35th Annual Children’s Circus of Middletown performs August 4th

July 14, 2023

For Immediate Release

Subject: Children’s Circus of Middletown performs August 4th

Contact: Dic Wheeler, dic@oddfellows.org; (860)347-6143

Middletown, CT- The Middletown Commission on the Arts and Oddfellows Playhouse present the 35th Children’s Circus of Middletown: Circus Got Games!

This annual, unique show will take place August 4th at 5PM. In case of rain, the performance will take place August 5th at 5PM. The performance will be held outside at Macdonough School, 66 Spring St. Middletown, CT. 

This performance is the culmination of a 5 week day camp for 160 kids ages 5 - 15, in which they work with professional circus artists to learn juggling, stilting, unicycling, dance, clowning, acrobatics and other circus skills. The annual performance includes the 160 youth performers, 40 staff and a live circus band of 15 adults and teenagers. The Children's Circus of Middletown has been an annual collaboration between Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater and the Middletown Commission on the Arts since 1989. In 2018 the Children's Circus was awarded the NY Life Foundation's Excellence in Summer Learning Award.

Children’s Circus director Jason Leinwand lays out the scenario for this year’s circus: “The 35th Annual Children’s Circus presents CIRCUS GOT GAMES! This year’s show will be a spectacular circus adventure into the world of board games, video games, classic arcade games, playground games and more! Come see the pinball wizard clowns, our menagerie of Hungry, Hungry Hippos, and the larger than life Snakes and Ladders stilters! Will the Teeny Tiny Troupe successfully navigate the Game of Life? Can the Surgeon Jugglers save the Operation patient? Fun for the whole family, and we’ll do our best to not break any rules!”

Tickets are available the day of performance; $8 for adults and $5 for kids. Please call (860) 347-6143 to reserve wheelchair seating. Bring lawn chairs or blankets and a picnic. Street parking around the neighborhood. Handicapped & Elderly parking only in the school lot.

The Children’s Circus is part of the Kids Arts Program of the City of Middletown’s Office of the Arts and Culture and is directed and produced by Oddfellows Playhouse. Major support is provided by the United Way of Middlesex County, the Middletown Commission on the Arts,  the Middletown Public Schools,  the Evan Boyd Knoll Memorial Circus Fund, and the M. Jones Fund at the Community Foundation of Middlesex County. Oddfellows is also supported by the Connecticut Office of the Arts/DECD, The Stare Fund, The State of Connecticut Judicial Branch, The Fund for Greater Hartford, Community Foundation of Middlesex County, American Savings Foundation,  Middletown Youth Services Bureau, Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, Middletown Department of Health, CHEFA Cultural Relief Grant, Connecticut Office of the Arts GOS for Theaters, George & Grace Long Foundation, and many generous individual donors.

Oddfellows Playhouse offers year-round programs in theater, circus, music, dance, technical theater, and visual arts to young people ages 3-20. For additional information, contact info@oddfellows.org, call (860) 347-6143 or go to www.oddfellows.org

Additional Circophony Performances due to Popular Demand!

Back by Popular Demand we are adding two ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES of CIRCOPHONY'S Circus in Wonderland!!


Alice in Wonderland goes to the Circus in this fast-paced, all ages 45 minute show presented by the talented teen performers of Circophony."Circus in Wonderland" will be performed

Friday Feb 21, 2014 at 7:00pm
Saturday Feb 22, 2014 at 2:00pm

at Oddfellows Playhouse
128 Washington Street
Middletown, CT 

Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children.

Circophony is a collaboration between Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater and ARTFARM. The company, directed by ARTFARM co-founder Dic Wheeler (also the creator and long-time director of the Children's Circus of Middletown), is made up of eight circus performers between the ages of 12 and 17.

"Circus in Wonderland" explores the magical world of Alice in Wonderland through the joy and spectacle of circus. Alice is plunged into a world in which the Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts, White Rabbit and other iconic characters juggle, stilt, unicycle, clown and perform stunning feats of acrobatics.
It's Alice in Wonderland like you've never seen it before! Bring your kids! Bring your parents! This show has something for everyone.For more information about the show, which is available for touring through May, 2014, contact ARTFARM at info@art-farm.org.

Buy your tickets HERE

Oddfellows Welcomes New Circus Director

Oddfellows Playhouse is pleased to announce that Jason Leinwand (pictured) will lead the 24th Children’s Circus of Middletown.

Jason Leinwand joined the Children's Circus of Middletown in the summer of 1997. With a few breaks here and there, this upcoming year with be his 13th circus! From 1997-2001, and again from 2003-2006, Leinwand brought his skills as a studio artist to the Children’s Circus, where he served as the lead teaching artist on the Art Room. As a graduate of Wesleyan University and NYU with degrees in Studio Arts, Jason returned in 2009 as the Technical Director and Designer where he has remained until the present time. Oddfellows is extremely excited to welcome Jason as the Director where he hopes to continue the tradition of leading the challenging, exciting and spectacular circus program that Middletown and its many families have enjoyed for nearly 25 years.

The Children's Circus offers an exceptionally unique program where the whole family and the entire whole community, can get involved in the making of something truly inspiring and special. Leinwand is especially excited about the community focus of this arts program, “As the Technical Director I was fortunate to spend a lot of time building, paper macheing, painting, cutting watermelon and laughing with circus kids and their families during our bi-weekly tech sessions held in the evenings at the Remington Rand space.” Leinwand goes on to say, “In my opinion, this is the essence of what the circus is. It's a place where everyone is welcome to participate. The circus is a place where all of our individual skills are collaged together to create an unbelievable spectacle that everyone can be proud to be a part of. We become a community of artists and over time, one big circus family.”

The Children’s Circus of Middletown is a partnership between Oddfellows Playhouse, the City of Middletown and Middletown Commission of the Arts and is part of the Kids Arts program. The 5-week, half day program begins on July 2 and runs until the performance on August 3. During this time, students ages 8-14 are develop a variety of circus skills including juggling, unicycling, stilting, acrobatics, capoiera, balance and clowning. The program culminates in an outdoor circus performance in front of a crowd of nearly 1,500 people. Each year the circus explores a different theme, with recent circuses focusing on “In Your Dreams”, “Eat’s All Good” and last year’s “The Quest for the Golden Nose”.

What unique energy does Leinwand bring to this year’s Circus? “The Children's Circus is an exciting place year in and year out. I feel my main role as Director is to maintain a high energy level, a goofy demeanor, an open mind to the imaginations of others and an anything is possible attitude. I have had the great fortune of seeing many circus kids grow up and become amazing counselors, teaching artists and circus performers. As the Director, I look to be inspired by them. In essence, the collective circus experience of the staff far outweighs my own individual time with the circus and only together, as a community, can we fully unleash the full wackiness that is our cherished and beloved Children's Circus of Middletown!”

For more information on the program and how to register, visit www.oddfellows.org or www.arts2go.org. Registration forms are available at the City of Middletown Arts Office, Russell Library or Oddfellows Playhouse. Registration opens on March 1 to city residents. The program is $125 for Middletown residents and $250 for out of town students. Busing is available for Middletown students.

Oddfellows’ Children’s Circus of Middletown programming is made possible through the generous support of the City of Middletown, Middletown Commission on the Arts, Middlesex United Way and many others. Media support is provided by Comcast.

Adscensio! Friday and Saturday Only!

The Oddfellows Playhouse Traveling Circus presents the world-premiere of their brand new show, Adscensio!, directed by artfarm's Dic Wheeler.

Friday 10/28
Saturday 10/29
Performances are at 7:30pm
Tickets: $15 Adults, $8 Students/Seniors
Call 860--347-6143 to make reservations.

The show is appropriate for adults and children ages 5 and up.

Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater
128 Washington St.
Middletown, CT 06457

Traveling Circus Company Making the Rounds

In August, seven of Oddfellows Playhouse’s Traveling Circus students attended the American Youth Circus Organization Festival.

"The AYCO festival gives Oddfellows' students a chance to be exposed to youth circus participants from around the country. It is an eye opening and educational opportunity for our students to see what other young people are learning and doing. It also gives them a chance to perform in front of this audience and show just what Oddfellows' Circus program is all about,” said Matt Pugliese, Oddfellows’ Executive Director. "I made friends and tried new things. Moreover, the exposure to circus skills and social cohesion is already helping me succeed now that I'm back home. Plus, the specific ideas, tricks, and approaches learned in my workshops will definitely make our traveling show more dynamic,” said Rebecca Weir, circus student and AYCO attendee. Richard Carnegie III added, “There was never a dull moment - every second of the trip was filled with excitement and fun. This AYCO trip was the greatest experience so far in my life."

Current circus students Zach Moller-Marino, Rachel Calter, Rebecca Weir, Richard Carnegie III, Denzel Dempsey, Evan Knoll, and Malaika King attended along with recent graduates and Summer Circus Staff members, Christopher Wilkins and Rob Grimm. They were accompanied by Dic Wheeler, Ethan Zukas and Joel Melendez.

Photo by Joel Melendez.

The Traveling Circus Company will premiere its new show this week!
Fri., Oct. 28 and Sat., Oct. 29.
Performances are at 7:30.
Adults $15 Students & Seniors $8
CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.

The newest circus from Oddfellows Traveling Circus Company is called Adscensio, taken from the Latin word for progress or ascent. The circus explores the advancement of the human race through time by celebrating the great discoveries of history – fire, the wheel, electricity, wireless communication – through the twinkling eyes of the circus. The nine performers, all between the ages of thirteen and seventeen, display their skills, training and vibrancy in a stunning collection of circus acts, including juggling, contortion, unicycling, roman ladders, acrobatics and physical comedy.

See our species’ ascent from the first fire to the latest digital device!

Experience each stunning moment of discovery!

Shudder with expectation and recognition as we hurtle toward a surprising, provocative and terrifying finale!

Straight from appearances at the American Youth Circus Festival in Sarasota, Florida and the New York Regional Festival in New York City, don’t miss the new, improved and expanded Traveling Circus in the world premiere of Adscensio!

The company is under the direction of ArtFarm’s Dic Wheeler and the shows can be booked to perform at schools or other venues. For more information, call Oddfellows Playhouse at (860) 347-6143.

Children's Circus Rises Like Phoenix with a Golden Nose

Oddfellows Playhouse, the Middletown Commission on the Arts and the Middlesex United Way present the 23rd Children’s Circus of Middletown: The Quest for the Golden Nose. The one-time-only show will be presented today (Friday August 5) at 5 PM at Macdonough School, with a rain date of August 6 at 5 PM.

Admission: $5 Adults / $3 Students and Seniors

Today at 5pm at Macdonough School (66 Spring St, Middletown) is the Children's Circus of Middletown. It really is an incredible event, and shows to highlight the spirit of Oddfellows Playhouse and the Middletown community. Much of what Oddfellows lost in the February 2011 collapse of the building at 505 Main St. impacted this program.

Over 130 students have worked over the last 5 weeks to put together this incredibly large outdoor performance, which will be witnessed by an audience of over 1,200.

The Middletown community has helped in a variety of ways - families and friends have helped sew and stitch costumes together, paint and build set pieces and puppets. Those who couldn't lend time and energy helped in other ways. On August 1st, Eli Cannon's Tap Room held a Craft Beer Tasting and BBQ, donating the proceeds to Oddfellows. Carrie Carella, General Manager of Eli Cannon's said, "We wanted to help our neighbors. The chaos of construction [Community Health Center next door] helped us realize how important support from the community is. We know the Children's Circus took a big hit when 505 Main St collapsed, destroying costumes and props. We can't sew or act, but we can do an event to help Oddfellows out in a financial way. We thought an event the week of the Circus made a lot of sense."

This is an incredible opportunity to enjoy a fun, community arts event and to support and encourage our young people who are giving us all an incredible gift in this performance. Your presence helps them realize how important they are to Middletown and the future of our community.

The Quest for the Golden Nose

The 2011 Oddfellows Children's Circus is in peril and at risk of closing, unless the young circus performers retrieve the "the golden nose." "The Quest for the Golden Nose" is based on the ancient Greek myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece. The Middletown Children's Circus has adapted the tale to show off their circus talents as they journey to retrieve the nose. In this tale the golden nose has given the circus years of magical success, but this year the gods have decided to test the performers to see if they are worthy to continue to keep the nose. The children have to make it through many challenges including windy boat rides, alligator filled swamps, bullfights, dragons and more.
Oddfellows Playhouse and the Middletown Commission on the Arts present the 23rd Children’s Circus of Middletown: The Quest for the Golden Nose. The one-time-only show will be presented on August 5 at 5 PM at Macdonough School, with a rain date of August 6 at 5 PM.

The Children’s Circus is a 5-week, half-day program for 130 children ages 8-14 that has become not only a huge local event but also a national model for nonprofit municipal partnerships. This year Steve Ginsburg, one of the founders of HartBeat Ensemble, joins the circus in his first year as director. Over the five weeks, participants learn a huge variety of circus skills such as acrobatics, dance, juggling, unicycling, stilt walking, clowning, and visual arts. After deciding on two areas of specialization, the participants train daily and perform for the camp at the end of each week. For the last two weeks of the program, the participants are cast into featured roles in a circus act, and rehearse these acts before performing in front of over 1,000 people. The performance also features the live circus band of local musicians led by Eric Kuhn, costumes by Betsy Spiro, and scenic and prop design by Jason Leinwand.

This year, Oddfellows is asking everyone to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to Amazing Grace Food Pantry. Bring a lawn chair and enthusiasm to Macdonough School and enjoy the spectacle.

Tickets:
Adults $5, Students/Seniors $3

The Children’s Circus is made possible by the Middletown Commission on the Arts, the Middlesex United Way, Middletown Rotary, and Oddfellows Playhouse’s generous supporters.

CIRCUS CIRCUS CIRCUS

Oddfellows Playhouse invites you to explore the magic of the circus this weekend with an EVENING OF CIRCUS - Friday May 20 & Saturday May 21 at 7:30pm.

The Evening of Circus features a performance that is the culmination of a year of training for the CT School of Circus Arts, a collaboration among ARTFARM, Matica Arts and Oddfellows Playhouse, followed by the premiere of the Traveling Circus Company's new show We Work for Ice Cream.

We Work for Ice Cream centers on a group of street kids who live in cardboard boxes. Their rivalries, their fears, their desires and ultimately their love of circus bring them together. It is through circus they find joy, companionship, recognition, and, of course, ice cream! This is a fast-paced, forty-minute show featuring acrobatics, unicycling, juggling, comedy, dance and contortion. The evening is appropriate for all ages.

Performances are set for May 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling 860-347-6143.

AND

The 23rd Children’s Circus of Middletown, presented by the City of Middletown, the Middletown Commission on the Arts and the Middlesex United Way, kicks off in a few weeks and there are still openings in the program.

The Children’s Circus of Middletown is a 5-week, half day summer camp experience perfect for children ages 8 to 14. The camp’s grand finale is a spectacular outdoor circus performance enjoyed by a crowd of more than 1,000!

Each week focuses on different performance skills:

Week 1: Participants will explore acrobatics, dance juggling, unicycling, stilt walking, clowning and visual arts.

Weeks 2 & 3: Participants will choose and specialize in two disciplines above, train daily in these areas and perform at the end of the week.

Weeks 4 & 5: Each participant will be cast into a featured role in a circus act. Students will create and rehearse acts to be performed in the circus show before a large and live audience!!

Date: Monday-Friday, July 5-August 5 Time: 9:00-11:30 a.m. or 12:30 to 3:00 p.m. PERFORMANCE DATE: Friday, August 5 at 5:00 p.m. (Rain date if needed) Saturday, August 6 at 5:00 p.m. Place: Macdonough School, Middletown Cost: $125 for Middletown Residents* $250 for non-Middletown Residents
* - Sliding scale tuition and financial aid available.

Enrollment is LIMITED. CLICK HERE to download a registration form. Applications can be turned in at Oddfellows Playhouse or the Arts Office in Riverview Center.

Summer Is In the Air

Registration now open for Oddfellows' summer programs for students ages 4-20.

Summer Theater based on the World and Work of Eric Carle (Ages 4-7)
Working with professional teaching artists, children will be at the center of the action, writing, acting, painting and creating a new story inspired by the work of the beloved author and illustrator. Students may take one session or both, and get ready to have a very busy time!

Registration forms are available online.

Days: Monday-Friday, 9am-3:30 pm
Session 1: July 11-22 and
Session 2: August 1-12
Location: Oddfellows Playhouse
Tuition: $350 per session
Limit: 15 per age group

Children's Circus of Middletown
Registrations are now being accepted for Oddfellows Playhouse 's 23rd Annual Children's Circus of Middletown - presented by the Middletown Commission on the Arts, the City of Middletown, the Middlesex United Way and Media Sponsor Comcast Cable.

Students train in acrobatics, dance, juggling, unicycling, stilt walking, clowning, balance and visual arts and create a spectacular outdoor circus performance before an audience of over 1,000. Registration for the program is through the Middletown Commission on the Arts KIDS ARTS programs. Applications are available at Oddfellows Playhouse, the Middletown Park and Recreation & Arts Office, the Russell Library and online. Students that do not live in Middletown can participate in the program.

Ages: 8–14
Times: Monday thru Friday, July 5–August 6; 9–11:30 am or 12:30–3 pm
Performance: Friday, August 6, 5 pm (rain date: Saturday, August 7, 5 pm)
Location: Macdonough School
Tuition: $125—Middletown Residents; $250—Non-Middletown Residents

Summer Shakespeare Academy: Romeo and Juliet
An intensive, four week Shakespeare-in-performance program for high school students led by four highly skilled, professional theater artists. The Summer Shakespeare Academy focuses on rigorous theater training directly connected to the performance of one Shakespeare's plays. The program focuses on production, but uses the rehearsal and production processes as a teaching medium as well. Classes in text analysis, for example, will be specific to each student's character development, and classes in stage combat will lay a foundation for performance fight choreography. Interested students must fill out an application and schedule an audition with Jeffery Allen by calling 860-347-6143.

Rehersals: Mondays through Friday, 9am–3:30 pm
July 5-July 29 (Beginning Tuesday July 5)
Performances: July 28-30 at 7 pm
Tuition: $700 (Second child: $500)

Circus Smirkus Founder Speaks Tonight at Russell Library

Oddfellows Playhouse and ARTFARM are pleased to welcome Rob Mermin, founder of the international youth company Circus Smirkus, to Middletown this evening. Rob will kick off his national speaking tour, “Circle of Sawdust: The Mud, Myth, Mayhem and Magic of Circus” tonight at the Russell Library.

PLEASE NOTE: The event will take place in the HUBBARD ROOM at RUSSELL LIBRARY located at 123 Broad Street, Middletown, CT.

The lecture, filled with clips from Hollywood circus feature films and personal stories and made possible by a grant from the Middletown Commission of the Arts, will begin at 7 p.m.

UPDATE: Now that the location is at the RUSSELL LIBRARY, there is no charge for this event.

Renowned Circus Performer Rob Mermin kicks off national tour in Middletown

Oddfellows Playhouse and ARTFARM collaborate on event about the history of the circus

Oddfellows Playhouse and ARTFARM are pleased to announce Rob Mermin, founder of the international youth company Circus Smirkus, will kick off his national speaking tour with an evening of personal anecdotes and film clips on circus history on Monday January 31 at Oddfellows Playhouse located at 128 Washington St. in Middletown.

The lecture, filled with clips from Hollywood circus feature films and personal stories, will begin at 7 p.m. and is made possible by a grant from the Middletown Commission of the Arts.

"It is great that the Middletown Commission on the Arts is making it possible for Rob to come here,” said Jeffery Allen, Producing Artistic Director for Oddfellows Playouse. “The MCA is the sponsor of our Children's Circus of Middletown, in its 23rd year this summer, and ARTFARM's Circus for a Fragile Planet. Rob is kicking off his national tour to raise awareness for youth circus here in Middletown - which shows just how important these programs are. Rob is also leading a workshop with the students of the CT School of Circus Arts - a premiere youth circus program led by artists from ARTFARM and Matica Arts. There is an amazing amount of circus right here in Middletown."

Mermin is an award-winning performer with Copenhagen’s Gold Clown. He has also been awarded Russia’s Best Director Prize and the Governor’s Award of Excellence, Vermont’s highest honor in the arts.

Mermin trained with the renowned mimes Marcel Marceau and Etienne Decroux, and is also a former Dean of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College.

Mermin will delight the audience with stories of running off to join the circus as a teen in the late 60’s. During the next forty years his circus adventures took him clowning with tent shows in Wales, mule wrangling in Lapland with Sweden’s Circus Scott, riding with the Magyars in the Hungarian State Cirkusz, three years with the famous Benneweis Circus Building in Copenhagen, and entertaining royalty in the circus palaces of Europe and Russia.

In 1987, he founded Circus Smirkus, which The Boston Globe called “one of New England’s most treasured cultural and educational resources.”

Tickets are $5.00 and can be purchased by calling the box office at (860) 347-6143, by e-mail at tickets@oddfellows.org or online at oddfellows.org. Ticket sales will benefit Oddfellows' Children's Circus and ARTFARM'S Circus for a Fragile Planet.

The CT School of Circus Arts is a circus training program for students ages 12-18. Students meet on Monday evenings and build skills as jugglers, unicyclists, acrobats, clowns and stilters. The program is led by creative artists of ARTFARM and Matica Arts. This is the only year-round structured circus training program in Connecticut and is designed to serve both beginning and experienced performers. Interested students can visit www.oddfellows.org for more information.

New Winter Circus Program

REGISTER NOW FOR CT SCHOOL OF CIRCUS ARTS AT ODDFELLOWS PLAYHOUSE

Oddfellows Playhouse is registering now for the winter/spring session of the Connecticut School of Circus Arts. Well-known artists Dic Wheeler of Artfarm and Heidi Kirchoffer and Joel Melendez of Matica Arts teach this class of circus skills for ages 12 and up from February 1 to May 22. No previous circus experience is necessary.

The winter/spring session of the Connecticut School of Circus Arts is part of a year-round program of training in juggling, stilting, acrobatics, unicycling, and clowning. Students are introduced to all the skills and then can specialize for a more in-depth experience. Toward the end of the class, students will rehearse for public performances on May 21 and 22.

Classes are held at Oddfellows Playhouse on Mondays from 6:30-9:30 pm. Tuition for the winter/spring session is $250, and the class is limited to 30 students. Full and partial scholarships are available.

Oddfellows Playhouse is located at 128 Washington Street, Middletown. More than just a performing arts program, Oddfellows aims to make a positive difference in the lives of young people by using the arts as tools to build self-confidence, communication skills, a sense of responsibility, and an appreciation for the richness and diversity of the world in which we live. For more information or to reserve a spot in the CT School of Circus Arts, call (860) 347-6143 or register online at www.oddfellows.org.