How Rob Mermin ran away with the circus and spent a life under the Big Top

In 1969, with the country in the grips of protests against the Vietnam War, Rob Mermin took a different path. He ran off to join the circus. So began his career as a performer that has touched the lives of thousands of people.For the next decade, Mermin performed in circuses throughout Europe, above the Arctic Circle and behind the Iron Curtain of the Soviet Union. He studied with the legendary pantomimist Marcel Marceau, who would become his mentor and friend. In 1987, Mermin came to Vermont and founded Circus Smirkus, now one of the country’s top traveling youth circuses. Over 40,000 people attend Circus Smirkus performances each year, and the troupe has held cultural exchanges with 32 countries.Mermin, now 74, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease a decade ago. He responded by founding the Parkinson’s Pantomime Project, helping people with movement disorders manage their symptoms with pantomime and circus techniques.Mermin has won numerous awards, including the Vermont Arts Council Award of Merit, and the 2008 Governor’s Award for Excellence, Vermont’s highest honor in the arts. Mermin has written a new book, "Circle of Sawdust: A Circus Memoir of Mud, Myth, Mirth, Mayhem and Magic" (Rootstock Publishing, 2024).“You have to have fun with whatever you're doing, whatever you're dealing with,” said Mermin of his approach to life’s challenges. “What gets me through is a sense of curiosity about it, a sense of humor….(and) a sense of play. You have to keep playing through life.”