Load out, jump, set up, shows, lather rinse repeat
It,s hard to explain working at the circus and the particular buoyant, happy feeling that accompanies that. Despite how tired I am this year, there is still a particular joy, a particular pride that comes with the work and the feeling of community that there is especially in the staff side of things. Caravaning to lot today, following the pie car, Amity's car, the tent and Nat and Bea's trailer drove that home that much more. Chris is right, we need "circus" passports, because we are our own country, one that transcends national borders. I'm off lot, right now, getting in touch with reality, just to ground myself. I'll probably regret this when I have to spend extra time doing laundry tonight, but that's ok. Today was jump, which means new town, new lot, same old story. Poor Steve had to put up with my caffeinated chatter and new townies gawked as we set things up, everyone doing their own thing, working hard or recuperating for the next few days. Tomorrow I'll set my racks up, sort laundry, give French lessons back stage and hawk cotton candy for concessions, competing with the clowns in the hawking olympics to see who can make the most money by the end of tour.
Day of shows is rarely the time the circus feels the most alive to me, though. It's during tear down, everyone moving in the best kind of organised chaos, bringing things down, preparing to move, packing everything away that makes me love this work the most. Carry this, pack that, hurry, hurry, we have a deadline, we're playing at finishing earlier and earlier, being as efficient as possible. The night seems too short a break, barely separating tear down from Jump, the day we all haul ass to the next lot. Wake up, batten down the hatches, lock up, coil hose, coil cable, no thinking, so much to do. Drive for an hour, set up again, everything is different, but the same at the same time. It makes your head spin, trying to remember where you are, what day it is, what time it is... Everything is divided into circus time, days are just Jump, shows and Tear Down, hours become Meal, Call or Show. Nothing else matters. Get your work done in those down times, be smart about time, without ever really thinking of it.
I never want to leave.
Day of shows is rarely the time the circus feels the most alive to me, though. It's during tear down, everyone moving in the best kind of organised chaos, bringing things down, preparing to move, packing everything away that makes me love this work the most. Carry this, pack that, hurry, hurry, we have a deadline, we're playing at finishing earlier and earlier, being as efficient as possible. The night seems too short a break, barely separating tear down from Jump, the day we all haul ass to the next lot. Wake up, batten down the hatches, lock up, coil hose, coil cable, no thinking, so much to do. Drive for an hour, set up again, everything is different, but the same at the same time. It makes your head spin, trying to remember where you are, what day it is, what time it is... Everything is divided into circus time, days are just Jump, shows and Tear Down, hours become Meal, Call or Show. Nothing else matters. Get your work done in those down times, be smart about time, without ever really thinking of it.
I never want to leave.