Under the big top in Thompson Falls

THOMPSON FALLS- Clowns, trapeze artists, performers on tall unicycles and big cats under the big top entertained a standing room only crowd on Saturday in Thompson Falls. Dazzling the crowd with acts varying from humorous to dangerous, the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus made the stop for the only two shows in Sanders County this year.

As the crowd made their way into the big top, they were greeted by Judy and Punchy the clowns. Judy and Punchy’s real names are Michelle Musser and Nathan Holguin but circus attendees would never know they were alter egos as they immersed themselves in character.

The show began with two tigers and a lion performing at the direction of Trey Key. The big cats performed a variety of acts all while safely enclosed in a steel cage. Solomon the lion and the two tigers, Francis and Delilah delighted the audience with their beauty and grace.

Next was an act featuring the over the top antics of Judy and Punchy. Providing comic relief from the other death defying acts, the two clowns traded vaudeville-style physical jabs at one another while inciting roars of laughter from the crowd.

After the clown act was the unicycle performance by the Dykes family known professionally as the Arlise Troupe of Ontario, Canada. Members of the Dykes family were featured in several acts during the performance. The finale of the routine included the eldest member of the family riding a 10 foot tall unicycle and juggling flaming torches.

Swinging in wide circles around the ring by trapeze rigging attached only to her hair, Elizabeth Ayala followed the unicycles in one of the more dramatic performances of the afternoon. Ayala was swung wildly around the ring without the benefit of a net to catch her in the event something went wrong.

The crack of a bullwhip startled some in the crowd as Mel Ray Silverlake followed the acrobatics of Ayala. With eye-popping accuracy, Silverlake whipped a flaming torch out of the mouth of ring announcer Simone Dykes.

Generating the typical oohs and ahhs that are usually associated with acts involving cute canines, the next act featured trainer Natalie Cainan and her menagerie of trained dogs. Cainan coaxed her dogs through a variety of hoops and other obstacles to the delight of the younger members of the audience.

Following a brief intermission, Ayala returned for a dizzying foot juggling performance. After Ayala finished performing with her feet stunts which most cannot do even with their hands, Judy and Punchy were back up with the classic “sword box” act.

Judy attempted to persuade her partner that he should enter the box but Punchy remained unconvinced. Ultimately, Judy occupied the box as Punchy thrust an array of swords through it.

Punchy pulled away a curtain to reveal that Judy had not escaped below the sword box and was indeed inside the box with the swords.

Judy managed to exit the box seemingly unscathed until Punchy offered her a drink and water sprayed from a number of holes in her jacket as squeals of laughter erupted from the audience.

Following the mini and mega sized horse routine, Simone Dykes returned for the classic high-flying trapeze act. With no safety net or other apparatus to save her in the event of a fall, Dykes flew out over the audience sometimes hanging only by her neck and feet.

The last act of the afternoon involved some uncanny balancing from Emmanuel Ayala. Perched atop multiple metal tubes placed precariously one on top of the other, Ayala stacked them until he was poised and balanced on no less than ten elements.

As the audience filed out from under the big top, they were once again greeted by Punchy and Judy. The duo have been performing as a clown team for over three years. Both Musser and Holguin found themselves in the circus after studying theater arts in college.

“I’ve worked in bigger shows than this. I was with Ringling Brothers for a number of years but I prefer this kind of production,” said Holguin. “This show is really a throwback to a type of circus that is really dying out in the U.S. We are one of only seven traveling circus shows left in the country.”

Established in 1985, the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus is based in Hugo, OK and travels all over the country performing hundreds of shows a year. The productions next stop was scheduled to be in Libby. The circus was sponsored by many local businesses and brought to Thompson Falls by the local chamber of commerce.