Hi everyone! My name is David Chervony, I’m a juggler who is debuting with Cirque Us this summer. I’m so excited to get there, but in the meantime I have a ton to get done. I’m currently enrolled in the Actors Gymnasium’s professional training program and our final showcase goes up June 1st and 2nd. And before that, I have a thirty minute show to write, an opera to perform in, a youth circus spectacular to prepare, and Game of Thrones to watch. I’m not complaining, I’m loving the ride, but I’d love a moment to catch my breath.

Almost…there…

That isn’t to mention all the work we have to do in preparation for the tour. We have acts to polish, costumes to procure, storylines to solidify and then, when we all meet in one place for the first time, three weeks to create the show!

But before I go too far, I should tell you a bit more about me. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, where I was fortunate enough to attend a circus camp every summer. It took me until after college, studying biology assisting in the care of over 300 tigers, lions, wolves, and an assortment of other lovely animals, to realize that my true calling was to play with plastic objects in front of an audience. I miss working with animals, but I really love juggling. Other random facts about me include that my brain holds an encyclopedic knowledge of modern board games, I once jumped out of a moving golf cart for no reason whatsoever, and that my dog will never forgive me for leaving his side for most of the summer.

Anyway, I’m beyond elated to have this opportunity. After meeting Doug (the founder of Cirque Us) and Jesse (our fearless director) a few years back, I knew I wanted to work with both of them. And more recently, after getting a hardly-audible phone call following the silliest video audition I’ve ever sent, between fits of screaming with joy, I started wondering what it means to go on tour.

I mean, I’ve been on tour before. Once. In college. I was in a pretty mediocre band and we played seven shows along the East coast. So no, I have no idea what to expect.

The epitome of “professionalism” (read: embarrassment).

But I have high hopes. First off, the people in Cirque Us are awesome. In the skype meetings the cast has had thus far, we already seem like a cohesive group. And even though no one really knows what might happen to friendships after spending almost every waking moment together for two months, the cast is so cool that I’m willing to find out. Also, I have no doubt that RagTag will be fantastic. The wealth of skills people are bringing, mixed with the sense of play that emanates from everyone involved, is a recipe for a really fun, possibly exhausting, exhilarating time.

That’s not to say it’ll be a cakewalk. Long drives, short warm-up times, and fighting over control of who gets to DJ in the van next are just a few of the trials we may have to face–but I know I’ll be smiling through it all.

I hope to see you on the road. 

Tickets for RagTag: A Circus in Stitches go on Sale May 15th. Please visit http://www.TheCirqueUs.com for show dates and locations!