Family Circus
or Paul Binder, wife Kat-
ja Schumann and chil-
dren Katherine and
Max, the circus goes be-
yond family entertain-
ment. It's the family
enterprise.
Paul Binder, founder and artis-
tic director of the Big Apple Cir-
cus, is ringmaster. Katja
Schumann, who was recruited for
the show before the personal re-
lationship developed, stars on
horseback. Katherine, 10, does
acrobatics, and Max, 8, performs
with the animal acts.
This year's theme, "Grandma
Meets Mummenschanz," teams
circus regulars with the interna-
tionally traveled Swiss mime act,
which masquerades as objects in-
stead of people.
Grandma, however, is not a
member of the Binder family.
Grandma is clown Barry Lubin,
whose character has frolicked in
other big-top productions.
"This is a unique circus in
America because we have a clas-
sical, one-ring, theatrical-style,"
said Mr. Binder, who works with
a core company and scouts new
ers and the Hopkins Repertory
Theatre.
After earning a master's de-
gree in business administration
at Columbia University, he
worked as a TV stage manager
for Julia Child's "The French
Chef," was a talent scout for Mery
Griffin and became a juggler
through studies with the San
Francisco Mime Troupe.
Mr. Binder began his circus ca-
reer as a juggler in Europe, de-
cided to bring the foreign
traditions to the States and
launched the nonprofit company
•
unit that works and lives togeth-
er, more in the style of an agri-
cultural or maritime family.
"The difficult side is that we
live in a trailer nine months a
year, but I'd make the tradeoff
any time."
The Binders have two homes
— one in South Carolina and an-
other north of New York City.
During winter breaks, they are
asked to join the troupe at age 5, in the South so the animals can
continuing the line of horse-rid- have a warm environment. Dur-
ing performers. In her debut, she ing summer breaks, they are in
literally appeared as a shrunken their
northern
residence.
When
the circus
is on hiatus,
version of her mother. During a the children attend neighborhood
horse washing skit staged by the schools. When they are on the
clowns, mother disappeared into road, they are insrructed, thong
a so-called washing
machine
on with the other children traveling
horseback,
and daughter
came
with the show, by a teacher ad-
out on a pony.
After watching his sister in the ministering an accredited pro-
ring, Max also wanted to take gram -- the One-Ring School
House.
part, and this year he has fun ca-
"The kids in this environment
vorting with the ducks.
grow up with an enormous sense
children
really
love being
in "Our
the show,
but
whether
they of self-worth and discipline, so
when they go into other environ-
grow
to be Mr.
performers
remains
to be up
seen,"
Binder said.
"If ments they feel very comfortable,"
Mr. Binder said. "They tend to be
they continue to love it and are
good at it, then we can encourage much more flexible about where
it. If they don't enjoy it, we they are and how they are able to
wouldn't think of putting them in fit in.
"Wherever they are, they get
the Mr.
ring."
Binder believes that haw- an opportunity to visit cultural
institutions. In Boston, they wis-
ing the children in the circus
strengthens family relationships.
it the
New England they
Aquarium,
is that and
in Washington
see the
The great advantage
"The
we're with the children all the Smithsonian
the the monu-
ments. They and
get to all see
riches
time," he said. "We don't go off to
work. They grow up as part of a of all
the Binders
places also
we go."
The
get new per-
spectives on religious services as
the troupe travels, particularly
Left:
A family affair: Max Schumann, Katja
at holiday time. They always at-
Schumann, Max, Katherine and Paul
tend a public seder for the first
Binder.
night of Passover and enjoy a
family seder for the second night.
Below:
The youngsters are always taken
The Big Apple's Katja Schumann and
to Purim services.
friend.
FAMILY CIRCUS page 73
Family members will spotlight talent each season. "The special
their talents at Meadow Brook element brought by Mummen-
on the grounds of Oakland Uni- schanz, which normally doesn't
versity, where an air-conditioned, work in circuses, is fantasy."
The Big Apple Circus annual-
big-top tent will stand June 16-
ly
performs for 12 weeks at Lin-
27 as the backdrop for an all-new
coln
Center in New York and
show, the 17th since the circus
goes
on
tour in the Northeast and
was established in 1977.
Midwest.
Taking part in the troupe's sec-
ond visit to Michigan are
trapezist Elena Panova, ping-
pong juggler Arturo Alegria and
comic elephant trainer Ben
Williams, among many others
with fresh acts.
Mr. Binder, who coordinates
the entertainment, traces his se-
rious interest in the performing
arts back to his student years at
Dartmouth College, where his ex-
SUZANNE CHESSLER
tracurricular activities included
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
acting with the Dartmouth Play-
Being on the road
keeps the Binder
family together all
the time.
supported by corpo-
rate and individual
gifts. With the circus
growth over the
years, the number of
staff members has
grown to 250.
"The focus is on
the artistry," he said.
The circus lineage
in the Binder clan de-
rives from the Schu-
mann side of the
family, which is from
Denmark. Katja
Schumann is a fifth-
generation enter-
tainer who coaxed
her father, Max, out
of retirement in 1992
to train the Big Apple
horses.
Katherine Binder