The big top will soon rise in Butler as the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus arrives on Monday, May 19, sponsored by the Butler Lions Club. Tina “Skeeter” Bausch, advance clown for Culpepper & Merriweather, visited several local schools and entertained the children at Clear Fork Christian Preschool on Monday, May 12, to spread the good news.
Bausch fascinated the children at Clear Fork Christian Preschool with her clownish antics, even giving a quick lesson in balance using her pal, “Macaroni,” a peacock feather.
Butler Lions Club Vice President Gary Mathes said of the circus, “We consider it a service to the community. It’s a nice little family circus. Families seem to really enjoy it.”
All funds raised by the Lions Club from the circus will be returned to the community via the many Lions Club projects, noted Mathes.
Bausch said the circus features several animal acts, “There’s something for everyone. We’ve got lions and tigers with us this year.” She added there are horse acts and dogs from around the world.
“At 9:30, circus morning, you are invited to come out and watch us raise the big top up,” said Bausch. “Now, we do it the real old fashioned way. We don’t have elephants with us; our men do it all by hand.”
Bausch noted this is the 221st anniversary of the American circus. “We’re only 17 years younger than the United States of America,” she added. “There’s nothing that has grown up, helped with the economics, the enlightenment, the entertainment, the education like the circus. For many years, we were the traveling science fair.”
The Culpepper & Merriweather Circus calls Hugo, Oklahoma home. The circus tours eight months of the year, from March through October, visiting as many as 243 cities and towns.
Bausch, who has been “clowning around” for 30 years, said she holds her MBA, “Master of Buffoonery Arts” from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. “From our class, we still have the most folks clowning of any class that graduated,” she added.
“The difference between a circus clown and the clown you normally see is that we are trained in the circus arts. We are trained in pantomime and slapstick. We know how to deliver a gag,” Bausch said.
“We are also the lifeguards of the circus. If something does go wrong, they send us in to take the attention away, so that whatever has gone wrong they can get fixed quickly or people moved out, that type of thing,” she continued.
The Culpepper & Merriweather Circus has a reputation for leaving their performance grounds in as good a, or sometimes even better, condition than they found it. “We are families performing for families,” said Bausch. “We want the area to be as safe for our children and family as we do for the communities that we are invited into.”
Show times are 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 19. The circus will be held on the Butler Elementary School grounds, located at 125 College Street, Butler. Advance tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children 2-12 years old. Tickets on the day of the event are $13 for adults and $7 for children 2-12 years old.
Advance tickets may be purchased by calling 866-BIGTOP6 or at Butler Elementary School; Richland Bank, Lexington Branch; Richland Bank, Cook Road Branch; Richland Bank, Butler Branch; Whiffletree Restaurant; Bellville Elementary School; Smith’s True Value Hardware and Stoodt’s Market.
Clear Fork Christian Preschool is located at 115 Main Street, Butler. The preschool will hold Open House on Wednesday, May 14 from 6-8 p.m. Open Registration will be at that time for the 2014-2015 school year.
“At 9:30, circus morning, you are invited to come out and watch us raise the big top up,” said Tina “Skeeter” Bausch. “Now, we do it the real old fashioned way. We don’t have elephants with us; our men do it all by hand.”
