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David Gaines (Creator and Performer)

David Gaines is the creator and star of "A Little Business at the Big Top". His other solo show, "7(x1) Samurai" has toured the world and garnered 5 star reviews, Best of Fest awards, hold-overs, and praise from audience members and reviewers.

David attended the Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris and was the first and only American invited by Mr. Lecoq to teach at the school. He currently teaches theatre at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

He is also a member of the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit, working as a clown in children's hospitals as 'Dr. Beano'. He says, "This is the smallest audience there is – but often the most rewarding."

When he is not performing, David piddles around the house "fixing" things. Only, like all other aspects of his life, David is slo-o-o-w to complete a task. He replaced the entire dining room ceiling with his own two hands (but had to live without a ceiling for a year or two while that happened). David is a slow eater, a slow driver, and a slow creator. This is because he gets interested in (distracted by) details. That's why his shows are so full of precision and detail. And that's why this show took him 6 years to develop to the point where it was ready to bring to the Winnipeg Fringe. Actually, when you think about it, 6 years is pretty speedy for David, since "7(x1) Samurai" took him 15 years…

He also enjoys gardening, no doubt because of the pace; his peach tree (Peachy) is his pride and joy. You can contact David atdavid@davidgainesperformance.com, on Twitter @ALittleBusiness , or on Facebook at David Gaines Performance - he would love to hear from you.

Susan Thompson-Gaines (Director)

Susan Thompson-Gaines is the director of A Little Business at the Big Top. When not touring the world with the show, Susan is a Sign Language Interpreter – and since ASL is a visual language, that might explain her interest in visual theatre.

  Susan has an alter-ego that roams the world with her named Mermaid Mareena whose photos keep popping up in fun and exotic locations (a bit like Flat Stanley, or the Travelocity Gnome…). Mareena can't wait to check out WINNIPEG and EDMONTON this summer!

 In addition to work, Fringe Festivals, and fun, Susan also tackles many different things that she calls "projects": In 2015 she reviewed one product from the grocery store Trader Joe's EVERY SINGLE DAY. She still writes an occasional review for that blog, which can be seen at http://traderjoes365.blogspot.com/ .

In 2016, she is focusing her attention on KINDNESS with a project entitled "Kindness Activists". For this project she highlights people doing kind acts, large or small, and writes about them at http://kindnessactivist.blogspot.com/ in the hopes that when others read about kindness, they will be inspired to spread some of their own.

Susan dreams of someday living in a "non-traditional abode" – i.e. a structure that is not a HOUSE. She succeeded for a while by living on a barge on the Seine, but hopes that someday she can live in a converted airplane or grain silo. You can reach Susan at: susan.publicity@davidgainesperformance.com