Randy Hershfeld grew up on the circus and had been performing on the trapeze since he was ten years old. His mother was a fourth generation bareback rider and his father was, also, a flyer. In the early 1960’s Randy went for a swim in a popular rock quarry when the circus was performing in central Indiana. He lost his innocence at the quarry. Randy and his mother had quietly discussed his leaving the circus and attending college. Resources were limited so Randy looked for a college where he could teach trapeze. He found only one college, Illinois State College, where circus arts were taught and performed.
After the tragic death of his mother he applied and was admitted to the college with a small scholarship. He was hired to teach gymnastics and trapeze in the Physical Education Department. Randy met Zack, one of his first students, and realized that they had met at the quarry. They became partners and lovers at a time when such relationships had to be kept private.
Randy’s goal was showcasing his professionally trained student trapeze artists in the annual Gamma Phi student circus at Illinois State. On his journey to that objective he met, not only Zack, but other gay and straight individuals, including Stan, a baby boy, born to his sister. All became part of a big circus family. Randy’s journey was winding but he finally achieved his goal.