“Running away to join the circus”: A New Philadelphia native did so after being originally inspired by the Lewis and Clark Circus, which is currently performing in the area

  • by Jennifer Kneuss
  • May 20, 2013
  • 448
                        
Summary: It may sound risky to “run away with the circus”, but New Philadelphia native Logan Jacot did just that nine years ago. Now, the circus that originally inspired him and is now owned by his close friends, is returning to the Tuscarawas County Fairgrounds in Dover. Although Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey is probably the most well-known circus, there are dozens of smaller family circuses still playing under The Big Top at fairgrounds and other hometown venues across the nation. One local young man took one look at a circus and was hooked. At age 14, Logan Jacot “ran away with the circus”. “I saw a production of the Lewis and Clark Circus company which caused me to want to join the circus myself,” explained Jacot, now 23. Logan’s mother set a stipulation: that he continue with his high school education online and graduate from New Philadelphia High School. And so Jacot entered the world of circus performance, self-teaching himself the act of contortion. A car accident caused him to have to take a break, so he developed his skills as a fire eater as well as walking on glass and beds of nails. Along the way, he performed with Lewis and Clark, the circus that first sparked his interest, as well as Cirque Dreams, the Cole Brothers Circus, and the World of Wonders Sideshow. For two years, he even had his own traveling show, which he called Circus Vera. Along the way he made many good friends in the industry. Last year, Jacot heard from his friend Bob Childress, the owner of Lewis and Clark, that Childress was thinking of selling the circus. Jacot contacted his good friends and fellow circus performers, Vandier dos Reis and Lena Timenova, who he had worked with in the Cole Brothers, and encouraged them to buy the company. They made the deal in November 2012, and his “circus sister”, Lorelei Owens, became the ringmaster. “The rest, as they say, is history,” said Jacot, who recently “accepted a low level management job on Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, which is now owned by Feld Entertainment and also produces Disney on Ice.” The Lewis and Clark Circus, which originally inspired and eventually employed Jacot, is appearing at the Tuscarawas County Fairgrounds Thursday and Friday, May 23 and 24 at 5 and 7:30 PM each night. Although Jacot is currently in Mexico and cannot attend the performances, he is still “thrilled that the show is coming to my ‘hometown’.” According to Ringmaster Owens, the small, family owned and fully family friendly show is comprised of 13 people and employs about 30 people overall. Juggling, aerial silks and nets, clowns, and animal acts all combine, from the opening amazing hula hoop act to the finale with the Valeiras Family of Argentina and their ‘Perch Pole’ performance, to continue to delight ‘children of all ages’. The owners’ daughter, Liza Reis, is the youngest performer at age eight, and presents the goat act. Everyone from the six different nationalities represented in the show has to do multiple tasks, not just performing but also helping with putting up and taking down the tent, selling concessions, keeping fans posted on Facebook, and caring for the animals, which include a friendly camel who gives pre-show rides. “Our animals are a very important part of the circus. Circus provides an opportunity to see how intelligent the animals are, so people can see why conservation and care of the animal is important. Animals on our show are part of our family, very much so,” said Owens, who holds a degree in Political Science from Bowling Green University but has chosen the circus life. “The best part – for me, it’s the family, the community of the circus. I’ve always loved small towns and also loved travel. This is my way to get both. The Cole Brothers’ ringmaster used to call us ‘the town that travels at night’,” she explained. “It’s a lot of work, but we enjoy it and love it. For some, it may be hard to be away from family, but for most, they travel with their family, this is their whole life and it has been forever.”


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