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“The Illustrated Performance Lecture Series” includes two offerings.
100 Years of Circus in Vermont: True Stories of High Adventure and Low Comedy in the Circus Ring
This “performance lecture” is highlighted by personal anecdotes from my career of forty years in the American and European circus world. It is illustrated with photos and film clips of a century of traveling circuses in Vermont, from Ringling Bros. to Smirkus. The program is a balance of performance (true stories plus demonstration of circus tricks) and lecture (the lingo, traditions and lifestyle of the itinerant show in New England) providing a vibrant history of the culture of circus in this region. The program follows the rich tradition of “mud shows” in Vermont, culminating in the 20-year history of Circus Smirkus, which The Boston Globe called “the first Vermont-based circus in over 100 years, and one of New England’s most treasured cultural and educational resources.” 75 min.
Silents Are Golden: The Forgotten Art of Silent Film Acting
"Silents Are Golden" sheds new light on how the acting style of the silent era was based on theater techniques of the day, and developed from histrionic gesture into sophisticated physical expression. In the live performance Rob demonstrates pantomime techniques from 19th century Delsarte to the mid 20th century mime movements of Etienne Decroux and Marcel Marceau and makes the unique connection to silent film acting. He shows the gestures and tricks of the trade that the silent stars learned in circus, vaudeville, music hall and theater before they ever got to Hollywood.
The program is illustrated with a dazzling array of clips from over 50 silent films featuring: Mary Pickford, Greta Garbo, Lillian Gish, Douglas Fairbanks, Marion Davies, Valentino, Chaplin, Keaton, Langdon, Lloyd, Laurel & Hardy and more! It soon becomes evident that silent films—newly accessible in the age of DVD—are as refreshing an entertainment as any modern cinema. Commissioned by The Green Mountain Film Festival. Suitable for small theaters, town halls, colleges. 110 min.
Rob Mermin ran off to join the circus in 1969. He clowned with various European circuses including England's Circus Hoffman, Sweden's Cirkus Scott, Denmark's Circus Benneweis in the Circus Building by the Tivoli, the Hungarian Magyar State Cirkusz, and circus palaces throughout the former Soviet Union. Formal training includes mime with masters Marcel Marceau and Etienne Decroux, and a degree in Drama and Literature from Lake Forest College. He is former Dean of Clown College for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and President of Blackfriar’s Summer Theater. In 1987 Rob founded the award-winning international touring company Circus Smirkus. Rob’s awards include Copenhagen’s World Star-Time Gold Clown; The Bessie Award; Russia’s Best Director Prize at The International Festival on the Black sea; It Takes A Village Award; and the Vermont Arts Council Award of Merit.
These programs are available for general audience; the lectures are designed more specifically for adult audiences, though older children are welcome. The programs, while entertaining, are meant to be historically educational.
$400 to $1,000: 1hr lecture to full evening 2hr show. Flexible according to venue. Workshops available.
Both “Illustrated Performance Lectures” have a connection to the history of Vermont. In the early 20th century there were two forms of popular entertainment from the “outside world” that made their way up to towns throughout Vermont: silent films and circuses. Both forms of entertainment (and education) were unique in the way that they came to where the people lived, even in rural areas. In “Silents Are Golden” we explore the relationship between history and the powerful effect of the silent movies on the populace. There are invariably still a few folks who come to the show with far memories of the silent era and who are moved by seeing the film clips of stars from their childhood. In “100 years of Circus in Vermont” we explore the connection of Circus Smirkus to the traditions of circus from long ago. Even The Big One—Ringling & Barnum—came through Vermont back then. Those were the days when the whole town would shut down for Circus Day. Smirkus carries on the traditions, though it's a mystery why schools, banks, and municipal affairs don’t close up anymore when we come to town!
Rob Mermin
27 School Street
Montpelier, Vt 05602
rob@smirkus.org
www.smirkus.org
802-922-1339