This trio of circus clowns will be recognizable to some as Kristin Mudge, Lydia Beers, and Jan Graham-Jones. Photo by David Davis

Jugglers, a lion tamer, a sword swallower and an assortment of sideshow freaks occupied the stage at Battell Chapel on February 12 and paraded through the aisles while a top-hatted P. T. Barnum (Louise Davis) directed traffic with his riding crop. This visit from the Greatest Show on Earth was masterminded by the Isabella Eldridge Club, whose members wrote, directed and acted in the entertainment. The tattooed man (Libby Borden) was notable for his allover ink and fierce expression, as were Jenny Lind (Emmy Mudge) for her suavity and sweet voice and Zalumma Agra, the Circassian dancer (Eileen Fitzgibbon), for her exotic allure. The play, an ensemble piece written by Jude Mead and choreographed by Kristin Mudge, coincides with the Isabellas’ yearlong study of Connecticut’s nineteenth century.