In 1948, Alberto Zoppè left his native Italy for America, bringing with him a family circus tradition that dates back to 1842. Today his son, Giovanni, is the driving force behind the Zoppè Family Circus, one of the last old-fashioned, family run, one ring circuses left touring the United States. "Everything is spinning so fast today, we want the audience to forget about everything and just step back in time with us," says Giovanni, the circus' producer and head clown. Veneto, the home of the Zoppè Family is a specially made tent that creates a blackout theatre, which is the perfect setting for the European theatrical circus performed by the Zoppè family of circus artists. The Zoppè Circus is unapologetically authentic, from its intimate 600 seat tent with wood plank bleachers to a performance that includes small animal acts, trapeze acrobatics and the kind of grand gesture, silent comedy perfected by Charlie Chaplin.