Teaching the fine
art of clowning to early adapters is the legacy of Circus Smirkus founder Rob
Mermin and artistic director Troy Wunderlie. Lane Talburt produced this video on
the 25-year-old youth circus.
Rob
Mermin apprenticed under French mime artist Marcel Marceau
before starting Circus Smirkus in 1987. Eight years later Rob
took another newby clown under his wing at Ringling Bros.
Clown College in Baraboo. Mermin's disciple, Troy Wunderlie,
later became artistic director at the Vermont-based youth
circus, now celebrating its 25th anniversary tour in New
England. This video, is the first of a two-part series on
Smirkus, in which Mermin and Wunderlie discuss the strong
underpinning of clowning in this world-celebrated one-ring
show:
Video courtesy of
Lane Talburt
If you have a question you would like
to submit email us at the
Sideshow World
