Erik J. Pratt

The son of lifelong educators, Erik J Pratt, was born in Colorado but the family moved to the suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri when he was 4 years old. Growing up in Independence, he tried his hand at just about everything by the time he graduated high school: theater, debate, band, tennis, swimming, chess club, Boy Scouts, construction work with his grandpa. For Erik, nothing was boring and almost everything was worth exploring. His interest and above average ability in math and science led him to pursue an aerospace engineering degree at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL. It was there that he realized two things. First, his above average mathematical ability was decidedly average as far as aerospace engineers go. And secondly, that he hated designing airplanes. Fortunately, while in engineering school he met a group of weirdos that hooked him on theater. So, after 3 1/2 years and 108 credit hours, he returned to Kansas City to pursue the noble art of living in a cardboard box by enrolling in the theater program at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Though a strange thought to many, the same idea that led Erik to pursue engineering, "everything is worth exploring" has a lot in common with the world of acting. He realized that he could make a living as an actor by exploring a multitude of topics, jobs, and life situations. Since that aha! moment he has continually looked for new ways to entertain and educate audiences, becoming--among other things--an accomplished juggler, stilt walker, and clown. Erik has performed in theaters around the country and spent many years touring comedy shows to wineries across the United States with his talented wife, Jamie. As an educator, Erik has performed and taught circus arts to thousands of students all over the nation and has toured educational theater shows to tens of thousands more.