Circus Days

Hi! And welcome to my circus page :)! Although I just started reconstructing my circus page again (First one got erased during an Angelfire crash a while back) I plan on writing about what it's like to live, work, play, and travel in a small one-ring circus.

In the beginning of 1996 I had an oppertunity through a good friend (Hi Doug!) to join Hendricks Brothers Circus, a small one ring show. Since I had never worked in a circus before, my job was "up in the air" in the beginning, but when the season started I became a ticket taker and then a couple weeks later I was the facepainter. For not doing either job before anywhere, I think I did a pretty good job. The picture to the left is from when we were in Wantage, PA at the end of June 1996. I am just about done setting up my little face painting area.

Circus life is definately a different way of living. Either you like it or you don't. I loved it :). But I found out it's not for everybody. Being with a circus means that you have to deal with mud, rain, wind storms, more mud, cold, heat, and did I mention mud ? :) And those who are in the business don't stick with it for the money either.

A circus is like a traveling town. Everyone knows everyone and sticks up for each other.

I arrived in South Carolina from Florida at the airport. Let me first explain that I had never worked for a circus before, and other than seeing Ringling Brothers once earlier that January, I don't think I even saw a circus other than a little TV. And I never thought I would ever join one either. But when the chance came, I grabbed it.

The only things I knew about the circus way of life I heard from Doug "Poindexter" Kranz, a circus clown and a friend of mine. I met him at the airport and soon met BK Silverlake. BK has been in the circus life for all her life and that year was one of the people managing the show for that season.

When I arrived at the winterquarters, I soon met the rest of the crew and given a tour around the place. I had three days to settle in before I would start to work in the office with BK and Ms. Jeanette (one of the best cooks a circus could have!).

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The last time I got around to doing anything with this page was Wednesday, April 01, 1998 02:59 PM