The monotony, cynicism and pressures of life—they can all weigh on a person. The cure? Laughter and some silliness. That cure seems personified in four talented people who you’ll find under the big top of Circus Circus. Whether performing at the Midway and Adventuredome stages, roaming the casino floor or fooling around at the buffet, the clowns of Circus Circus bring entertainment to thousands every year. Even if only for a brief moment, they put the smiles on people’s faces.

Clowns have been a part of Circus Circus since the property opened its doors in 1968—making it the largest permanent big top on the planet. Entertainment on the property ranges from indoor roller coasters at the adjacent pink-domed amusement park, Adventuredome, to more than 200 carnival games and performances by aerialists and trapeze artists. But, with more than five decades combined in working at the property, it’s Tonya and Dave DeDera, Huel Speight and Rocco Paris, the clowns of Circus Circus, that bring the comedy.

Tonya and Dave

The DeDeras met as performers in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus in 1988 and married in 1997. “Most (couples) don’t like working together, but it’s different when you’re a performer,” Tonya said. “Keeping the laughter, being friends, having fun, that’s the secret to marriage,” Dave said.

Tonya joined the circus right out of high school, performing various jobs. Dave, at 19, was attending school in Illinois to be a state trooper but, on a lark, went to check out auditions the circus was holding. He ended up being seen by the scouts. “A little while later, in the exact same mail (delivery), I got two letters,” he said. “One was from a police force that had accepted me as an intern, and the other letter was from clown college. I opened up the clown college letter and confetti flew out!”

After traveling with the circus for several years, Tonya and Dave moved to Las Vegas in 1993. Dave immediately began working at Circus Circus; Tonya worked as a performance artist at other properties on the Strip before joining her husband in 2003.

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Ask any of the four about their job, and the word “work” doesn’t really seem appropriate; it’s a passion—a love for what they do. Ask any of them what the goal of being a clown is—and all four say it’s to make people laugh, be it a child or adult.

“For us it’s not work, it’s play, and we have a big playground,” Speight said. “You don’t take yourself seriously; you take what you do seriously. It’s a big honor to be a clown.”

Huel

Born in New York’s Brooklyn, Speight grew up loving the circus—his family often took him to see the show when it came to town. He taught himself how to juggle and ride a unicycle. However, when Speight became an adult, he joined the Navy. After three years dedicated to service, he decided it was time to join the circus. He landed an audition with Ringling Bros. and joined the famous traveling circus in 1980.

During his tenure as a clown, Speight mentored a group of inner city youth from “the really rough areas” of Chicago. The group put on community shows and performed circus acts. “It gave them hope,” he said. He helped them practice, putting together routines and, mainly, helping them stay out of trouble. “To see the joy it brought them, for them to depend on me, it is something that actually brought me joy.”

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Around Circus Circus, you can find Speight juggling rings and pins, Tonya making balloon animals and “happy birthday crowns” and Dave precariously balancing seven chairs on his chin while Rocco Paris performs a spectacular cigar box juggling routine. While each employs a special skill onstage in the art of clowning, a good portion of their time is spent performing throughout the grounds of Circus Circus.

“This is not the place or job where you say, ‘I don’t want to go to work today,’” Speight said. “I want to be here; I want to work. To see joy on people’s faces makes it all worth it.”

“Clowning isn’t just baggy pants and big shoes,” Paris said. “It’s how you do it, it’s the physical stuff. It has to be funny. I may not be funny speaking-wise, but I’m funny physically. And that translates to making the guests laugh—funny is funny no matter what age.”

Rocco

When it comes to being a clown, it’s all about the comedy for Paris. “Clowns aren’t really restricted by social (mores); that’s why we become clowns, because we can’t function like normal people,” Paris said, laughing.

Paris, also a graduate of Ringling Bros., has seen his 30-plus years as a clown take him all over the world to places like Japan and Europe.

As a clown, Paris likes to push the boundaries, all in the name of comedy. “A true clown won’t really stay within the boundaries of what they’re told to do. They’ll find ways to blatantly do something different,” he said. “They can basically do whatever they want to do as long as it’s funny. That’s the point; it has to be funny.”

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It’s another day, and more worries weigh on people’s minds. But Dave, Tonya, Speight and Paris enter Circus Circus, taking the freight elevator to their dressing rooms so they can get in costume—ready for another day of clowning around. Ready to put smiles on people’s faces.

Circus Circus, midway 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily, circus acts 11 a.m.-midnight daily. 702.734.0410