Sayde Osterloh didn’t seem too traumatized that the flatbed truck — the one the Up Up Up Crane Truck Circus has been using for both locomotion and as a stage since the beginning of its summer tour — is currently broken down in front of the Whidbey Island Community Center, awaiting a tow and a pricey new transmission.
Shortly before a performance in the parking lot of the Bellingham Circus Guild on Wednesday, Aug. 24, Osterloh — who’s more than eight months pregnant and was dressed in the mustachioed and sequined guise of her alter ego, DAN (of Dan’s Magical Mystical Vegas Variety Revue and Cabaret Show) — ruminated that although the breakdown put an unexpected wrinkle in the nonprofit’s plans, it didn’t stop them from moving forward.
Within one day, Osterloh said, Up Up Up found a portable aerial rig and a smaller flatbed trailer to borrow, meaning the seven-person troupe will be able to finish its remaining performances, which take place through Labor Day weekend at outdoor venues in Washington and Oregon. They’ll return to the Bellingham area to kick off the three-day Sh’Bang! Festival Friday, Sept. 2 at the Lookout Arts Quarry, and will set up shop at the Guemes Island General Store for their final gig of the season on Sunday, Sept. 4.
Although the temporary loss of the crane truck means audiences won’t see aerialists or a 100-year-old baby grand piano held up by the crane, spirits didn’t seem dampened by the large all-ages crowd who gathered underneath sunny summer skies Wednesday night.
As the emcee DAN, Osterloh hilariously moved the action along as fellow performers executed feats involving a dizzying array of hula-hoops, blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em magic tricks and astounding aerial acts, all while taking turns playing various instruments and singing. (For obvious reasons, Osterloh is taking a break from the trapeze for the time being.)
As a member of Up Up Up and also of the Bellingham Circus Guild, Osterloh is known for bringing both humor and humanity to the forefront. It’s something she does on purpose, and with intent.
“I love making people laugh and bringing joy and smiles to them,” she said. “I bring a childish vulnerability into the mix that feels tangible, rather than ‘Oh, there’s a circus artist doing this thing that is really hard and difficult.’ There can be a wall between the audience and the performers. I find my goal is to bridge that gap and bring the audience into being a part of the show more.”
Those in attendance at the Wednesday night gig responded with enthusiasm to Osterloh’s direction, whether they were being asked to yell “woah woah,” sing along to an original song about the marvels of a household mop, or run through the crowd with a playing card held aloft as part of an elaborate card trick that only ended when the show did.
Osterloh and fellow Up Up Up performers Matthew “Poki” McCorkle, Sari Breznau, Cuream Jackson, Jill Marissa, Noa Schnitzer and Tanya Gagne operate as a team, and it’s obvious they’ve got each other’s backs — literally, as the aerial acts rely upon ropes pulled by fellow cast members to help them upwards and support is always needed.
And although they’re seasoned circus pros, they all manage to convey a sense of newness and wonder when they take to the stage, as if they’ve never done this before and are just now realizing they can twirl 10 hula-hoops on their torsos, twist their limbs into pretzel-like formations while in the air, or balance on hand-sized pieces of wood while doing upside-down splits.
All Up Up Up shows are by donation — they want everyone to be able to attend no matter what their financial situation is — but with a $10,000 price tag on the fix for the crane truck and a wish to keep spreading circus cheer in outdoor venues throughout the Pacific Northwest, attendees and fans should consider chipping in for the cause.
A GoFundMe account has been created to help with the repairs and cash is collected after each gig, so if you attend remaining shows, pay what you are able to.
Trust me, it’ll be worth every cent.
Although Up Up Up’s season is coming to an end, Osterloh said Bellingham Circus Guild’s popular monthly variety show, “Vaudevillingham,” will at long last be returning to the Circus Guild stage Thursday, Sept. 15.
“It’s been missed, for sure,” Osterloh said. She might even be able to perform at it since her due date’s not until the end of September.
For more details about Up Up Up’s remaining shows, go to upupupinc.com. To find out more about upcoming Bellingham Circus Guild shows, head to bellinghamcircusguild.com.
