Syllabus

History

  • The Circus from Rome to Ringling. Earl May Chapin. 1932. The
  • New American Circus. Ernest Albrecht. 1995

Primary Texts

  • Logistics of the American circus : written by a man who was there. Joe McKennon. 1977.
  • Barnum's own story; the autobiography of P. T. Barnum, combined & condensed from the various editions published during his lifetime by Waldo R. Browne. P.T. Barnum. 1927
  • Beasts and men, being Carl Hagenbeck's experiences for half a century among wild animals. Carl Hagenbeck. 1912
  • The autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb: some of my life experiences. Countess M. Lavinia Magri. 1979.
  • Wisconsin circus lore. Folklore Section, Women's & Professional Projects, Federal Writers' Project, Works Progress Administration. 1937
  • Rings of Desire: Circus History and Representation. Helen Stoddart. 2000
  • Beyond the Ring: The European Traveling Circus. Julia Lynn Offen.
  • 2000 Mud Show, a Circus Season. Fred Powledge. 1975.

Theory

  • The fool and his scepter; a study in clowns and jesters and their audience. William Willeford. 1967
  • Rabelais and his world. M.M. Bakhtin. 1984
  • Celebration, studies in festivity and ritual. Victor Turner. 1982
  • By means of performance : intercultural studies of theatre and ritual. Richard Schechner. 1990
  • Gypsies, tinkers and other travellers. Farnham Rehfisch. 1975
  • Circus and Culture: a Semiotic Approach. Paul Bouissac. 1976

Movies

  • Freaks. Tod Browning. 1932
  • Santa Sangre. Alejandro Jodorowsky. 1989