ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Liberal Memorial Library’s summer reading program activities will continue Thursday with a bit of the circus making its way to town.
Juggler Richard Renner will be bringing his Circus Arts act to Liberal Memorial Library Thursday, June 27, with the show starting at 2 p.m. Renner said he is excited to be making his way back to Liberal.
“It's been a while since I've performed in Liberal, I was part of the Five-State Fair entertainment back in 2021 and ended up having a great time doing that,” Renner said. “I'll also be doing a workshop at the library that morning, and that will be primarily for older children, and anytime you can do something to help them gain a little self-confidence, that's great. The workshop will focus on circus skills like juggling and balancing stuff and then if there's some time left, we'll work in some of the more slapstick techniques.”
Renner said the audience should have a good time at his show.
“My show derives from my clown character, and the show's story will follow him as he makes his first visit to the library and finds all these wonderful books and other resources about what he can do when he grows up,” Renner said. “I always start the show by saying 'I'm learning what I want to be when I grow up,' and the children in the audience always yell back 'But you ARE grown up!' which is always really funny. I always tell my younger audience members, it's a great opportunity to watch an adult acting foolish for once without suffering any consequences. Everyone will find something to enjoy with my show. There are jokes and tricks geared more toward the younger audience members, and there are jokes and tricks geared more toward the adults in the audience, so everyone should find something they enjoy about the show.”
Renner added he was pleased to be asked to perform at the library.
“The library people saw me at a showcase in Wichita with other performers, and they saw me perform an abridged version of my show, and they liked it enough to ask me to come to the library. And again, I always enjoy performing out there so I'm looking forward to seeing the crowds out there and seeing the different reactions to all my different bits throughout the show,” Renner said. “I always enjoy being out in Western Kansas because I actually grew up close to Hays near my grandparents' farm, so I feel like I know the area and know the people out there pretty well. I always enjoyed the smell and look of the wheat waving and growing in the fields and I remember how hot it could get in June in that area, so Western Kansas is where I feel at home with my audiences. It's almost an opportunity to go back home, and I just always enjoy going to that area.”
The summer season is always particularly busy when it comes to performances, Renner said, and he particularly enjoys performances like what will be going on at Liberal Memorial Library next week.
“At a bit of a selfish level, it's a great reason to perform indoors, and especially in the summer, that's a blessing,” Renner said with a chuckle. “I also do a lot of outdoor festivals throughout the summer, so the chance to perform indoors with air conditioning and those amenities, it's great and I know I can relax a bit. The summer reading season is always very short, it gets started in June and ends in an earlier part of July, so it doesn't really last too long, and I enjoy everywhere I visit. I consider myself a professional people-pleaser, which some people get therapy for, but in my line of work, knowing I'm making people happy is a pretty good feeling.”
With there still being several weeks of summer left, Renner offered encouragement for children to participate in their local summer reading program activities and programs.
“I would encourage children to make the library their second home in the summer, because there are so many things going on there. There are always activities and programs to participate in, and I'm also one of those people who thinks books are just amazing and can transport you to a different world,” Renner said. “Libraries are also a great place to just get away from home for a little bit and have a bit of time for yourself. Libraries are so, so much more than when I was growing up as far as the resources available and all of that, and I think children should definitely explore their local library.”
Overall, Renner said, he is ready to make Liberal laugh for another visit.
“I've been performing for about 40 years now, and I'm still learning a lot of new and wonderful tricks and jokes, and that keeps me excited to do my show for different audiences, and I'm hoping the audience will see that as well,” Renner said. “I'm really excited to be performing at the library as part of the summer reading program, and I think everyone young and old who comes to my shows will end up having a great time. And that's what I want, I want people to laugh and have a good time watching me make a fool of myself for their entertainment.”
