“We’re not Cirque du Soleil, we’re… this…”
…he said while gesturing towards the ship which also served as the stage. The introduction might’ve been well-practiced by this late point of the tour, but the sentiment still rang true. A heartfelt invitation to imagine “another moment in time” and be entertained by: the traveling river circus.
I’d only met Jason the day before, but even I could sense a change as he got the show underway. He wasn’t just a performer or character, but a person clearly doing what they loved. Someone sharing their creation while excitedly walking the audience through some of the more frequently asked questions:
Yes, the boat does travel on water
It sails a little faster than walking speed
Some of the crew sleeps on board
A total of nine performers (and a baby) are on the tour
There is also a converted school bus that travels by land to support them
Jason had been kind enough to let me swing by when his Flotsam River Circus docked on the Cincinnati shore. I was so taken with the the notion of a river-traversing circus that I developed a new personal policy: If you’re an independent circus that comes to town (especially one who travels via unique means of locomotion), I will deliver local beer and snacks to you via my bicycle…
…if you let me hang out with you.
The Queen City welcome wagon.
When I first saw news of Flotsam’s impending arrival via Reddit,
There was actually something interesting on the Cincinnati subreddit. Weird, right?
something clicked in my head. Reading over the circus’ website, I immediately felt an appreciation. Not only for what these folks were doing, but what they were giving. I really hate the term “whimsical,” but perhaps it’s truly the best adjective in this case.
Damnit. Nothing else says it better. This shit was truly “whimsical.”
These performers were reviving a lost tradition, not in pursuit of nostalgic profit like so many things these days, but because it simply brought joy from place-to-place. In return, they accepted donations, but before each show they also made it very clear: even if one wasn’t able to give, everyone was welcome to join in. A free show for all.
Kalan Sherrard, a.k.a. "Enormous Face" (LEFT), and Jason Webley (RIGHT).
As water lapped against the hull and Jason made some repairs to the ship on a Friday afternoon, I pestered him and fellow performer, Kalan Sherrard (a.k.a. “Enormous Face”), with questions. This was the first tour where Flotsam hadn’t been “pirates.” Now an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit, this was their fifth time out on America’s rivers, but their first on the Ohio. Having traveled 450 miles so far by the time they reached Cincinnati, they’d started back in Pittsburgh and were ultimately headed west towards Paducah, KY. Stopping at river towns of every kind and size along the way.
Jason Webley, Flotsam’s founder, said he’d always felt a poetic connection to rivers. A former touring musician who hails from Seattle, he’d been to Cincinnati before, but was most looking forward to Sawyer Point. The city’s iconic riverfront park which features a stadium-like, Roman coliseum-evoking, serpentine wall along the riverfront. The kind of setting that’s just perfect for a circus that travels (and performs) via boat.
I hadn’t been able to see Friday night’s show, an affair ultimately mired by rain, but on Saturday night: the crowd had turned out under a deep blue, picturesque late summer/early autumn sky. Jason made sure to shout out the folks he’d recognized from the night before. The ones who had been rain-soaked, but enthusiastically returned to cheer on the circus again.
As I photographed the show, I knew that I’d also need to come back. To experience the whole performance with full attention and intention.
Egypt abides.
So, on Sunday night—my partner, my dog, and I took a seat at Sawyer Point for the final Cincinnati show. When it all came to an end—and the crowd offered a standing ovation—Jason approached the microphone and shouted: “Thank you, Cincinnati!”
His scream echoed in a way you might expect from an experienced musician, but maybe not one you’d usually find from the ringleader of a circus. It was that of a rockstar. One who was feeling the love from a crowd that appreciated not just his creation—but also his crew, the show they’d put on, and the happiness they’d delivered. All of it having arrived via the river.
A week later, the circus’ songs are still stuck in my head.
Thank you to Jason, Karan, and the entire Flotsam crew for visiting Cincinnati, and, taking some time to chat with me.
If you’d like to support Flotsam River Circus via donation and/or learn more about them: visit their website.
