The iconic ring in the arena, the glare of lights and shouts of cotton candy and popcorn recall the excitement of a childhood extravaganza as young and old, veteran and first-timer all come to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey "Zing Zang Zoom" Gold Tour show looking for a great time. And by all accounts, the circus at John Paul Jones Arena last week was entertaining: the displays of acrobatic ability, animal performances and clown gags seemed effortless to the audience. But in reality, the spectacle is the result of countless hours of work, negotiation, attention to detail and technical expertise.
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum circus featured at John Paul Jones Arena ran for four nights starting last Thursday. Two hours before the opening night of the show, 20 University drama students - most of whom are specializing in the technical aspects of theater production - got the opportunity to go backstage and learn the mechanics of what it takes to make the circus a reality. The students were invited to "learn from people who actually made it in the business," Production Manager Jason Gibson said. He added that something like this is "very motivating" in that it can produce specific goals and ideas of the kinds of opportunities available for theatrical technicians.
In addition to Gibson, the seminar featured brief talks by the wardrobe manager, sound technician and clown Dean Kelley, whose insights were particularly interesting. Kelley auditioned for The Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Gold Edition in 2002, and has been with the show since. As the only non-technical voice during the seminar, he gave the class a glimpse of the performance side of the production.
"Every time I give a performance, I give it like it's my first," Kelley said. He described how he had to read the audience during every show, and get a feel for what elements they enjoy and what elements they don't receive well. The process is a constant balance between presenting his own strengths and pleasing the crowd. Kelley's act is seemingly effortless, but is actually meticulously planned, even if he sometimes has to improvise.
"One gag could take an hour or two months to perfect," Kelley said, adding that corporate oversight can often affect the preparation time.
The drama students enjoyed the seminar, but some were hoping for a more hands-on experience. Fourth-year College student Clare McCormick said she had hoped the seminar would be a "little more in-depth," but enjoyed hearing about the touring lifestyle and "seeing things from the other side."
Drama Prof. La Vahn Hoh, whose students were in attendance, found the seminar to be an incredibly useful educational tool. "Students [usually] don't get a chance to go behind the scenes and see what it takes," he said.
The tech seminar allowed students to see many of the usually ignored aspects of the show, and demonstrated that such a spectacle must be prepared months in advanced. The people involved must carefully perfect the details, and seeing this perspective is exactly what Hoh hoped for his students. Ultimately, the circus brought not only a fun evening of performances for University students, but a wonderful educational experience as well.
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