Creating the "King"
In April 2012, after learning how to juggle in Mesa AZ, and honing my skills on my local college campus. I made the decision to invest my time, passion, and creativity into becoming a professional circus entertainer.
I started small at talent shows, retirement communities, and local street festivals as I drew on various inspirations to create what would become known as "Jerome Hill: King of Fools!". In the Fall of 2013, I joined my first renaissance festival. The rest, as they say, is history!
So, what makes Jerome "The King"?
I get asked this question a lot. Is it because I think I'm the best around? I personally don't think so, and neither does Jerome; but he does have all the tools to make you wonder if he is or not! Growing up in Arizona, I was always interested in the old west, and found humor in the "snake-oil" salesmen characters that know they're just hustling their crowd, going town to town with their mobile stages to show the world they have the answer to whatever ails them, and they do it by giving people a reason to wonder...is it a miracle cure? Is it really magic? "Is he the King of Fools?" So I decided that the "ailment" Jerome would have the solution for is people's need to laugh!
I figured if it worked for The Wizard of Oz, it would work for me!
It created a colorful hook and a new take on a style of performance that let me start to blend the genres I loved growing up. Jerome could be a medieval jester, a steampunk magician, a deco-era circus clown, he could be anything! Curiosity and wonder are universal, and as long as people have that curiosity, that wonder, there's a place for Jerome Hill: King of Fools!