Above: Pachyderm parade: "The elephants seem to know if they're performing or
rehearsing," says Sussman. "When nobody is in the audience, they kind of walk
through what they do with no energy. When there's an audience, their trunks are up
and they're having a great time."

Although sideshows had declined
toward the latter half of the 20th centu-
ry because public opinion deemed them
exploitative, Sussman feels this new
lineup does not take advantage of the
people hired to draw larger audiences.
"The circus is more about exploring
people's talents than exploiting people
for who they are," Sussman says. "It's
got a different orientation than most
people think when they think of a
sideshow Kahn is the tallest man on
earth, and he supports the two small-
est performing acrobats as they do
their act."
When Sussman got the call with
the circus job offer, she didn't know
what to expect, but she found one
.
pleasant surprise after another.
"It's a big family," she says. "We
live with each other, work with each
other and do just about everything
with each other, including riding the
roller coasters in towns with amuse-
ment parks. We swap books and
videos and share everything. We live
on the train so I have a room there,
and we have a kitchen and washer and
dryer so I can cook and clean. "
Sussman, who grew up with cats,
has made the big leap to being with
elephants.
"Every once in a while, I'll look up
and say, 'That's an elephant over
there,"' Clown Marni explains. "We've
got 12 of them, and I know them by
name and say 'hi' when I pass them.
The elephants seem to know if they're
performing or rehearsing. When
nobody is in the audience, they kind
of walk through what they do with no

energy. When there's an audience,
their trunks are up and they're having
a great time.
"The animals are treated like any
other performer. They're on the same
train. After the show is finished in
whatever town, we walk them from
the building to the train and load
them up. When we get to the next
town, we walk them from the train to
the building. There's somebody with
them 24 hours a day on the train."
Because Sussman loved the circus as
a child, she gives child spectators special
attention. She has become a pen pal of
a number of young people, and she is
among the group that applies makeup
in front of the audience before the actu-
al show to dispel fears about the nature
of clowns. She shows frightened chil-
dren her hands under the gloves to
demonstrate that clowns are just people
wearing makeup and costumes.
"My childhood was based in love
and humor, and I believe that's a huge
part of my Judaism," Sussman says.
"My main goal is to be happy with
who I am and make as many other
people as I can happy." ❑

bi

Performances of Ringling Bros.
and Barnum & Bailey Circus
will take place at Detroit's Joe
Louis Arena 7:30 p.m. Thursday,
Oct. 7; 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8;
11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:30
p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9; and 1 and
5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 10. $9.75-
$30. (313) 983-6606.

Free Opera Talks 1 Hour
Prior to each Performance

313-237-SING
or

TicketMaster at

248-645-6666

cWr" : 1

The 1999 Fall Season is made possible by
Ford Motor Company

Opening Night
Sponsored by
Ameritech

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Media Partner

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eomg:.

10/1
1999

Detroit Jewish News

79