"Circle of Sawdust" with Rob Mermin March 7, 2011

Mendocino Center for Circus Arts, a local non-profit organization, is proud to present Rob Mermin in "Circle of Sawdust”. Come hear his illustrated tales of wacky characters and wild escapades.

Founder of the international youth company Circus Smirkus, Rob promises an entertaining evening of personal anecdotes and film clips on circus history. Included in the presentation will be clips from 25 Hollywood circus feature films. There will be special bonus performances by Mendocino's own CircusMecca Youth Troupe at the beginning of the show.

Mermin ran 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.” Mermin is an award-winning performer, with Copenhagen’s Gold Clown, 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.

One show only! For more information call 707 397 5397 or email circus@CircusMecca.org. Websites of interest are www.CircusMecca.org, www.RobMermin.com  www.CircusSmirkus.org