Over the course of six dramatic hours, Show of Force, the production company whose founding partners were two of the key creative visionaries behind the Emmy Award-winning PBS series CARRIER, turns its lenses on the world-renowned Big Apple Circus. CIRCUS follows the company on an unforgettable journey from the big top to the “back lot,” where nail-biting drama unfolds both high in the air and down on the ground and the real heart of the circus beats.
CIRCUS goes behind the scenes to explore a distinctive world with its own rules and lingo and no fixed address. It reveals the sights, sounds and stories of the circus’ fascinating cultural legacy in unprecedented breadth and scope as viewers escape into a place of passion, excitement, perseverance and even heartache. From the training and rehearsals to the bravery and the intensity of life — and work — in the circus, the cameras capture it all. Grab a front-row seat as members of the Big Apple family experience life-changing moments:
- Founder and artistic director Paul Binder announces his departure and faces the realities of leaving behind his home and his creation, the Big Apple Circus, after 30 years in the ring.
- New clown Glen Heroy searches for his place under the big top while dealing with a haunting past.
- Twin brothers Marty and Jake LaSalle, life-long juggling partners, battle with the decision to keep their act together or part ways professionally.
- Teen acrobat Christian Stoinev grapples with leaving the family circus legacy for a “normal” life in college.
- Love fizzles and blossoms inside the close-knit group of ring crew members.
- A long-time company member faces the challenge of a life-threatening illness.
- Acts are fired and hired as the circus — and its performers — face tough times.
Wednesday, November 3 at 9:00 p.m.
Part I
Feel the tension mount as rivalries and romances blossom and the circus’ first dress rehearsal approaches. The show is nowhere near ready. Despite constant rehearsals, the Flying Neves trapeze members can’t pull themselves together, and there’s talk in the office about cutting the act. Meanwhile, Glen, the newbie clown, is having a hard time taking direction and he’s petrified he’ll soon be fired. The fate of the show — and of more than a few performers — hangs in the balance.
Wednesday, November 10 at 9:00 p.m.
Part II
Feel the tension mount as rivalries and romances blossom and the circus’ first dress rehearsal approaches. The show is nowhere near ready. Despite constant rehearsals, the Flying Neves trapeze members can’t pull themselves together, and there’s talk in the office about cutting the act. Meanwhile, Glen, the newbie clown, is having a hard time taking direction and he’s petrified he’ll soon be fired. The fate of the show — and of more than a few performers — hangs in the balance.
Wednesday, November 17 at 9:00 p.m.
Part III
Emotions run high as the circus season winds down. Many members of the cast and crew won’t be going back to Big Apple next season — some are heading to Europe; others are still trying to figure out what’s next. Some of the younger performers who have grown up in the circus consider leaving circus life. The night before the final shows, the crew puts on a traditional spoof called “Midnight Clowns” for the performers. The laughter is infectious and the partings bittersweet. As the trailers pull out of the lot and the tent comes down for the last time, we join in the time-honored circus farewell: not “goodbye,” but “see you down the road.”
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