Steve Smith (born August 8, 1951), professional clown and circus director, is best known to audiences as the clown character, "TJ Tatters."

Biography

Smith grew up in Zanesville, Ohio, and is a 1969 graduate of Zanesville High School. Steve Smith began his career in clowning as a graduate of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, Class of 1971. He then toured with The Greatest Show on Earth for six seasons before leaving the show and moving to

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, where he attended the

Goodman School of Drama The Theatre School at DePaul University, previously the Goodman School of Drama (also known as TTS and GSD, respectively) is the drama school of DePaul University. Founded with its first class conducted at the Art Institute of Chicago on January 5 ...

at the Art Institute of Chicago (now

The Theatre School at DePaul University The Theatre School at DePaul University, previously the Goodman School of Drama (also known as TTS and GSD, respectively) is the drama school of DePaul University. Founded with its first class conducted at the Art Institute of Chicago on January 5 ...

) and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting. At that time, he also hosted a children's television series called ''Kidding Around'' for the local

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

affiliate, WMAQ-TV. He was the recipient of five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Children's Television and was a favorite among viewers for seven seasons. Steve's connection with Ringling Bros. resumed when he became Director of Clown College in 1985, a post he held for ten years. He was also the director of the 123rd edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Smith became involved with the staging of numerous performances and productions from the off-Broadway hit ''The It Girl'' to programs for

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

to shipboard entertainment with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Smith also worked with Academy Award-winning animator/cartoonist Chuck Jones as Talent Development Coordinator for Chuck Jones Enterprises. Smith continued to work with his boyhood hero until Mr. Jones's death in 2002. In 2005, Smith started working with the

Big Apple Circus The Big Apple Circus is a circus based in New York City. Opened in 1977, later becoming a nonprofit organization, it became a tourist attraction. The circus has been known for its community outreach programs, including Clown Care, as well as its ...

as their Guest Director for four productions, a collaboration that extended through five seasons, ending in 2010. In 2011, Smith began his stint as Creative Director for Circus Arts Conservatory in Sarasota, Florida. And on April 1, 2015, Smith joined

Circus Center Circus Center is a circus school in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1984 by Wendy Parkman and Judy Finelli as the San Francisco School of Circus Arts. History In 1974 the Pickle Family Circus was founded by Peggy Snider and Lar ...

, San Francisco’s circus training and performing arts center, as its Creative Director.

Awards

Smith was inducted into the Clown Hall of Fame in 1993. He is also the recipient of several other honors including the Medal of Merit for Notable Achievement in Performing Arts from Ohio University, the Excellence in the Arts award from De Paul University, and the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art Circus Celebrity, Power Behind the Scenes.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Steve American clowns 1951 births Living people DePaul University alumni People from Zanesville, Ohio Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus people