Why I grew up and became a circus performer in Dallas

by Ben Farmer

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It's all about the rush.

DALLAS — I grew up and became a circus performer. Yeah, that's what I do as a part-time gig with the Side Street Circus. Allow me to tell you a little bit about this passion I've developed over the past year – a job filled with magic, music, and mind reading, among other things.

A few years ago, I began apprenticing with Gerald Edmundson, owner and manager of the Side Street Circus, which has been around since 1982. I first met Gerald on March 26, 2008, and before I knew it, his mentorship and friendship eventually made me fit to be a member of the Side Street Circus.

My first performance was in late April 2009 at the German Festival in Muenster, Texas. Prior to this I had no experience doing stage magic. Though Gerald taught me once a week for about 7 months, the German Festival ushered in a whole new experience: 200 people or more staring at me – instead of just Gerald’s dog Max. I was horrified. I had plenty of stage experience from doing plays in high school, and I also had a lot of close up magic experience performing for friends at college parties, but neither of those really eased the edge. The only thing that didn’t keep me from standing up there stuttering like Elmer Fudd was practice. I had practiced this performance with the same pattern and movements more than 100 times. Now I had to do it with an audience.

I stepped on stage, swallowed the baseball-size lump in my throat, and began pulling out three small red balls, my hat, and my wand. Before I knew it, my performance was done and the audience was applauding. I was in love.

I could have kept doing stage magic and saved myself some stress, but the allure of something more beckoned me. Next thing I know, I'd agreed to work with Gerald and learn to escape from a strait jacket in two minutes or less. I needed to perform an act that our variety group didn't already have. Since Gerald had been performing magic longer than I'd been alive, I figured he had it covered. Besides, I was limber and foolish enough to give the strait jacket a go.

I began learning a strait jacket escape. The escape is when two volunteers from the audience strap me into the jacket as tight as they can and I have to escape in 2 minutes or less. It was a bit of gamble to be sure I could make it out of the strait jacket on time – or at all.

The first time I successfully did it live, I experienced this trance-like rush: It’s not an adrenaline rush; it's almost like meditating, except the state of complete awareness happens whilst doing strenuous physical activity. The rush is addicting, I realized after my first successful attempt. One year since my first escape, I've now successfully performed it live several times with the Side Street Circus.

At a recent event for Denton’s Kaleidoscope program, the troupe and I set out to entertain kids and their parents at a summertime show. The show, thankfully, never needs to be adapted to a certain audience and is always family friendly. And the show began: First, Rodney (who goes by the stage name Ooops the Juggler) warms up the crowd with a juggling act. Then, Andy (whose stage name is Pepe) rolls out his musical act, which includes playing multiple instruments, some at the same time. Next is Gerald (Giacamo) and his magic act, which includes some of magic's hardest and most beautiful classical routines, with some of the silliest and most corny jokes. I finish out the show with my strait jacket routine, all under the current stage name of Farini. I made it out in time, which is all that matters. And despite the huge grin I'm always wearing after a feat like that, we finish the set with a final song and a bow.

For my part-time job, I attempt to make kids and parents clap and cheer with delight – and I'm proud to say it pretty much always works. I wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world.

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