Molly PavlovichIn the ’60s and ’70s, Jeffrey Gabel preferred his shoes 10 sizes too big, a face full of makeup, and his nose pigmented a rosy shade of red—known and loved by many families in this goofy getup as “Chuckles the Clown.”
Today, he opts for a much more natural look, with his most expressive accessory being a bold bowtie or prescription glasses with a pop of color. Although he’s transitioned from clown to TV show host to retired theater director over the years, his performer’s heart remains just as vibrant as ever.
“I always wanted to be in show business,” said Jeffrey. “I loved everything about it—the travel, the crowds. But I think what I loved most was the joy—the power it has to bring insight and understanding to the human condition, comfort to the world-weary, and delight to the young and young at heart.”
Jeffrey first stepped into the circus scene when he was 19, spontaneously joining the Circus Kirk—the only all-student summer traveling circus in America. This was followed by several years with the Hoxie Bros. Circus, living on the road for nine months of the year and performing nightly shows up and down the East Coast and as far west as the Mississippi River. Then he returned to college, earned a Bachelor’s degree in opera from Mansfield University, and went in search of what he jokingly referred to as “a real job.”
“I went to the local library and found a list of all the public television stations in the United States, selected 50 cities I thought would be fun to live and sent out 50 cold resumes,” Jeffrey said. “I had never been in front of a television camera before, but I was passionate about drama, music, and children’s shows, and I thought I’d give it a shot.”
Of those 50 inquiries, a single station called him—one in Lewiston, Maine, seeking someone to develop and host a quiz show about the state. Despite his lack of direct experience and limited knowledge of New England, they were intrigued by his background as a clown and his effortless tendency toward connection.
“What is the only state in the United States with one syllable in its name?” Jeffrey asked, drawing my mind to a blank. “Oh come on, that’s an easy one!” he lightheartedly chided. “Maine!”
Earning several national awards for “So You Think You Know Maine,” Jeffrey was promoted to program director for the station and worked closely with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). He then became a station manager in Alaska before landing at the national PBS office in Washington, D.C., as their Associate Director of Children’s and Cultural Programming. In this role, he liaised between PBS and children’s programs like “Sesame Street,” “Reading Rainbow,” “Barney & Friends,” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
“I traveled around the country meeting with producers to learn what children’s content was upcoming in the next year or two, and I got to know all kinds of fascinating people, including Fred Rogers,” Jeffrey said. “He was interested in masks from an early childhood development perspective—the fact that there are real people behind masks. And knowing my background as a clown, when he was working on developing a themed episode (Episode 1,584) on masks, he actually invited me on to play my character Chuckles the Clown.”
After PBS, Jeffrey transitioned into theater work, ultimately landing locally at Gettysburg College’s Majestic Theater in the early 2000s where he led the theater’s $16.5 million renovation and programmed more than 300 live performances by professional artists during his run as the founding Executive Director.
“Television was wonderful, but there was no live interaction with your audience. It was more distant,” he said. “But to operate a theater where you’re doing the programming—you’re booking the films and coordinating the concerts—you immediately see how you’re impacting people’s lives. You experience the joy and energy firsthand.”
After 52 years of full-time employment, 20 of which were filled with fulfilling yet fatiguingly long days in the famed Civil War town, he knew it was time for the final curtain call.
“I’ve had a life far beyond anything I could have ever dreamt of when I was 19 years old and joined the circus,” said Jeffrey, who retired in 2024 and moved to Messiah Village. “If you know what’s in your heart, and you want to help people, and you work hard and are good to people, it’s amazing what can happen. Often, you’ll end up just where you’re meant to be.”
This next act of life, Jeffrey plans to prioritize health and spirituality, nurture his friendships across America, finish each book found on his shelves’ large assemblage, spend time with his brother, Alan, who also calls our campus home, lean into leisure, and frequent the local arts scene including the West Shore Theatre, Midtown Cinema, and of course, the Majestic.
“In many ways, I’ll be doing much of the same that I always have, just in a different way,” said Jeffrey. “I’ll be spending a lot of time in theaters, connecting with community, and surrounding myself with the arts—taking part in the joy of it all.”
