By Joyce Mongeau
Fifteen-year-old Jared Mongeau of Cumberland, Maine is off to join the circus this summer - with his parents' blessings! Jared's physical comedy, slight-of-hand, juggling, and clowning skills won him a spot on tour with the award-winning Circus Smirkus, the only youth circus in the country that tours with its own European-style Big Top. From late June until mid-August, Jared and his fellow Smirkus troupers will visit 14 locations - and perform in more than 70 individual shows - throughout the Northeastern U.S., including ten shows in his home state of Maine, and others in Vemont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New York. Jared is the only Smirkus trouper from Maine.
Jared first learned about the Vermont-based Circus Smirkus when he was six years old, shortly before he moved to Maine with his younger siblings and parents, Joyce and David Mongeau. His juggling and clowning mentor, teenage clown Ryan Combs, told Jared about Smirkus when Ryan was accepted into the tour. Jared went to Smirkus for the first time for his seventh birthday party in Massachusetts and Ryan gave him a copy of the Smirkus book, Circus Smirkus: A True Story of High Adventure and Low Comedy, signed by the cast, and arranged for a group photo in the ring. Jared knew then that he wanted to tour with Circus Smirkus!
He worked hard to teach himself clowning, juggling, and magic and has taken classes and workshops with many local physical comedians and jugglers such as Sam Kilbourne, Amanda Houtari, Julie Goell, Mike Miclon, and Michael Lane Trautman. Jared has also been active in the local theater scene, appearing in productions at Portland Stage Company, Portland Players, Lyric Music Theater, Winter Harbor Theater Company, and The Children's Theatre of Maine. He is currently a member of The Greater Portland Muscial Theater Ensemble directed by Rhonda Carlson of South Portland, Maine.
For the past four years, Jared has attended the Circus Smirkus Summer Camp starting at the beginner camp and working his way up to the Advanced Camp. Last year, Jared was selected to be part of the Advanced Camp Road Show, a select group of campers who put together a show in one week and take it on the road the next. The "road show" entertained young and old alike at summer camps, nursing homes and fairs throughout Vermont. This year, Jared was selected for Circus Smirkus' 2008 Big Top Tour from among 60 applicants in a competitive audition process that included a written application and audition DVD, performing arts references, personal interviews with Smirkus artistic directors, and a live skit performed in front of an audience.
Jared joins fellow troupers -- ages 14 to 19 - from all parts of the country and the world who bring their love of circus to each performance. In addition to Jared - the only trouper from Maine- this year's troupe hails from Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont, with international troupers from Colombia, France and Ethiopia. Trouper's skills include juggling, stilt-and wire-walking, clowning, tumbling and unicycling and acts involving the Korean plank, fabric, trapeze, and lyra. Life on the road will be both fun and exhausting for Jared: as a "Smirko," Jared and his fellow troupers will also pack and unpack props, clean up after shows, and sell refreshments and souvenirs. These talented teens will then delight the
crowd while putting on a spirited
two-hour show that receives national media coverage every summer for its imagination, enthusiasm, and professional quality!
In 2000, the Disney Channel filmed and ran a 14 show series about Smirkus called "Totally Circus." Martha Stewart and Fantasy Camp have both done programs about Smirkus and Smirkus performers have been guests on Jay Leno, David Letterman and America's Most Talented Kids. On June 1, they will be featured on Fox & Friends.
You can see Jared and his fellow Smirkos in action when this year's show, Smirkusology: A Science Extravaganzat. Tickets are now on sale! For ticket information and a complete tour schedule, visit http://www.smirkus.org or call 1-877-SMIRKUS (1-877-764-7587).
Jared is thrilled to be living his lifelong dream and representing Maine while touring with Circus Smirkus this summer. And his parents are excited to know that their son and fellow Smirkus troupers will be bringing loads of laughter and spreading joy to thousands of families throughout the Northeast. We hope to see you all at the circus this summer!
