August 2023-High Wire Act

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By Jim Ralph  

HIGH WIRE ACT

A standard attraction in most circuses and side shows is an aerial show.  But this standard high wire act has a dark (my) back story. You will notice that while the performer is starting to begin her act, there is also a worker woman seeming to clean something up on the stage below.  There are two sayings that dominate the entertainment world for fear of negative outcomes.  First is that ‘the show must go on’ and second is to always tell the performer for a safe and good performance to ‘break a leg’.  Thus the rub (my rub).  It seems that no one told the now deceased performer ‘to break a leg’, which she did.  And with the ‘show must go on’ policy, both the show and cleanup continues.  Just another day on the CARNIVALE train.