Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, on assignment for the Waterbury Roundabout
WATERBURY — Performers and audience members alike recently got a little more than they bargained for during two circus shows under a large tent pitched in a Vermont field as scattered storms moved through.
It was July 3, not long after noon in Farr’s Field on U.S. Route 2 in Waterbury at Circus Smirkus’ third performance of its two-day run.
The young circus troupers were juggling, jumping rope and riding on unicycles when, minutes later, gusts of wind sent a flurry of dust flying into the center of the big top stage.
“I’ve never experienced an evacuation with Smirkus — that was my first. So we very rarely have to cancel,” said Tawnya Sauer, the outfit’s tour planner who has been with the circus for four years. “We were watching it, and then it was the gusts. They surprised us.”
The storm rolled in during intermission at the noon performance. Audience members were swiftly shepherded to their cars while staff secured the tents and equipment, and troupers returned to their bunks.
Rain pelted down for less than an hour, but winds remained strong and gusty and rainwater was flooding part of the tented space. As the storm continued with lightning in the area, circus leaders made the tough decision and the rest of the show was called off.
“Our protocols are winds of 30 mph or gusts of up to 60 mph. And once we realized that we were hitting both of those criteria, it’s safer for everyone if we evacuate,” said Sauer. “And it went really smoothly. People were receptive. They cleared out very quickly.”
Typically, acrobats dangle from hoops and silks at the top of the tent. The circus crew cancelled the aerial acts before the show started out of fear of lightning. Later that day for the 6 p.m. show — the fourth and last for the circus in Waterbury on the summer tour — the same thing happened, with that performance cut short as well, Sauer said.
“A lot of the summer is kind of just going with the flow. So we ran to the vans to get out of the storm, and then we went to karaoke,” said 15-year-old trouper Asher Trajman.
Trajman is one of 18 first-year troupers in this summer’s show, which lampoons classic toy and tabletop games. He went to Smirkus Camp, a circus-centric summer program, for about five years. Still, he quickly had to adapt to a more rigorous and show-focused traveling schedule.
Azy Berge is in the midst of her second and final year with Circus Smirkus. She was featured in a checkers-themed stunt and dance battle, as well as a Barrel of Monkeys–inspired acrobatic routine.
“We are a very new troupe, so it was a little different because we had to relearn and everybody had to meet new people,” she said. “But it’s actually been an amazing year. We’re just very close.”
Berge trained alongside fellow trouper Azaria Passini,12, at a studio in Wisconsin. “That’s where I found my love for circus,” Passini said.
This is Passini’s first year with Circus Smirkus. She hopes to continue in the circus arts in the years leading up to college. “It’s really fun, and sometimes it can be a little stressful, but it’s easier when you have other people there,” Passini said.
While on the road, troupers stay in homes with local volunteer host families.
“It’s definitely weird without your parents. A lot more trust and responsibility that you have to take on,” Berge said. “I feel like that’s a big part of Smirkus — learning how to become a responsible circus artist.”
For some troupers, Circus Smirkus is a step toward a future career. Berge, for example, plans to attend a circus college.
The ensemble performed at Farr’s Field for the third year in a row. John Farr, owner of the property, said the troupe is welcome back anytime.
“They’re good people.They clean up nicely afterwards, and they have actually told me this is one of their best towns,” Farr said. “They don’t make a mess or tear up the land or anything.”
For those circus-goers who didn’t get to see full performances on July 3 in Waterbury, the Circus Smirkus box office staff offered complimentary tickets to other shows on the tour.
In many cases, attendees took the premature ending in stride, like Kevin Sweeney who attended the Waterbury July 3 matinee with his wife and infant son, their first time seeing Circus Smirkus. He said he and his wife appreciated the focus on safety and thought canceling the second half of the show was a good call. They didn’t take the offer for tickets to a later show in the tour.
“Since they had the full expense of putting on the show regardless of whether the second act was performed, I wouldn’t expect a refund or tickets to another performance,” Sweeney said in a message to Waterbury Roundabout. “The show was excellent even if it was a bit shorter than planned.”
Waterbury resident MK Monley was at the July 3 midday show in a group of five adult family members and kids ages 9 and 3. She said the storm came up suddenly, “crazy wind and dark skies.”
“I’m glad they had safety first and asked everyone to leave. It felt like the right decision,” Monley said.
The Circus Smirkus crew continues to tour New England until the end of the summer, visiting a total of 15 towns for 65 shows. The tour’s final two performances are on Aug. 17, back where they started at the Circus Smirkus barn and home base in Greensboro.