That’s right! I said it! College is a circus. It’s a circus in which YOU are the ringleader and it’s YOUR show. More than that, if you were to combine the numerous courses you could take in college, and collect them all under a single tent, you would have effectively created a circus! I don’t say all of this to insult the college experience or Corning Community College itself. I say all of this because its true. Last night, I went to the circus! Yes, The Great Benjamins Circus is in Horseheads for this weekend, and I highly recommend it. Not only will you have a grand time watching the show, but you will see how everything we learn in our classes can be applied to the circus. I saw principles of physics, gymnastics, hydraulics, language arts, aviation, drafting, theater, music, and comedy all come together under one roof, gifting everyone in the audience a mind-bending experience!
My critical eye saw more than gravity defying physics and mathematically impossible illusions. I saw hard working artists who have mastered the stage and their other worldly talents. I was invited to the circus by one of these fine artists, Eva Rodriguez, the artistic director for the entire circus. An accomplished aerialist and dancer, she has been in the circus business for the past 15 years. Starting young, and inspired by her artistically driven family, Eva sat down with me after the show to answer my babbling questions about her life, the circus, and various other important topics. Honestly, I could have been more organized, but the show had me coming down from a mild adrenaline rush! Of course, because I was unorganized, I can’t offer you readers a transcript of our conversation. Besides, that would be boring to read, and I am trying to not be about that life. I hope I can offer a solid synthesis of the ideas we shared with each other.
I started off with the usual etiquette of meeting one’s hostess. We greeted each other and I was tumbling over myself to compliment Eva and her team. I was truly gracious for the invitation to watch the show and thoroughly enjoyed it. This was not my first circus (and certainly won’t be my last) but I couldn’t help noticing the high quality of the show put on for us tonight, compared to others I have seen. We sat down in the cold tent while everything was being shut down for the night. Overhead, unbeknownst to me, the Great Northern Lights were dancing above us, almost like an encore. The night was truly filled with magic and our conversation was about to add to every bit of it.
My first question was a simple one: “why?” Why did a world-class circus contact The Crier? What did The Great Benjamins Circus want to gain from my presence. The answer couldn’t have been better: Community! Eva and her team want to do something I think few organizations are doing and that is connecting with the community. More than that, Eva expressed something that truly touched my heart, namely that the Circus wants to give people a break. If you have tuned it, then you know I’ve expressed similar sentiments on my podcast. We are bombarded with negative programming, gloom and doom, crime and death, war, hateful politics, and all sorts of drama. If you are like me and doomscroll, you often come away feeling emotionally exhausted by all these world-altering events we see unfold almost daily. The Circus is, in a sense, “unplugged” from the real world. It’s a delightful escape! No subliminal messaging. No preaching. No politics. Just family friendly comedy and the seemingly impossible.
Our attention then turned to how one gets into the circus. To me, it’s a vintage form of art that has fallen out of favor with the advent of TV, steaming, gaming, and all sorts of digital activities that keep us home. We didn’t touch on the old controversies but for many the idea of a circus could leave a bad taste in one’s mouth. I feel that they don’t have the same influence or draw as they once did. I cannot be sure if any of that is true, but I can tell from my interview that those who are devoted to its art mean serious business. They are keeping the love of classic show business very much alive and well. Eva was eloquent in her expression as she was in the air. Her work is not just sewing together individual acts into an hour and half long event but revealing to her audience her courage to perform. The courage to perform is not only in succeeding to do the death-defying trick but also in the courage to fail. There is courage to keep trying when you hit a wall, feel some pain, or when you must make a sacrifice. There is something inspirational about that and I saw it in her team’s act. Thankfully, none of them failed in any serious manner! A few missed bowling pins here or there, a dropped yo-yo. I could have scoffed at a professional failing in his or her performance, especially on opening night. After all, these are professionals! Of course, I would never do that. The point of mentioning that is to point out the fact that failure is a part of life. We must get comfortable with that fact. We must find the inspiration within us, as Eva told me, to do what we love and the courage to perform, even if it means we may fail. I asked Eva what inspiration means to her and she told me that it is honesty with oneself. That sounds like a good bit of philosophy. Add that to the many topics that make up a circus!
The lights were turned off on us as we made our way out of the big blue tent. It was still mighty cold, and I dreaded keeping her too long. She may have had on a big fluffy coat, but she was still in her circus outfit, which I can safely assume was not remotely warm. Her generosity, however, knew no bounds! She entertained more of my questions. While she treated me generously individually, Eva and her team will treat you all just the same. Nothing excites them more than the roar of a crowd! It’s an interactive show so I know they long for the interplay between actor and crowd. I got the biggest kick out of a small child who could not believe his own eyes. I felt the mystery of magic (or rather a precise application of physics and hydraulics) vicariously through that kid. It can be hard to feel that child-like excitement these days. We tend to hold back our outbursts of happiness and excitement in public. In this case, why would anybody care if we adults put on our own show for the actors themselves? They work to provide us wonder, therefore let us allow ourselves to feel it! Give it right back too!
While I was there on official Crier business, I made sure I would enjoy all the perks of a live circus. The smell of freshly popped gourmet popcorn hits you the moment you cross the atrium threshold. Don’t worry, they accept cards! Their smallest option is plenty for several hungry attendees, their bucket is big enough for a large family. Nothing beats the classic popcorn and Coke-a-Cola combination. Elevate your experience, I always say. I suggest dressing warmly as possible. They have heaters but I was quite cold for much of the evening. Bring blankets! Finally, let yourself enjoy the simple pleasures and wonders of a circus. There are hints of real magic in it all. It isn’t in any card tricks. Nope. It’s in the love of the art itself. It’s in the countless hours of hard work and dedication of perfecting this peculiar stagecraft. The magic is found within the actors and actresses, the stagehands, the announcer, and in the audience. It is our wonderment that fills that tent. That is what you are paying to experience. To bring this full circle, that’s exactly what you are paying Corning Community College to provide. College, this great big circus of classes and extracurricular, provides for us a sense of wonderment and a sense of magic in this life. We can only access it if we allow ourselves to lean into it and feel it. We can turn on our critical thinking side of our brain without repressing our inner child, who wants to continuously wonder at the universe. The math has to math in (most) physics, but it can also contain a little bit of magic too.
The Great Benjamins Circus is at the Chemung County Fairgrounds all weekend. Today they have showings at 4:30pm and 7:30pm, Saturday showings at 1:30pm, 4:30pm, and 7:30pm, Sunday showings at 1:30pm and 4:30pm. Buy pre-sale and online for the best offers! Bring money for all the extra goodies, bring warm clothes, bring your family and friends, and bring your inner child. Support these great and beautiful actors as they work religiously and tirelessly in their craft.
Finally, Red Barons, get inspired…and then do the inspiring.
Thank you to Director Eva Rodriguez and The Great Benjamins Circus for giving us a break. You deserve the applause.
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