Circus Home

Against the backdrop of the Daniel B. Dodd Traveling Tent Circus, in front of faded blue-and-white-striped sidewall canvas, a band of circus troupers play out a drama of family strife and the struggle for acceptance. It is the story of an outsize young man, Benjie, who tries to find among the clowns and the sideshow freaks the home that has eluded him elsewhere. Joanna Kraus has won national recognition for her ability to deal with serious themes for young people with rich theatricality. Adolescents everywhere, even the most attractive and popular ones, at times share Benjie's sense of being out of step with the rest of society. They join in his nightmares and dreams, his hunger for belonging, and find a deep satisfaction in his discovery of a place he can call home.