How a Circus is Born
THE HISTORY OF CIRCUS BELLA
The Idea:
The idea to create Circus Bella came in the summer of 2006 when David Hunt and Abigail Munn were on tour with the Zoppé Family Circus. After a string of long, hot, and tumultuous three-show days, they began to talk about how they could make such a circus, but in their own way.
Could a traditional one-ring style circus be relevant and thrive in the Bay Area’s modern scene? Abigail, who had performed with the Pickle Family Circus in their final outdoor series in Glen Park, was well aware that a history of Circus in the Bay Area still loomed large in its collective psyche. David, inspired by Nyc’ open air circus amok, had hands on production experience working with the Bindlestiff Family Variety Arts, and the New Orleans school of circus arts. Over beers, cigarettes (David), and pasta dishes, they put their heads together and dreamed and plotted what their show could be.
The Vision:
A little over a year later, in the Fall of 2007, they met at the Hard Knox Café in the Bayview to exchange some photos they had taken when working with Zoppé. The dream of having their own circus company had not died. But the logistics were daunting… how on earth would they pull it off? Would audiences come to see the shows? How would they pay for this? They resolved to keep at it with their hearts and mind open while trying to nail down detail after detail. Meanwhile, Abigail excitedly told everyone within earshot.
A few days later, the opportunity came knocking. Abigail received a call from the Bella Winery. They had seen her perform her trapeze act at a mutual friend's wedding, where they had heard that she had a circus. Could her troupe perform at their winery for a two-day event in April? It would be three twenty-minute shows, performed twice over the weekend. Their yet-unborn circus had its first gig but the task would be formidable. She said yes and immediately called David.
Now they had a deadline and immediately got to work. During weekly meetings at Boogaloos on Valencia and 22nd street, and they hashed out what they thought were the essential elements of their new company: performing in a ring, having a live circus band, and finding artists that could come with fully developed acts and proper costumes. Artists also had to be able to participate in some ensemble work: the show would end on a big juggling ensemble – which would be known thereafter as “The Big Juggle.” (Although Abigail had never juggled clubs, she didn’t see that as a major problem...)
But what of the name? They tried Circus Catastrophe, Circus Amongus, and others… but none were satisfactory. In the end, the deadline saved them from their heady selves: the winery had to go to print with promotional material, and they needed the circus’s name. Abigail and David dubbed their company Circus Bella, and vowed a proper name would be found later. Meanwhile, they managed to bring a small group of artists together and started rehearsals at Trapeze Arts in Oakland.
Circus Bella’s old logo
The First Show:
Circus Bella came in exactly three parts then: a newly painted ring tarp, a borrowed small ring curb once used by Make*A* Circus, and a wine barrel. There wasn’t even a curtain. The costumes were an eclectic mix of hand-sewn costumes by Abigail and salvaged old relics from the San Francisco Opera.
The original cast of Circus Bella was made up of six: Abigail Munn on the trapeze; David Hunt on the slack-rope; Ember Bria, contortionist; Bronkar Lee with his beatbox and bounce-juggling acts; and the clowns Jeni Johnson and Scotty Grabel, and a quartet band animated by Ara Anderson, Ralph Carney, Aaron Kierbal, and led by Rob Reich. Come performance weekend, they were unpolished but enthusiastic. Without a curtain to define a backstage, members stood frozen in a tableau when “off-stage.” Lots of clubs were dropped during the Big Juggle finales but with an open mind and an open heart, they gave it their all. Circus Bella walked away with the soul and the nucleus of a vibrant new company.
Then to Now…
As for the name, Circus Bella stuck! “The little circus that could” of David and Abigail’s dreams had become a reality. Over the years, the shows have developed and improved in their contents as well as their presentation, and eventually, Circus Bella became able to undertake a bigger show under a big top with a more elaborate production that you see today.
The Dream:
- to engage diverse audiences by creating a one-ring circus in partnership with a broad array of community organizations
- to provide performance experiences—simultaneously challenging and rewarding—for its diverse artists
