions
Circus
Terms
| Going to the Circus |
|
Every child remembers their first trip to the circus. Perhaps it's been awhile, or perhaps you've simply never had the opportunity to attend a true 3-ring circus under the big top. In either case, a truly magical experience awaits you.
As you near the circus lot, you'll notice the mammoth tent set up on a large parking lot or empty field. It appears to be a small city set up in the middle of nowhere. You enter the showgrounds via the midway, which is an area outside of the main entrance lined with concessionaires, rides, and in many shows a sideshow or menagerie. You buy your tickets at the ticket wagon, and get in line to enter the big top.
When the doors open and you are ushered into the big top, you'll notice the performance rings in the middle of the tent, surrounded by a hippodrome track. Surrounding this track are grandstand seats, with special (and more expensive) box seats down in front in choice locations.
As soon as you take your seat, butchers (concessionaires) will start passing by you, selling everything from peanuts and cotton candy to souvenirs and programs.
The performance itself is conducted by a ringmaster, traditionally attired in colorful top hat and tails, who uses a whistle to signal the start of each new act. A live circus band, heavy on the brass, plays lively music, including traditional marches from John Phillip Sousa. A typical circus performance will start with an opening parade of all animals and performers around the hippodrome track ("spec"), followed by several displays of jugglers, acrobats, aerialists (a flying trapeze troupe is a must), trained wild animals, and, of course, clowns. There is typically a 15-minute intermission approximately half way through the performance during which special promotions are offered (such as programs, balloons, or candy bars), and complex rigging is set up, often for the lion or flying trapeze acts. Most performances conclude with the circus elephants.
Following the show (the "blow off") you'll have an opportunity to re-visit some of the sites on the midway that you may have missed on the way in.
| Circus Life |
|
Circus life is not nearly as glamorous or carefree as it may seem. Circus folk typically work 11 straight months without a day off, with the show shutting down only for a few weeks around Christmas to ready for the new year's edition.
A typical circus day starts with a late-night drive into town, following the "arrows" posted by the 24-hour man the day before. Once on the circus lot, and guided to your parking space by the 24-hour man, you get a few hours sleep before set-up begins first thing in the morning. Set-up is the most grueling aspect of circus life, in which the equivalent of a small town must be erected in the span of only a few hours before the public starts arriving for the first performance. The work is doled out to work crews who handle the tent (canvas crew), the seating, the electrical generators and wiring, the animals, and the various midway concession stands. Performers are typically responsible for setting up their own rigging at the appropriate time. Typically there will be one or two performances on set-up day, two performances on weekdays, and three performances on weekends. Immediately following the last show at a particular location, everything is dismantled and packed into trucks, after which everyone hits the road to the next town. Many circuses perform this entire ritual every day ("one night stands"), and of course it goes on regardless of weather, fatigue, or the presence or absence of any paying customers.
Due to the amount of work and interdependence involved, and the inability to form any contacts outside of the show (since it is always moving), circus folk form a very close-knit community. Children are schooled by their parents, typically following correspondance school curricula. Holidays are often celebrated en masse, and weddings in the center ring are not uncommon. The community tends to be very liberal and tolerant of diversity among its members, but untrusting of outsiders ("townys").
Hardships aside, there is never any shortage of excitement on the road. Every day deals up new and unusual events, from major catastrophes such as blowdowns, wild animal attacks, vehicle accidents, and aerial accidents, to the merely humorous, such as a performer losing an article of clothing during a performance. Coupled with the very colorful range of personnel attracted to such a life, and the non-stop rythm of life on the road, this makes circus life unique.
| The Circus Lot |
|
Although the ground may change from asphalt to grass to mud, the layout of a circus at each location stays relatively constant, and varies little from show to show. The entrance to the big top will typically be placed at one end of the main tent, and the performers entrance ("back door") placed at the middle of one of the long sides of the tent. The midway will be organized outside of the big top entrance, typically in a straight line with the big top. The side show and menagerie tents, if present, will be placed along the midway, along with the concession stands and rides. The ticket wagon will be placed towards the entrance to the midway. Performers, equipment, trucks, and animals not in the menagerie are organized outside of the back door to the big top, in an area off-limits to the public (the "back yard").
| The Circus Tent |
|
Although many circuses have moved into indoor arenas in the last several decades, several shows still travel under canvas throughout the world. Smaller tents are "push pole", in that they are erected by simply pushing all of the poles under the canvas. However, most large tents must be erected by other means, typically by way of "bale rings".
A bale ring tent is set up as follows. Metal or wooden tent stakes are first driven into the ground around the entire circumference of the tent, often the day before the show arrives. On set up day, the canvas is then unrolled, usually in sections, then stitched together on the ground with rope, and fastened to the stakes. The center poles are then raised (pulled vertically by winch, truck, or elephant) and secured with guy lines. Around the bottom of each center pole is a metal ring--a bale ring--which is attached to the top of the pole with a pulley. The canvas is then fastened around each bale ring, and then hoisted up using the pulleys on the center poles. Quarter poles are then inserted under the canvas and pushed erect, most often by elephant. Next, side poles are pushed erect under the canvas, around the entire circumference of the tent. Finally, sidewall, flat canvas panels, are fastened around the perimeter of the tent to finish the enclosure. A marquee--a small entrance tent--may be added at the main entrance to provide a sheltered entry for the public.
| Circus Superstitions |
|
| Circus Terms |
|
|