The circus lives on in Zoppe Italian Family Circus

By John Showalter

Hitting the road with a traveling circus sounds like something from one of yesteryear’s comedies, does it not? Or perhaps a tragicomic opera, a la “Pagliacci,” or a Sunday morning comic strip. That sort of bohemian lifestyle seems like one that receives plenty of media portrayal but is far from our realm of experience. Personally, I thought the circus was a dying form of entertainment.

However, Fargoan Aimee Klein assures me that’s far from the case, and that it’s even undergoing a resurgence, as she has recently returned from touring the country under the big top. She has been fascinated with the circus since childhood, so when the opportunity arose in August for her to take the show on the road, it wasn’t even a question of if but when. Of course, her previous background in theater and improv would be a boon in this undertaking, as she was already used to performing for an audience.

The company she joined is called Zoppe Italian Family Circus. It’s a family affair that dates all the way back to 1842 and has been passed down ever since, with three siblings currently carrying on the tradition. Their father even appeared in a 1952 film about the circus called “The Greatest Show on Earth.”

It’s a smaller act, not like the gigantic enterprises of groups like Barnum and Bailey, with their cacophony of elephants, lions and trapeze artists. Some of the performances that Zoppe puts on are actually inspired by a centuries-old Italian circus and clowning tradition called commedia dell’arte, which introduced such stock characters as the harlequin and remains beloved to this day.

The show does include some animals, but nothing as exotic as the three-ring circus fare. Rather, the show incorporates dogs performing tricks and dancing, as well as impressive equestrian performances. Knowing about the flak that circuses have received from animal welfare groups nowadays, I couldn’t help but ask Klein whether the company or she has had any altercations with groups like PETA. She says that even though with a smaller act like this you will still get the occasional naysayer, it doesn’t happen frequently. Besides, she says in rebuttal to accusations of animal mistreatment, the four-legged performers in the show are practically extended family of the members of the Zoppe company.

Klein did pre-show entertainment in order to draw in the crowds (“Come one, come all!”), which would often number from 250-300 people depending on the size of the establishment. Fairs were the common performing grounds, not stadiums, after all. But that considered, the numbers brought in were impressive. She was encouraged to engage in banter with the audience, which is where the improv experience really paid off. Not only that, but she is really handy with an accordion, lending musical accompaniment to the proceedings. She says in the future she is hoping to learn other tricks of the trade such as juggling.

The constant traveling and sometimes daily shows would keep Klein and company very busy. Instead of wagons and train cars, the modern age means that the Zoppe Circus can travel in trailers and airstreams. However, there still was the business of setting up the tent. “It was very hard work,” she recalled, “but in time I could hammer in a spike as good as any of the guys.” By night, the performers would often barricade an area around the big top with the trailers and cook meals and socialize outside before returning to the trailers for the night. Oftentimes, the gracious hosts of the circus would provide food for the performers as well. “It was very bohemian,” she said. “We were like a beautiful family.” She remarked how she would see that many people were born into the business and that it was quite wonderful to watch.

In December the circus life will again call Aimee’s name as the company departs yet again after her short respite in Fargo, this time to the southwestern U.S., particularly Arizona. Some people grow restless sitting still, and Klein is obviously one of them. I’m sure that Zoppe will break a leg this coming tour. At the very least, Klein will be given free rein to a wanderlust that I rarely see.

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For more info on the Zoppe Family Circus: http://www.zoppe.net/