Our Story
Shoestring Circus was formed in 2022 by four friends with a passion for circus arts. With over 50 years of combined experience they hope to continue the tradition of traveling circus entertainment and bring their unique spectacle to a town near you!
Meet The Owners
Poki McCorkle
Matthew McCorkle is a circus artist, director, producer, organizer, and creator with 15 years experience in the circus arts and industry. They hold a Bachelors of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Davis.
Matthew has seen all sides of the business of circus arts through hands-on touring experience around the world with companies large and small including: touring across Canada and the US with RAGMOP Theatre (which they co-founded in 2016); across the US and in Taiwan with Button Wagon (which they co-founded in 2010); in Dubai, UAE with Cirque Eloize (2015); in The Philippines with Clowns Without Borders (2013); across Germany and Austria with PALAZZO dinner variety show (2015-2019); at the Santa Fe Opera (2011); at the Israeli Juggling Convention (2015); and at the Moisture Festival (Worlds Largest Festival of Comedy and Variety) in Seattle (2014-2022).
Matthew serves on the board of the directors of Up Up Up Inc., a 501c3 non-profit in which they are also a founding member, on the board of directors of The New Old Time Chautauqua, and has formerly served on the board of the Lookout Arts Quarry in Bellingham, WA.
Nicole (Nikki) Laumb
Nikki is a storyteller and circus nomad. She was raised in Washington state and attended Pacific Lutheran University where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Communication. After graduating she completed a term with AmeriCorps NCCC and discovered a passion for circus community while working on a goat farm in California.
Since then she has worked in self produced circus theater and productions with the Bellingham Circus Guild. She has toured with traditional tented circus shows including The Venardos Circus, Circus Osorio, and eight seasons with Flynn Creek Circus. She produced and hosted a live storytelling event called Coastal Storytellers from 2016-2019. Along with performing she has gained extensive experience in administration and has worked as the Marketing Manager for Flynn Creek Circus since 2016. She is also a board member of Circus Mentors Inc, a 501c3 non profit that offers programming and support for youth circus arts in rural areas since 2018.
Her passion is oral storytelling and comic sketch writing and she continues to develop new circus skills to scare her sweet parents with!
Photo By Daisy Rose Coby @mementomoda_
Sadye Osterloh
Sadye Osterloh has been a giant ham since the moment she was born. Or was it a turkey? As a nationally and internationally touring circus artist, she has a passion for sparking joy and empowerment through movement and laughter. She is based in Bellingham, WA and studied at the San Francisco Circus Center and with Eugene Baranok where she discovered her love of combining technical circus skills with clowning and general funny business.
She is known for ridiculous facial expressions, body movements, and bringing elements of clown into everything she does - emceeing, aerial acts, perch ladder, duo acrobatics, magic, music and more.
When not touring with The Horse’s Mouth, she can be found performing acts such as "The World's Largest Wedgie" and more with Up Up Up Inc. - a touring crane truck circus show. You can also spot her touring with the Flotsam River Circus, teaching Dorky Dance Fitness online and performing and producing shows at the Bellingham Circus Guild.
Justin Therrien
Justin Therrien has 14 years of experience working in the entertainment industry with a focus on traveling tent circuses. Beginning as a juggler, he debuted with the Bellingham Circus Guild in Bellingham, WA performing in smaller productions for restaurant patrons. Quickly he began adding more skills to his repertoire including sword swallowing, character work, comedy writing, magic, and object manipulation.
In 2012 he began performing his skills in multiple venues from operas, festivals, theater productions, social circuses, and touring tent circuses. He has toured with Zoppé Circus, American Crown Circus & Circo Osorio, Circo Exelaris, The Venardos Circus, and Flynn Creek Circus. He played the principal role in the production, “42 Feet” with the touring theater company Cirque Mechanics and also performed as one of the green clowns in Slava’s Snowshow on Broadway.
He has extensive experience setting up, taking down, and moving circus tents from working next to some of the best tent bosses in circus business.
Photo by Lou Daprile