Sad smiles.

May 25, Scotts Valley.

Under the bright lights Ekaterina is in the ring performing her contortion and the audience is loudly applauding - there's a full house tonight, topping yesterday's strong showing. Meanwhile one of the tent workers, a Mexican nicknamed Fuji, suffered what appears to be a stroke; he was taken to the nearest hospital.
Fuji has been with Circus Chimera since it started. He works setting up the tent, drives a circus tractor-trailer and greets people at the door. He was walking there when he collapsed at the beginning of the show.
This is the reality of the circus, that of all performing arts: the above-all iron rule of the show, where reality and its trail of tragedy, sweat and tears have no place.