Two Photos and a Story

 

Photographic Record of The Butterfly Man

Taking Japan by Storm

 

Robert sent these two photos when I was teaching at the circus school in France. I think this may have been his first trip to Japan. It was either 1989 or 1990. Maybe Holland Village?

 

Robert's letter explained how it was going. He complained about how strict the Japanese were in holding him to the terms of the contract. His first show was to begin so soon after the doors opened that there was not enough time for people to walk to the stage where he was performing. His first show had turned into a daily dress rehearsal with no audience.

 

(Note: Clicking on either photo calls up a larger image.)

 

First Show of the Day

 

To explain the scene, Robert had written:

• Recognize this flag (a nod to the fact that I was in France at the time)
• International Pavilion
• My boy
• No wig
• An interested spectactor
• No audience

 

 

The second photo doesn't show that big of a difference in the number of spectators.

 

Later in the Day

 

On this photo Robert had written:

 

• Later in the day
• Big crowds

 

 

I think I remember reading in the accompanying letter that some of his first shows included a custodian sweeping the stage while he was perfroming. I really like that Robert was willing to share some of his less-than-stellar moments.

Drear and Moaning near Las Vegas

 

In the summer of 1998 I was visiting my sister and her family in Los Angeles. Robert and Kumi were kind enough to offer a ride to the annual IJA Juggling Festival that was in Primm, Nevada, that year.

 

Kumi and Robert had arranged to stay at a hotel in Las Vegas proper, so they dropped me off at the Festival site in Primm. The most frequent update I got from him over the next few days was about how much money they were losing at various gambling pursuits. I suspect this may have been Robert's attempt to get out of buying me lunch. Some years earlier we had fallen into the habit of Robert taking me out for a meal at each Festival. This was after I had pointed out his proclivity to include how well he was doing when we would swap updates.

 

The three of us arranged to drive back to LA together after the public show on Saturday evening. After many goodbyes, we set off a little before midnight. It meant missing the late-night show, but would ensure that we would arrive before LA rush-hour traffic and be able to catch up on a week's worth of sleep deprivation on Sunday morning.

 

Robert announced he was going to nap in the back seat, and I would drive the first leg, which consists of a lot of lonely desert.

 

Couldn't tell if Kumi was worried about me falling asleep with no company, and she decided to engage me in conversation.

 

I didn't know Kumi that well at the time—we had never lived in the same city together. I did, however, have the impression that she didn't care for too many of Robert's friends, or for most jugglers. Plus, I wasn't sure if she may have been still been slightly peeved at me for suggesting to Robert that he had gone overboard when I first heard about their engagement. Don't think either of them were pleased with my reaction, "Interesting, most people bring a tea set, or maybe a samurai sword back from Japan as a souvenir."

 

I was also aware that she was still learning English, and there was a lot of road noise from freeway-speed driving. Needless to say, the conversation was a bit stilted.

 

We drove on for some miles, asking innocent, introductory questions about each other, and about how we each had met Robert. I was playing it cautiously. My strategy was to make sure I didn't say anything that would put me in the "banned" category of Robert's friends.

 

After about twenty minutes, an involuntary groan erupted from the back seat. Robert, in his best, beleagured Butterfly-Man voice—with a touch of a W.C, Fields' nasal twang—blurted out, "Gawd, could you two be more boring?!"

 

Unable to fall asleep, Robert had tried to let our conversation wash over. Finally, he had had enough and couldn't stand it anymore. He just had to put a stop to it.

 

The rest of the drive was pretty enjoyable.

 

 

copyright 2013 by Todd Strong

 

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