The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
200 TO STAR IN CHILDREN’S CIRCUS
Pageant to celebrate three decades in all-ages ‘greatest show on earth’
MIDDLETOWN — Jason Leinwand chuckles when he envisions the upcoming children’s spectacular at Macdonough Elementary School — and the two-hour performance, accompanied by a live band and featuring a 60-foot-diameter circus ring adorned by 9-foot high banners. “We’re building a humongous set, creating an amazing play space,” said the director of the Children’s Circus of Middletown.
“We’ll have juggling and unicycling, acrobatics, stilt-walking, clowning, puppets, props and cardboard craziness. We’re proud this is a community event. It’ll be a lot of fun and laughter, especially when the mayor takes a pie in the face.”
Leinwand isn’t the only one in the circus who’s pumped.
“I get to show my true clown self. It’s hilarious, and, at the same time, silly,” said 10-year-old Ethan Starks.
At the annual show, Lochlan Reeder, 15, a nine-year circus veteran, plans to juggle fire, while 13-year-old Orr Teva will be riding a 5-foot giraffe unicycle in the show.
“Circus is fun — it teaches me a lot,” Orr said, “like unicycling, juggling and working in a group.”
Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater, in conjunction with the city of Middletown Office of the Arts, will present the circus at 5 p.m. Friday at Macdonough, 66 Spring St.
“Children’s Circus Grows Up” is the theme for the 30th summer circus. The culmination of a five-week summer day camp, the circus presents more than 200 performers in a grand outdoor spectacle. Including 160 children between the ages of 5 and 15, and more than 40 teen and adult staff members, the circus attracts an audience of more than 1,200. Show-goers are encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chair, enjoy a picnic, and watch the young people of greater Middletown perform.
The beginning will feature short acts presented by the Teeny Tiny Circus Troupe, the members of the program who are 5 to 7 years old. Mayor Dan Drew, who has two children in the program, will introduce the main event.
The Children’s Circus will also celebrate being named one of nine finalists for the 2018 New York Life Foundation Excellence in Summer Awards by the National Summer Learning Association. This coveted honor is awarded to stellar programs from various states that stand out for designing innovative, diverse and experiential summer learning opportunities for students in all grade levels.
Former Oddfellows Executive Artistic DirectorKristen Palmer applied for the award.
“She thought we would be a good fit,” Leinwand said. “To us, this award exemplifies that the arts is where kids develop emotional learning and selfconfidence, camaraderie and teamwork skills. With the arts, there’s space for kids to be ‘right’ always, no matter what their choice is.”
Leinwand said the key idea of the Children’s Circus is to bring unique, ensemble summer camp fun to boys and girls in the community. “Because it’s a circus, we’re a unique kind of summer camp,” he said.
The summer program started with 5- to 8-yearolds, and expanded to ages 5 to 15. Though there is a fee for families, Leinwand calls it affordable. The camp is primarily designed for Middletown residents, though participants also come from Portland, East Hampton and as far away as Branford.
“The circus doesn’t have much of a budget,” Leinwand said. “Basically, we do it with volunteers, using recycled materials.”
When some kids age out of the program, they can become counselors. The staff ranges in age from 16 to mid-40s. It includes 22 counselors, two office administrators, three directors, eight teaching artists and seven tech team leaders.
Allison McDermott, 32, now an advanced programming director, attended the camp, then called “Circus Minimus,” when she was 6. She learned circus skills such as stilt walking and later became a stilt walking counselor at Children’s Circus. McDermott attended New England Center for Circus Arts’ Professional Track Program, teaches and performs circus, and is lead trainer at Circophony in Middletown.
Leinwand, 39, joined Oddfellows in his sophomore year at Middletown High School. “I was interested in theater and wanted to perform,” he said. A visual arts major at Wesleyan University, he worked at Children’s Circus during summers and built puppets and props with kids. Off season, he lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he teaches arts, puppetry and animation in the five-borough school system.
Tickets at the door are $5 for adults and $3 for children.
Oddfellows Executive Artistic Director Dic Wheeler says he is looking forward to the grand finale show, as well as the sound of the oversized conch shell that will summon circus alums like him to the stage.
“What’s cool is the loyalty to the program. Former kids come back as adults and build props. Some even donate unicycles,” Wheeler said.
For information, visit oddfellows.org. or call 860-347-6143. The rain date is Saturday at 5 p.m.