Dos Amigos

Chad Miller (L) and myself in "Vaquero and Cowboy: A Campfire Conversation" at the Witte Museum.

Back in 1993 Chad Miller and I were in a play at the Witte Museum called "Vaquero and Cowboy: A Campfire Conversation" about two friends, a Mexican and Anglo cowboy who talk about their lives, their differences and similarities. It was also about the racism and violence against those Mexicans remaining in Texas after the Mexican American War. As I recall we were paid twenty dollars a show for the run and we averaged around six shows a week. Between shows Chad and I would dress in our street clothes and work on falls on the grass in front of the Witte.

That was the first time Chad Miller and I were in a play together and we had quite a bit of fun. In the past we had clowned together at various events so we felt comfortable working together in the play. Though the play was heavy handed in it's writing at times we took what scripted light moments there were and made the most of them.

In the circus we continued to work together again as clowns. We went beyond making the most of it. We performed like it was our last day on the planet sometimes with the wild abandon that comes with youth and perfectly suited for the three ring extravaganza that Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus still was at the time. There were a few stitches, bruises and concussions here and there but we never slowed down. Each show was a new challenge to win over the crowd.

Each and every show we went out during intermission to set up our props for the second half as quickly as we could so we could have extra time to improvise with the crowd. We had a football gag we did after intermission that was pure "slap and fall" heaven. So when we went out into the stands it was as these meat-headed, arrogant football players. Sometimes we worked together and other times we split up but our intent was to give the audience a sense of who our characters were and add another layer to the three minute gag that would soon follow.

We haven't worked together in years. Life sent Chad and I in different directions but if we did a show together tomorrow it would be as if no time had passed. We'd simply take up where we left off. Such is the quality of our friendship.