(no subject)
Author's note: I am submitting this story to this little trafficed Livejournal not as an act of revenge but as cautionary reminder to myself to be cautious of other performers and not to forget this lesson. Names have been Omitted.
The Great Circus Swindle
Some people run away to the Circus, I was drafted into it. A few years ago I was hired write a stage show for a Circus Troop. As fate would have it, lead performer was unable to memorize his lines and I stepped in to the role with some slight modifications-within six months I was performing as a circus clown. Last night was the send off show for the founder an her boyfriend and the show has left me feeling icky.
The old School Bus had been gutted and redesigned as a living space. A small bed lie in the back, a utility sink, toilet, wire rack shelving and custom built lock-box-bench/dresser furnished over the wheel well. A tiny table, refrigerator and hot plate were placed in the front. Next to the toilet was dog kennel for the four cats that would be accompanying the performers on their endless tour. The bus was to be painted by a local artist from the Gallery that had once been the Circus' home. The Artist had spent weeks making stencils and designing a custom paint job. After they were featured on a local morning TV show featuring the painting of the bus and their adventure. They took the freshly painted bus to a hip hop/art show and let random people tag the bus covering up her entire work. In my opinion an asshole move.
The plan was to go "professional circus", sell everything. They quit their jobs, gave up the rent-free house his parents had allowed him to live in, and travel the southern united states living on the bus and perform for money. Their dream was their drive. They had no money, no backup, only a bus, a dream and four cats. They disbanded the troop. The two of them became street performers, taking on odd jobs to support themselves. After months the troop partially reunited to perform for their final send off show. Myself, a juggler and fire performer joined in the show. We were absent our Strong man, ring master. While performing we found the two of them had incorporated the ringmaster lines themselves, and she ended the show performing the main brunt of our strongman's act, without permission from him or even his knowledge. She even used his lines, in the market where he is most notable, before an audience of regulars. We know this because although he was absent his girlfriend was in the audience, so she recorded the act. I saw her performance and sadly her mimicry added little to nothing to the act. Because this is a strongman act it actually weakened his own ability to perform the act he created.
The Carnie's code
According to my Strong man friend of mine there is a unspoken code between carnie's, much like the any outsider culture "we take care of our own", he says. In a lot of ways these people become like family. Like family there is a strong level of trust between performers and a mutual respect that is needed in order to work together. In the past I have had creative differences with these people. The two in question primarily surrounding my idea that a good troop should develop unique acts and nurturing a style that differentiates yourselves from other troops, rather than performing the same hand full of acts over and over again. This is why I am glad that due to their choices I am starting a new troop with my beautiful wife.
In truth I think it is for the best, despite the fact that last night I lost a significant amount of respect for the performers mentioned above, this is a lesson on how to treat people. The meltdown has already began on facebook. She has lashed out at him and even blamed him for getting upset. I choose to look at this meltdown as a lesson on how to treat people. I will not rule over my new crew. In fact I will try to encourage their creative development to create a culture of loyalty. Their really is not a lot of money in performing at this level so we have to do it for the love. I am not going to look at this project as "my baby" instead it will be a collaboration. I will keep updates in this journal moving forward, primary since it get almost no traffic and should someone find it or my old LJ friends see it on their simi-annual LJ checkin you are welcome to comment on this creative journey. If I veer from this path then hopefully these words will help me steer back to it. I am not infallable. Nor have I ever been. We are all weak sometimes. Good luck.
The Great Circus Swindle
Some people run away to the Circus, I was drafted into it. A few years ago I was hired write a stage show for a Circus Troop. As fate would have it, lead performer was unable to memorize his lines and I stepped in to the role with some slight modifications-within six months I was performing as a circus clown. Last night was the send off show for the founder an her boyfriend and the show has left me feeling icky.
The old School Bus had been gutted and redesigned as a living space. A small bed lie in the back, a utility sink, toilet, wire rack shelving and custom built lock-box-bench/dresser furnished over the wheel well. A tiny table, refrigerator and hot plate were placed in the front. Next to the toilet was dog kennel for the four cats that would be accompanying the performers on their endless tour. The bus was to be painted by a local artist from the Gallery that had once been the Circus' home. The Artist had spent weeks making stencils and designing a custom paint job. After they were featured on a local morning TV show featuring the painting of the bus and their adventure. They took the freshly painted bus to a hip hop/art show and let random people tag the bus covering up her entire work. In my opinion an asshole move.
The plan was to go "professional circus", sell everything. They quit their jobs, gave up the rent-free house his parents had allowed him to live in, and travel the southern united states living on the bus and perform for money. Their dream was their drive. They had no money, no backup, only a bus, a dream and four cats. They disbanded the troop. The two of them became street performers, taking on odd jobs to support themselves. After months the troop partially reunited to perform for their final send off show. Myself, a juggler and fire performer joined in the show. We were absent our Strong man, ring master. While performing we found the two of them had incorporated the ringmaster lines themselves, and she ended the show performing the main brunt of our strongman's act, without permission from him or even his knowledge. She even used his lines, in the market where he is most notable, before an audience of regulars. We know this because although he was absent his girlfriend was in the audience, so she recorded the act. I saw her performance and sadly her mimicry added little to nothing to the act. Because this is a strongman act it actually weakened his own ability to perform the act he created.
The Carnie's code
According to my Strong man friend of mine there is a unspoken code between carnie's, much like the any outsider culture "we take care of our own", he says. In a lot of ways these people become like family. Like family there is a strong level of trust between performers and a mutual respect that is needed in order to work together. In the past I have had creative differences with these people. The two in question primarily surrounding my idea that a good troop should develop unique acts and nurturing a style that differentiates yourselves from other troops, rather than performing the same hand full of acts over and over again. This is why I am glad that due to their choices I am starting a new troop with my beautiful wife.
In truth I think it is for the best, despite the fact that last night I lost a significant amount of respect for the performers mentioned above, this is a lesson on how to treat people. The meltdown has already began on facebook. She has lashed out at him and even blamed him for getting upset. I choose to look at this meltdown as a lesson on how to treat people. I will not rule over my new crew. In fact I will try to encourage their creative development to create a culture of loyalty. Their really is not a lot of money in performing at this level so we have to do it for the love. I am not going to look at this project as "my baby" instead it will be a collaboration. I will keep updates in this journal moving forward, primary since it get almost no traffic and should someone find it or my old LJ friends see it on their simi-annual LJ checkin you are welcome to comment on this creative journey. If I veer from this path then hopefully these words will help me steer back to it. I am not infallable. Nor have I ever been. We are all weak sometimes. Good luck.