The Pickle Family Circus
Posters by Zoë Leader
“I grew up watching the Pickle Family Circus come to Glen Park every summer. My first entrance to the Circus Ring was at age 9 when I performed as a Pickle Family Circus Kid” at the company’s final outdoor summer show. Although the Pickle family circus is no more, the memories, magic and culture from those performances set the foundation for the Circus Bella company today.” -Abigail
Pickle Family Circus poster featuring classic clowns, juggling, acts, and the diverse people of their community.
On the Life and Times of the
Pickle Family Circus
In 1974, the Pickle Family Jugglers (Peggy Snyder, Larry Pisoni, and Cecil Mackinnon) and the then radical guerilla political theatre troupe known as the San Francisco Mime Troupe joined forces to found the Pickle Family Circus. It would be the circus of its times and galvanized by the once again current belief that there is a necessary intersection between political discourse and art.
Their new company laid the foundation for a sensational new style of circus that drew on the politics and accessibility of the Mime Troupe as well as the techniques and traditions of Ring-styled-performance and Circus acts. In structure, they deviated sharply from past Circuses and set out to explore more intimate and personal experiences for their audience and their company.
For the company, this meant there were no animals, no chorus girls, and no divisions of labor. The company worked as a cooperative. In the collective spirit, each show ended in the signature “the Big Juggle” in which all company members participate in a full company club pass act. Everyone helped set-up and tear-down and took an active part in decisions and business regarding the running of the show.
The circus also excelled in moving beyond just a means of standard entertainment for its audience. It became a direct actor in its community and performed at local venues such as community centers, preschools and daycares, and public events. Furthermore, many of the shows were designated community fundraisers which drew people together and sought very actively to prioritize giving back. Generally, the circus shared their advanced ticket sales with local sponsors while the local sponsors helped the circus advertise their show and prepare the venue.The model became very successful as the Pickle Family Circus became a reliable anticipated event year after year. The company was based in the church on the corner of 19th Street and Missouri Street in Potrero Hill of SF.
The first show was in May of 1975 in the gymnasium of John O'Connell School in their hometown San Francisco. The following year the Pickles, with a grant from the NEA, embarked on their first 5 city tour which gradually was expanded to a full summer tour mostly up and down route 101. A few years later, their show expanded to Alaska and eventually would even briefly debut in London.
The Pickle Family Circus was very famous for their clowns. In the early years, the circus boasted Larry Pisoni, Bill Irwin, and Geoff Hoyle, later to be followed by Joan Mankin, John Gilke, Jeff Raz and Dianne Wasnic (among many others). Given that they are engaging meta-characters in a performance, clowns were always central to the Pickle performance. One could always expect spectacular multiple cameo appearances throughout the show, hilarious interactions with the other artists, and delightful audience connection.
The Pickle Family Circus grew to be immensely influential. Their work set the stage and laid the foundation for a new movement in Circus that would later inspire many renowned companies such as Cirque du Soleil, Big Apple Circus, Circus Flora, and many more. The Pickle Family Circus also touched the performance culture closer to home. Since 1976, their Bay Area tradition of outdoor accessible performances during the summer and fall endured and flourished, and continues to be practiced by Make*A*Circus. Thanks to The Pickle Family Circus, the Bay Area’s children can continue to expect to encounter the magic and escapism and delight of Circus in even their local parks.
Catch the Pickles in Action:
Circus Bella: Moving Forward
Circus Bella is proud to continue the spirit and tradition of its predecessor and has taken up permanent residence in the Bay. Many of the signatures of the Pickle Family Circus have carried over to Circus Bella. The full company arrives early to set up the show and there is little hierarchy in the division of labor. The Pickle Family Circus’ fantastic vision of a live band and the variety of acts such as slack rope, trapeze, tumbling and group acrobatics are now also staples of the Circus Bella experience. Our shows also are notably animal free and always conclude with Circus Bella’s own tribute to the Big Juggle. In the community, Circus Bella continues to work with the themes the Pickle Family Circus established. Many of Circus Bella’s performances touch on familiar locations. For example, on July 10th, 2010, Circus Bella performed one of its early shows nearby on the John O’Connell soccer field which is right by the Pickle Family Circus’ first performance! The free shows through the Summer months, though do not directly fundraise, showcase the parks, neighborhoods and communities along the Bay Area performing route. For many families, the annual visit has become an anchor point in the year.
It is also important to remember that it is a different time and our company is a product of a different generation. We are inspired by the past but forge our own new way forward in the industry. While the creative process is definitely a collaboration amongst the artists involved - I describe us more as a director-led ensemble. I have an idea for the show I want to create and then I bring it to the artists to hash out during the rehearsal process.
And then, thinking more logistically, like in every industry, the cost of doing business has increased. Although I have never seen the Pickle Family Circus financial records, I expect that we pay more in insurance, payroll taxes and permits than they did. We are not able to tour as widely as the Pickles once did. Housing, transportation and travel costs for 22 people is expensive. (The pickles all camped behind the ring - not a realistic situation for today’s artists). Our company business structure is also a bit different. Currently, myself and the board of directors are responsible for the business aspects of the organization.
Next and new adventures for Bella our newest venture toward performing in a tent - a perfect union between the unpredictableness and aliveness of the outdoors but now we can have lights, seats, and no wind (at least when you are inside!).