Saturday, October 16, 2021

Clown College 1994 Faculty Show: Mike Smith


Here is a short act performed by Mike Smith at the Clown College 1994 Faculty Show in the historic Al Ringling Theater located in Baraboo, WI.

Ringling moved the Clown College to Baraboo from Venice, FL in 1993. The program was located at Circus World Museum, which is the former Winter Quarters of the Ringling Bros. 

1994 was the final year with Steve Smith as the dean; Dick Monday took over for the final three years: 1995 in Baraboo and 1996 and 1997 in Sarasota, FL.

Mike Smith was a graduate of the 1989 Clown College class, and he went on to spend two years with the Ringling Red Unit. He and his wife, Lara Heidtman Smith, also came back on the road with Red for six months during the 2000 season after almost the entire Alley (all but three of sixteen) from the previous year had not renewed their contracts.

Mike has performed in many different venues with his friend, CC classmate, and Red Unit Alley mate, Jay Stewart, and he also spent a short amount of time clowning on the Kelly Miller Circus in 2008, filling in for their clown who had not arrived in the country yet.

Jeff Jenkins (CC class of 86 grad, Blue Unit clown for two years, and founder of the Midnight Circus along with his wife Julie Jenkins), can be seen acting as emcee at the beginning of the video. 

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