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Circus

A multi-ring circus.

A circus was a family-friendly, live-entertainment spectacle that continued into the 24th century. The term was also used to describe crazy, hectic circumstances reminiscent of the various simultaneous acts performed at a circus.

Specifics[]

A 19th or 20th century Earth circus featured performances such as acrobats on the flying trapeze, a human cannonball, clowns, animal riders, and a snake charmer. (TNG comic: "The Rich and the Dead!")

It was also known for having dancing elephants[1], a giant strongman[2] [3], a contortionist[4], jugglers[5], a mentalist[6], unusual-looking humans[7], and parades[8], all under a large tent[9]. A three-ring circus took up a very large space[10] with several acts usually being performed simultaneously[11].

History[]

In 1953, Times Square in New York City hosted a circus known for its clowns and monkeys. (DS9 novelization: Far Beyond the Stars)

Omicron circus ship

A traveling circus starship.

In 2267, when the crew of the USS Enterprise spotted a starship that looked like a traveling circus tent, they knew they had found Omicron, a colony planet of circus performers that had disappeared in the 2160s decade. A police officer made up as a clown asked them to dress appropriately for their visit, so the landing party changed outfits to become a pirate, dog trainer, acrobat, and clowns. (TOS - Coloring Book C1862 comic: "First story")

Prior to 2268, James T. Kirk attended a circus on Rigel IV where an elephant went wild, killed two workers, and crashed through the stands. (TOS novel: First Frontier)

Rachel Lopez performed at a circus for several summers in the early 24th century. (TNG novel: Exiles)

Deanna Troi thought that old-style circuses had faded away on Earth by the 24th century, and none had ever toured on Betazed. Troi fantasized about running away to join the circus when she was young, and often shared her enthusiasm with William T. Riker. In 2369, Riker learned that Bitinga's Traveling Wonderment Exposition was bringing a circus to Beta Maradi VII, and when the USS Enterprise-D visited for shore leave, he invited her and a few others to attend. (TNG comic: "The Rich and the Dead!")

In 2372, Miles O'Brien looked forward to taking his daughter Molly O'Brien to the circus and the zoo, thanks to the holosuites at Quark's aboard Deep Space 9. (DS9 novel: Wrath of the Prophets)

Ringmasters[]

Remarks[]

Thousands of years ago in the Roman Empire, in the first circuses people were killed for spectacle. Samuel T. Cogley mentioned it during James T. Kirk's court martial in 2267 when Areel Shaw cautioned him against turning the proceedings into a circus. (TOS - Star Trek 2 novelization: Court Martial)

In 2153, Jonathan Archer thought of the L-4 evasive maneuver as a "death-defying loop" as dangerous as a circus high-wire act without a net. (ENT novelization: The Expanse)

In 2267, to incite rage in Spock that would counteract an Omicron spore infection, James T. Kirk told him he belonged in a circus. (TOS episode & Star Trek 5 novelization: This Side of Paradise)

In 2267, when Montgomery Scott prevented two Gharian wedding birds from fighting in a stadium on Grotus, someone in the crowd jeered that they wanted to see a cockfight, not a circus. (TOS comic: "Sport of Knaves")

In 2270, Hikaru Sulu described the "gold rush" on Baldur III as a circus. (TOS novel: The Antares Maelstrom)

In 2293, Sencus told Spock that when he chose Starfleet Academy over the Vulcan Science Academy, at the time many Vulcans thought he'd joined a circus. (TOS novel: The Fearful Summons)

While ranting in 2333, Monor complained that Klingons treated Curzon Dax like a circus performer, calling him the "Great Curzon". (TLE novel: The Art of the Impossible)

In 2353, Kathryn Janeway was told to ride a horse and learn how to control a Baneriam hawk on Diehr IV. She thought of the assignment as both a crazy camping trip and a circus, not Starfleet Academy. (VOY - SA novel: The Chance Factor)

In 2368, Jacob Walch and Mon Hartog managed a group of five Sli that would tour, performing emotive concerts, but Deanna Troi compared their treatment to circus animals in that they were not financially or otherwise compensated. (TNG novel: Sins of Commission)

In 2372, Kira Nerys said she was Bajoran no matter what, even if she joined a circus painted as a clown. (DS9 novel: Wrath of the Prophets)

In 2374, B'Elanna Torres called USS Voyager's Jefferies tube 13 a Borg circus after it had been assimilated and asked Seven of Nine to restore it to its previous condition. (VOY episode: "The Gift")

In 2376, The Doctor called Jupiter Station a three-ring circus, calling out the "undercover insects" and "talking iguanas" on the station. (VOY episode: "Life Line")

Appendices[]

Connections[]

See also: flea circus (TOS - Log Four novelization: The Terratin Incident, TOS - The Captain's Table novel: War Dragons)

References[]

External links[]

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