On the juggling/performance front, 2023 was a year of saying "yes" to whatever opportunity arose. It led to some really great experiences not the least of which was my role as Mother Ginger in a 4-show run of the Nutcracker at Mount Baker Theater*.
Why did the dance studio approach a bearded middle-aged man for a female role in a performance with an otherwise 100% children cast? I wondered the same thing, but it was the year of "yes" so what could I do? It turns out that they needed a stilter to fill in the costume and stilting is something I can do! As an added bonus, I learn dance choreography at about the same speed as 8-year olds, so it was perfect! After having my live performance world be only that within the circus context, I really appreciated the new perspective of working with the dance studio. We had tons of rehearsals, costume fittings, tech rehearsals, etc. I felt very prepared opening night, as opposed to many circus shows where opening night often feels like a dress rehearsal in itself. The experience of being in a big fancy theater (with my own dressing room!) was a step up as well. Are the producers of the Nutcracker as happy with the experience of me as I was with them? Tough call. Everyone was very appreciative and generous with their reviews, but that's kind of how both Bellingham and theater people are. It turns out I am not an actor. I don't emote well, or ham it up or project with my body. This is something I've always known and I tried to warn them of from the start. I can, however, walk on stilts like nobody's business. (The best compliment I received after the show was from a parent saying "I never once felt like you were going to fall on my child.") Even if they asked me back for next year (which I don't imagine they will because acting (and I hardly would blame them)), I don't know if I could say yes. While the experience was a wonderful one, it wasn't the wisest financially. I ended up having to turn down quite a few holiday gigs due to conflicting rehearsal times and my mileage for trips up to Bellingham and back are a little cringe-worthy. But who knows? I did have fun. Anyway, without further ado, here's a little clip of me from the show*. Oh, thanks to and credit for the photos to Gaby Cavalcanti Photography. |
Tuesday March 5 2024 | File under: circus, juggling |
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One of my favorite posts I used to make was me and Della's summer juggling recap posts where I would collect some of the fun performance pictures from the year to share (check them out here: 2017, 2018, 2019). And even though those that follow me over at @wrenthejuggler on instagram may find some of these repeats, I thought it was time for me to restart the tradition by sharing some of my favorite photos (and videos(!)) of 2023.
Some 2023 highlights...
Next year is shaping up to be more of the same, with lots of great repeat gigs and hopefully some new ones too. I feel exceptionally lucky to have a job that I enjoy so much and am so grateful to all those who have helped me be where I am. |
Saturday January 6 2024 | File under: juggling, circus |
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The Bellingham Circus Guild's Beastly Frightful Unspeakably Spooky Circus of DOOOOM had its 6th incarnation this Halloween and I was stoked to be a part again (making it 6/6!) The show was a huge hit with so many sell out crowds we had to add a show (which itself went on to sell out.) Circus going regulars had high praise for it and it was a genuine pleasure to be a part of. I feel so lucky that doing this kind of shit is my job. The video of my act is below. I'm really stoked both on how the act turned out and that the night the videographer came, we didn't have any drops*! In addition to this awesome video, we had a couple of super great photographers! Both Jason and Vitz caught some really fun shots. As I mentioned, this marks my 6th appearance in the Halloween show. Here are the posts for previous years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. But without further ado, here's this year's act. I hope you like it! |
Sunday November 12 2023 | File under: circus, juggling |
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For a few years now, I've felt the need for a new stilting costume. My cowboy get-up is always a hit, but after a couple of strolls through a fair, people have been-there-done-that. Being the giant hot dog isn't the same without my teeny weenie (a.k.a. lil smokey). And the pirate costume is too dang hot for my summer fair gigs*. So I contacted a very crafty friend and put in an order.
As you can see, it turned out AMAZING! And not only does it look spectacular, fit perfectly, and breathe enough that I'm not a [total] soggy pile of a man after a 45-minute stilting stint, the costume's creator used a bunch of Della's fabrics at my request so I could feel that she was there with me, notably a big star patch right over my heart*. Feeling ambitious in the design phase, I had the costume be made a foot taller than my other ones in hopes of really upping my game. And while I love the extra height, it does offer all sorts of new skill challenges from feeling a little less stable to not being able to reach down to pick up a dropped club. But it gives great opportunities for high-fives! So far, with a number of fairs, parades, and other gigs under my belt, the costume has been a super hit! Since so many of my gigs are repeats from previous years, the regulars gush about the new costume. And even those seeing it for the first time seem to approve. I even made it to Macklemore's instagram feed! Stilting season just about half over, so I'll have lots more hours in the saddle to get more comfortable, get some more awesome photos, and hopefully made lots more people smile. If you see me up there, come give me a really high-five! |
Tuesday August 8 2023 | File under: circus, juggling |
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I made a thing!
The idea behind this 8+ foot juggling club has been rattling around in my head for a while now. After lots of thoughts about process, material, purpose, etc., I finally got around to just doing it. And while I see countless places I could have done a better job, I'm actually really pleased with the results. The core of the club is a 3/8" steel rod with stacked 1.5" discs of styrofoam insulation (with every other disc being a ring to save on material and weight). To smooth the stairstep edges, I used drywall mud (after my initial attempts of smoothly carving down the high points proved less than ideal). Then there are 2-ish layers of fiberglass with epoxy resin to harden the outside and hopefully make it waterproof. Cost of materials came in at around $250 to 300-ish(?). Overall weight is maybe 20-25 lbs. If urged to justify this seemingly silly endeavor, I guess I would say I've always been fascinated with big versions of regular things. And I've been finding a good escape in the shop making stuff. Also, in my recent trips to Europe, I've really enjoyed the statuary in the public spaces. I thought maybe this could be installed as an art piece at the Lookout Arts Quarry. As mentioned, I see lots of ways I could have gone about this better, resulting in a better, cheaper, lighter, and safer* club. It was, after all, my first attempt at anything like this including my first time working with fiberglass at all. My lesson learned, in short, is be more deliberate, take more time, don't get over excited for the next step*. That story checks out with my life overall. What will I do with this behemoth? Well, this, for one. I'd love to figure out a way to do a little act with it. And maybe I'll do a slightly more elaborate photo/video shoot*. But I imagine it ending up at the Dreams Come True Pavilion at the Quarry, hopefully with a fancy pedestal, so that when somebody walks by and see it, they'll think "Huh, that's kind of cool". That'd be good enough for me. (An astute observer might notice my very specific choice of colors. These were, of course, the colors of Della's clubs, clubs we bought together after that whirlwind Chautauqua where we met and started our grand adventure together. A big part of my inspiration for this project was thinking this serves as kind of a secret dedication to her (secret in that very few people will make the club color connection).) |
Monday May 29 2023 | File under: juggling |
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Halloween time means Halloween circus show at the Bellingham Circus Guild. This year's show was, by all accounts, a hit. With new VIP tables, some new fun stage decorations*, and tons of the same magic that makes all Cirque Guild shows wonderful, 7 out of 7 shows sold out to smiling goblins, howling hot dogs, enthusiastic cowboys, and even some cheering regular people.
Behind the scenes always presents a little differently and this show was no different. It was a really hard show for me to be in for a number of reason that I don't need to go into. By the end of the run, though, I mostly worked through them, but probably not before my-feelings-worn-on-my-sleeve left a few people regretting putting me in the show. So it goes, I suppose. I don't know if the rollercoaster of emotions I went though will preclude me from wanting to be a part of the BCG Halloween show in the future. I suppose you'll have to check back in next year to find out. A few items of note regarding this year's act:
As I mentioned, it was a 7-show run. Some nights there were fewer drops than others. This run had a super-solid non-glow portion but with more drops than I like in the glow portion. Whatever the case, I think it'll give you the idea of the act. Hopefully you enjoy! (As a side note: I just recently posted a post-dated post of 2021's Halloween act, since I left for Spain directly from the last show. That, with this, makes 5 BCG Halloween acts posted here, including perhaps the best act of all time, 2019's Ghostbuster's Act.) |
Friday November 25 2022 | File under: circus, juggling |
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This summer has been a whirlwind of juggling gigs for me such that I've barely had a chance to catch my breath, much less make a blog post. But now that things have started to slow down, I can play catch up, starting with archiving of these Minor Media Mentions.
I love seeing photos of myself in the newspaper. It aligns nicely with my "external validation" approach to happiness. This summer was a great one for that, with photos appearing in 4 of the local rags. In a future post, I'll include the actual photos, but for now, here are some low quality snaps to show context: In addition to newspapers, I came across photos a few other places that bear capturing: Yes, it was a super busy juggling season for me, one that had high points and lows. Getting back out there alone was not easy. I take these Minor Media Mentions as a symbol of success, albeit a small one, but sometimes that means a lot. Stay tuned for my seasonal photo wrap up, which should be a really fun one. |
Thursday September 29 2022 | File under: media, juggling |
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One of the many things I attempt to archive here on this blog is my juggling. I don't post every single gig (just as I don't post about every TV extra role, every jumping picture, or every published crossword), but I do feel the need to stick in a performance post, esp. if a gig was notable, every now and again to remind myself and readers in the far distant future that performing was a part of my life. Hence this post.
Last weekend, the Bellingham Circus Guild, along with Hot Damn Scandal, hosted Circadia, a circus/play/concert show to celebrate the Equinox. I performed a solo juggling piece to the band's rendition of Haddaway's "What is Love" (complete with Night at the Roxbury head bobs and Will Ferrell inspired t-shirt/sports coat/gold chain attire). I programmed my fancy light-up clubs to change patterns to the music and lights such that the "club atmosphere" was well evoked. (The flashy clubs also served as a distracting enough gimmick that the perhaps less than inspired act still came across as fun.) The act was well received (even if I dropped more than I would have liked) and the show was deemed a success by all. I've been in 2 other Circus Guild shows since I lost my better-half/cheerleader/backstage support/stage partner, and each of those times, I barely kept it together and spend the majority of the show hidden away in my car with my fingers in my ears. The experience this time was much improved, with a cast that I really felt included in and supported by. And while it was still hard (I snuck a picture of Della high above the stage so she could be looking down on me), it was maybe the first time that I felt stage performance could still conceivably be a part of my future and that's a good thing. Anyway, since a picture is worth lots of words and a video is worth even more, here you go. Like I said, there were more drops than I would have liked in the act (esp. in this instance of it), but hopefully posterity will get the gist. (If you want to keep up on my circusing with more regularity than this blog allows, the best place to do so would be Instagram where I can be found @WrenTheJuggler.) |
Thursday March 24 2022 | File under: circus, juggling |
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[This is being posted 11/7/2022, over a year after it should have been. As it turned out, I left for the Camino mere hours after this show wrapped. I'm posting it now for our old friend posterity.]
When people ask me about shows at the Bellingham Circus Guild, I always tell them that there are 2 highly produced shows per year, Valentine's Day and Halloween. Valentine's Day has been going for 10 or more years now. You've probably seen some of me and Della's acts for that here, here, or here*. Halloween is a bit newer, with this year only being the 4th Beastly Frightful Unspeakably Spooky Circus of Doom, Della and I having had acts in all the previous 3 (here, here, and here). And while I don't know if the Valentine's Day show is ever in the cards for me again, I thought I'd give Halloween a try. Instead off diving into trying to describe it and point out what I liked or didn't, I'll just let you have a look at the video. Also, here are a couple photos. I hope you enjoy it! (Interesting note from the future: we ran this act on the main stage at 2022's Sh'Bang. We totally flubbed the round-about, but NAILED the glow club part, so at least there's that.) |
Monday November 8 2021 | File under: circus, juggling |
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In my continuing Minor Media Mentions series, Della and I made it to this week's Anacortes American! The article was about the recent event we did with the Anacortes Music Project where we went around to 6 different neighborhoods and did a short show (half circus, half music). The event went really well, and despite us being sorely out of performing shape*, we had a great time. So far, 2020 is shaping up to be a pretty slow year for Della and me, juggling-wise. Almost all of our events have been cancelled or seriously scaled back. A few new gigs have trickled in (a birthday party here, a mini-celebration there), but all the biggies—festivals, library shows, fairs—are a no go. While it is hard to have the momentum of our career derailed, or at least put on hold, we know it could be worse. We're trying to use the downtime to stay practiced, rework acts, and even come up with a bit of new material. (Check out our instagram (@WrenAndDella) for the beginnings of our new chicken act!*) In knowing 2020 is going to be so slow, it is nice to get this little nod from the local paper. And additionally, our good friend and AMAZING photographer Thadeus Hink, snapped some great shots! |
Saturday June 20 2020 | File under: media, juggling |
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