Jeryl Brunner profiles people who are guided by a deep and unshakable passion for what they do. Following their joy inspires them to think outside the box, take risks and triumph. Her publishing credits includes O, the Oprah Magazine, Parade, The Wall Street Journal, InStyle, Travel Leisure and more.
Sara Gruen was about a third of the way through her"springboard book”—a novel that she couldn’t bring herself to finish—when she stumbled upon the Edward J. Kelty photo Congress of Freaks in the Chicago Tribune. The photo that so intrigued her became the inspiration for the setting of what would become her supernova novel,“Kelty made his own camera and the negatives were huge.
She began her quest in Baraboo, Wisconsin, the original home of the Ringling Bros. Circus. Then she visited the Ringling Museum in Sarasota. “I was sneaking into elephant enclosures, which was a pretty bad idea. But it was really fun,” says Gruen., tells the story of a circus troupe and their animals in the midst of the depression. Despite very challenging times, those who make up the Benzini Bros. Circus are on a journey to not only survive but somehow thrive while finding love and community.
The circus is a key piece of the production. “Because this vibrant chapter in Jacob’s life takes place at a circus, we thought, we must have a circus,” says director Jessica Stone. “The music spans anywhere from traditional circus melodies to patter song a la Cab Calloway to folksy stuff, to traditional musical theater,” says Paul Alexander Nolan who plays August."What is consistent throughout is that it's hard to figure out where it will go. I find that exciting because it's so unusual.”
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