David Eulitt

essays: The Circus Life

Antonio Perez, a seven-year veteran with the Carson & Barnes Circus, drove support stakes into the ground with a sledgehammer for a canopy for the three elephants in the show during Thursday morning's setup for the afternoon and evening show at the johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kan.
  
The crew setting up the big top with the Carson & Barnes Circus worked to unroll the tent fabric off of a truck at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kan. The circus, in its 73rd year of traveling the nation, stopped in Gardner for an afternoon and an evening show.
  
Boris Mendieta of the Carson & Barnes Circus worked on the big top assembly on Thursday morning at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kan for the one-night stop by the circus for an afternoon matinee and evening performance of the circus, in its 73rd year of traveling the nation.
     
  
Marquino Cavallinni of the Carson & Barnes Circus worked to tie together section of the big top canvas during Thursday morning's setup at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kan. The circus stopped in Gardner for an afternoon and evening show before heading to St. Joseph for a three-day show there.
  
The big top took four hours to set up on the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kan. on Thursday morning, in preparation for the two shows by the Carson & Barnes Circus.
   
Aaron Rider of the Carson & Barnes Circus applied his clown makeup outside his trailer before the afternoon matinee show at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kan.
     
  
One of the two camels with the Carson & Barnes Circus waited for an audience during the morning big top assembly on Thursday morning at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kan.
   
Jonathan Vasquez with the Carson & Barson Circus practiced his unicycle balancing on a wire set up outside his trailer on Thursday morning while the big top tent was under assembly at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kan. The circus, in its 73rd year of traveling the nation, held an afternoon and evening performance before heading to St. Joseph for three days of shows staring on Friday.
  
Ana dos Santos, an acrobat and performer with the Carson & Barnes Circus, applied her makeup before the afternoon matinee show on Thursday at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kan.
     
  
Jesus Gonzalez, 10, waited for his performance cue outside the big top tent at the Carson & Barnes Circus at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kan.
  
Ana dos Santos, a performer and acrobat with the Carson & Barnes Circus, waited inside the big top for her cue to enter on Thursday afternoon at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kan.
   
Franchesca Cavallini, nuzzled with her 5-month-old son, Aden, during a costume change break during the afternoon matinee show at the Carson & Barnes Circus at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kan.
     
  
Aaron Rider, in his clown makeup, yawned during a break at the Carson & Barnes Circus at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kan.
   
Ana dos Santos, left, and Gabiella Hernandes, center, both performers with the Carson & Barnes Circus, wait for their cue to enter the big top in the afternoon matinee show on the spinning pendulum on Thursday afternoon at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Gardner, Kan.
   
     
  
Elephant rides were part of the attractions away from the big top at the Carson & Barnes Circus on Thursday at the Johnson County Fiargrounds in Gardner, Kan.