2 alumni actors appear in TheaterWorks play ‘Circus Fire’

The great Ringling Bros. Circus fire of 1944 is the subject of a TheaterWorks play this spring, and two Eastern Connecticut State University alumni are among the ensemble cast of actors who are bringing the historic fire and its aftermath to the stage. The world premiere of “Circus Fire” includes runs from April 16 to May 23 in the First Company Governor’s Foot Guard building in Hartford.  

Written by Jacques Lamarre, the play features Dan Whelton ’03 and Constantino Fernandez ’14 in the 12-actor cast, each taking on multiple roles in overlapping vignettes.  

The production explores the trauma faced by the Hartford community as it lived through Connecticut’s deadliest disaster in history. Themes include how the circus and local Hartford communities came together to cope with loss, blame, and grief as they began a process of healing and recovery that continues to this day.   

The fire, which took the lives of at least 167 people and injured more than 700, helped launch significant changes in fire safety practices throughout the United States. Reflecting TheaterWorks commitment to putting on an unforgettable performance, playwright Lamarre has said, “Circus Fire is easily the biggest, most complicated thing I’ve ever worked on.” 

The performances take place in a theater-of-the-round set, the classical configuration that Whelton says “mirrors the big top tent of a circus.” He says this is the first time he has been in a play presented “in the round” and finds it different and exciting. “This is one of the most immersive ways you can see a play,” noted Fernandez.

The Ringling Bros. and Barum & Bailey Circus fire happened on July 6, 1944, when 7,000 people filled the big circus tent to see the famous performers. The origin of the fire is still unknown to this day, but however the fire began, it spread quickly. The huge circus tent was waterproofed with 1,800 lbs. of paraffin and 6,000 gallons of gasoline. It went up in flames in less than 10 minutes, leaving a community and hundreds of families to recover from the ashes.  

Fernandez is proud of his Eastern background, especially the breadth of his liberal arts education. “We got exposed to all walks of life. Eastern expanded my horizons — it forced me to experiment outside my comfort zone, but I never felt uncomfortable.” 

Fernandez has taken an interesting and varied path on his acting journey since graduating. He spent the first few years after graduation appearing in local theater, such as “The Boy at the Edge of Everything” and other Long Wharf Theatre productions. He also worked with the Collective Consciousness Theater in New Haven. In 2016, Fernandez moved to Los Angeles, doing voiceover work, including a Pepsi ad for the Super Bowl. 

Returning to Connecticut after seven years in Los Angeles, Fernandez has kept in touch with Eastern theatre professor Alycia Bright-Holland, who has invited him back to campus as a guest artist. While he acknowledges the beauty of the new Fine Arts Instructional Center, he says he proudly performed in the Harry Hope Theatre in Shafer Hall — “a lot of magic happened in that room.” 

 Fernandez also says former Professor Ellen Faith Brodie “helped my craft” and called her a “loving figure.” Professor David Pellegrini is also remembered as an important figure in his development. 

Whelton also fondly recalls his time on Eastern’s campus. “Ellen Faith Brodie was incredible, personable … almost like a surrogate mother.”  

Whelton entered Eastern as a business major, but found that non-majors were encouraged to participate in theatre productions. He also mentions other mentors, including David Pellegrini and set designer Bob Ritz, as well as guest artists such as Shakespearean scholar James Simmons, mask maker Larry Hunt, and Chris Etheridge.  

“Eastern was the first time I was on my own,” said Whelton. “I believe 99% of students going to college are not sure what they will be doing for an actual career. There is so much pressure to choose quickly. The liberal arts at Eastern allowed me to test the waters in many subjects.” 

Whelton has been a professional actor since graduating from Eastern as a fine arts major with a theatre concentration. He has deliberately chosen to stay in New England, performing regional theatre, along with some film and commercial assignments. Focusing on work in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, he has avoided the “nomadic nature of acting,” which often results in actors sacrificing their ability to create roots. 

Whelton also took advantage of the theatre program’s study abroad experience in London, England, staying at youth hostels there. He ended up meeting another exchange student from France, and they eventually married and settled in Connecticut. Whelton and his wife now have two teenage children. “My 16-year-old daughter is looking at colleges, and we recently visited Eastern. The Fine Arts building is gorgeous!”