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About Punk & Pie Circus: Lindsay Surmacz

"Hi. I'm Lindsay. I juggle. I drum.

I often do those two things at the same time. And I'm one of those "refuse to choose" people who wants to be everything when I grow up. So what I do is I take circus arts and music and filmmaking and theatre and writing and marketing, and I throw it into a blender, I hit "Bzzz," and the artistic smoothie that emerges is this thing I call Punk & Pie Circus."

My name is Lindsay Surmacz, and I wanted to be many things when I grew up including a circus performer. I finally took the dive into circus arts in 2017, and now, I consider myself part artist, part mad scientist, and a staunch proponent of STEAM education. Oh, and I'm a percussionist. I have worked in theatre since I was old enough to hold a paintbrush; and I have been holding drumsticks since I saw STOMP! live at age 8.

A picture of my career thus far comprises a deep background in music and theatre, a degree in creative writing, work in digital marketing and media, more than a decade spent in informal science education, and a dream of being a circus performer. I finally took the dive into circus arts in 2017, and now, I consider myself part artist, part mad scientist, and, in general, a proponent of coordinated confusion. 

My main creative inspirations involve confluence. I'm a percussionist and a character actor who juggles, so it was only a matter of time before I wondered what would happen if I tried percussive juggling in character. What followed was a lot of trial and error, a lot of "Happy Birthday" videos, and an idea to build a brand whose name derives from my pet name for my niece (Punkin' Pie). Another interdisciplinary pursuit close to my heart is

The Starry Messenger, an educational outreach initiative through which I teach young learners science and literacy through circus arts.

Circus has a way of challenging your expectations. As this journey unfolds, I continually find myself looking down a path that looks very different from the one I long-thought to see ahead. Regardless of where this experiment takes me, I remain hungry yet humble and always eager to uncover the next adventure circus has waiting for me.

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