Street performing one liners

[Stephon]

If I may answer for Barney--"vent" is short for ventriloquist.

My two cents--comedy is essential for creating audience rapport. It puts the audience at ease and creates an instant connection not only between the the performer and the audience, but between the members of the audience as well.

And I'm not asking this to be snide, but have you seen Blue Man Group? While they do not tell jokes, they are *very* funny.

[pablo]

En guarde

Yes, I've seen BMG, and you're right - they are funny. But the humor in their show is not a crutch or cliche like it is in other acts. It greases & balances the flow of the show without becoming "shtick".

So I agree & disagree with you. Depending on your act, comedy is important but not essential.

[grOmmet]

I always feel that it is the UN-rehearsed doggerel that simply responds to the "Moment" which wins over "stock" lines / gags / bits of "business" every time!!

.... It's interesting to note that some performers, whilst practised in the art/s in which they display their skills, often appear terrified when it comes to speaking.

When I am interacting with my small circle of audience, I love the fact that my bumbling, absent-minded Wyzzyrd character takes over from my non-performing "self".. This creates an immediacy and intimacy which draws audiences in, and involves them with what is going on inside the circle which we have created together, and inside which we work our collective magick.

I kind of psych myself up prior to performances and allow the Balloon Wyzzyrd to simply "appear".

Impromptu, "quality encounters" then ensue, as I conjure up multiple organisms of the latex variety .. along with memories for people who leave feeling valued and included

It's like giving yourself PERMISSION to say what you WANT to say.......... and MOST comments are acceptable to most people.. AS LONG AS YOU REMEMBER TO RELAX AND SMILE DURING DELIVERY..

Have FUN out there!!

[Barney]

Yeah, vent is short for ventriloquism.

Having a puppet say something extemporaneously and wonder where the hell that came from is one of the neatest mysteries around. I write novels and sometimes pick one up to read a couple years after it is finished and my first thought is WHERE THE HELL DID THIS COME FROM? It did not exist and now it is an energy force all its own. Pavoratti once said his voice is not his own; it comes from somewhere out there. He is like a medium. Spontaneous humor can be like that.

[worldwidese]

Back To Basics.

Just wanted to be the first visitor ( I think) to post in color!

Of course, it's very good to good to begin with comedy. It sets the scene and gets everyone comfortable with you. Even speakers who are going to expound on some really dull subject will usually start off with a joke.

Especially in regard to American audiences. Ya gotta make 'em laff!

But seriously. it's shouldn't be just about comedy, but how comedy is used. It's about creating emotions. The act shouldn't just grind on at the same level. There should be peaks and valleys to keep the audience attention and build the excitement.

So if you've just wowed them with something clever or dangerous, (a peak) then it's a good time to throw in a funny one liner to ease the tension, and create a valley so you can build them up to the next peak.

[AJYO]

An arsenal of one-liners is good for drawing in a crowd, dealing with hecklers, and passing the hat. It takes practice and a great deal of testing to see which ones work in front of an audience. Sometimes, however, the audience just doesn't get it; if the audience doesn't react to my jokes, I just move on.

[AJYO]

Oh yeah, here's an awesome site for one-liners:

http://www.tech-sol.net/humor/one-liner.htm