Acting vs. Street Performing

[Butterfly Man]

I just received this e-mail from Brett Copes and I was wondering if anyone else had any input (my response will follow) :

"My Name is Brett Copes of the COMMIDIOTS. Some of you know me and some do
not. I am a fellow Street Performer.

Taylor Mathews, who saw my show in HALIFAX sent me this question, and I thought some
of my friends/peers in the biz could help to answer it for Taylor. It has
sparked quite an interest on the FANS page of our website. It has sparked
my on interest as well.

"I'm studying theatre right now and I was just curios as to why someone who
is obviously so intensly focused on acting as you seem to be would be doing
street theatre?"
--Taylor Mathews

If you want to send me a quick responce, at your leisure, it would be much
appreciated
--Brett Copes "

[Butterfly Man]

Brett,
I agree, it's an interesting question.

I could probably discuss many different aspects comparing the theater to actual street performing but I think the answer to the question can be found in what theatrical training can provide in way of preparation for a performance, street or otherwise.

The basics of strong stage presence is the development of good acting techniques. These (techniques) would necessarily be thinking, feeling, speaking and moving in character.

The time and effort to develop these techniques would be analogous to the amount of time and effort that it takes to put together a killer street show but there is (with rare exception) one big difference. Street performers practice their craft but usually give no meaning to it (most acts are trick driven). Actors, on the other hand, build their technique in order to support a story. At their very best, street performers try to create a story to support their technique. See what I'm getting at here?

Since both the street performer and the actor perform for (usually) live audiences in real time, both must be able to be seen and heard in order to be understood, both must make emotional connections, causing tears and fears and laughter and both must create an environment in which the impossible happens.

It would stand to reason then that a street performer (if they were trying to achieve excellence) would and should study the craft of acting. And since both worlds are based in theater wouldn't the opposite be true as well? An actor would and should study the art of street performance as both are based on the same kind of craft.

To be a great entertainer (isn't that what we are after anyway?) I think it just might work both ways. The better you are at your technique, the better you are at your craft, the better the quality of your show and the better you are at your performance.

I'm not so sure I've been entirely clear but I've done the best that I can. I never had that good of an act anyway.

Robert
The Butterfly Man

[Rich Potter]

Robert,
Good response. The only point to which I'd offer contention is the notion that street performing is "trick" based. I'd prefer to see the word "gimmick" used...it covers a broader range of shows and who knows? It may down the road bring someone to the craft who wouldn't have originally because s/he "can't juggle" or whatever.

Besides, is it a "trick" or a "gimmick" to be a human statue, puppeteer, mime, robot, or audience-participatory improv comedian, or one of those shows that are impossible to describe?

My other tangent would be in direct response to the "why are you on the street if you are an actor?" question (I'm surprised you didn't touch on this)

You can make a living on the street.



--Rich

[Brian Wilson]

"I'm studying theatre right now and I was just curios as to why someone who
is obviously so intensely focused on acting as you seem to be would be doing
street theatre?"
--Taylor Mathews

To pay the bills Taylor. Acting in traditional theatre roles, in some communities (like Ottawa) is a tough existance. Street performers and variety artists make WAAAAAY more than the average actor. Most variety artists make more than the average band. As Butterfly points out both street and theatre utilize many of the same skills, so they go hand in hand. My partner in Crime Jon "saliva drinker" Lockhart is a Theatre Grad who street performs full time now, as do a few others that i can think of. Strangely there are plenty of engineers, and science grads in our midsts. Any theories on this??

[StrongEntertainment]

"I'm studying theatre right now and I was just curios as to why someone who
is obviously so intensely focused on acting as you seem to be would be doing
street theatre?"
--Taylor Mathews

He wants experience. It is difficult to get a good acting job with out experience. When you want to try something new and you just can't wait, go to the street. You can be bad, you can start over if you mess up, you can do it a hundred times in a row (until it is just right), and you can make money. Most importantly, if you can entertain under the awful conditions of the "street", you can certainly shine on stage. I recommend a book by John Rudlin called "Comedia Del Arte." Comedia developed by a coming together of street and theater in the 1600's (give or take a day). Does anyone else have a book to recommend, I do a lot of flying.

------------------
Robert Strong
www.StrongEntertainment.com

[Blake]

I have a book or two to recommend.
Street Theatre and other outdoor performance by Bim Mason/ Routledge an excellent book.
Also the Welfare State Handbook.

I kinda agree with Butterfly man as to the difference between acting and street performing. Theatre is often about a story and often will not make money in a traditional hat sense. (sometimes not in any other sense either)
Street performance I find is theatre on the street that is structured so as to be able to have a hat passed after the show.
There are of course exceptions.

I also have a book Radical Street Performance that is a series of essays on street theatre as activism and social change as well as celebration and a way of being heard.

This book looks at action taking place on the street as having a function way beyond entertainment.

Apart from the money aspect, thats what attracts me to this artform because it has the potential to really alter people. This i believe is so because people find these "happenings" where thay were not prepared or expecting them.
I also find that street theatre has different Boundaries to normal theatre. Not so many conventions and is easier to get into no auditions and no judgement before the actual performance. I am still quite afraid of the theatrical and cinematic establishment even though i would quite like to do more mainstream stuff at times.

Blake



[This message has been edited by Blake (edited 12-16-2000).]

[Brian Wilson]

i guess the reason that more money is made at street performance is that it is more accessible, and the goal of many street artists is to make money. Unlike theatre, street performance often isn't intended to educate the masses or make a political statement.

Everyone walks on the street, but how many individuals walk into a theatre. A select few.

It's nice to see acts that aren't strictly money driven. I'm a big fan of the fun of street shows; how they push you as a performer to be spontaneous, of the "free" lifestyle they provide, and the entertainment provided to the masses in a live format at a reasonable cost. I am however not a big fan of acts who use loads of old hack material and do the same old tricks. Originality, personality, and entertainment value is what it comes down to, and i suppose if you have an entertaining show and a decent hat pitch that you can make a decent living.

[Pokie-Poke]

I have bin a street performer for some time now, and have done "traditional" theater. (off bway, off off bway and the ever popular nowere near bway ) and most of my schooling has bin geard to traditional theater.

street performing is the purist form of theater, i.e. you go to N.Y.C. to see a bway show. You spend 60$+ on tickets, get a babby sitter, get all dressed up, maby hire a car, make dinner reservations, all up to sevral months in advance (depending on ticket avalibility) you go to the show and .....

you hate it!!

do you walk out? probly not.
do you get your monny back? not if you stayed till the end.

do the actors care? sort of. they got paid, and it was so'n'so's falt, the director was an idiot, the lights were wrong bla bla bla...

now you see my show...
I am the wrighter, director(idiot ),prop manager, stage manager, house manager, usher, advertising director, ect. all that and more and I havent started performing yet!!
And how much do I charge for such a feet?
NOTHING!!!
For this I often get gifts, some times 1$ some times 5$, some times nothing. no one gives monny grudgingly to a street performer
$1. may not seem like a lot but remember this "it is easer to get $1. from 1,000,000. people than it is to get $1,000,000. from one person."
theater is, at the base, one person entertaining two or more people. street performing IS traditional theater, the first theaters were bilt in the late 1590's (ok the romens had them but rome fell in or about 420) we had streets befor that!!!

Pokie poke

ps sory for the rant but I take this stuff sereiosly
P.P.S.sory for the spelling but the last time I used the spellcheck it crashed and I am L.D.

[Prof Willie B]

To me the Street Performer IS in a theatre, one of community construct, "The Theatre of Imagination" and it's walls are a real as those that hold up Albert Hall. It should also be remembered that a great deal of street performance is not busking oriented.

[This message has been edited by Prof Willie B (edited 12-17-2000).]

[Frisbee]

I know this is not completely on topic...I may start a new topic just for this type of discussion...but, a Great book for you to read...not on street performing per-say but on the world of comedy and writing material...I have found that the book "Zen and the Art of Stand-Up comedy" by jay Sankey has had a great impact and helped immensely on writing material and seeing everything as funny...

[Blake]

I want to take this topic back to the origional question and that is why would someone interested in acting be so interested in street theatre.

I have read a history of street theatre and most modern "traditional Theatre" origionally came from street theatre it was the first form of theatre at least in early greek times and before that outdoor celebration was it.

I think this discussion is headed in the what is theatre direction.

I would like to offer that i feel all creativity is relevant some of us have taken on the mantle of being the "sharman" for the tribe.

I personally feel that when something is presented outdoors outside of the majical indoor environment there is a feeling of more connectednes (scuse spelling) with the nature we are part of.
Just a thought
bb

[scot]

Mediocre buskers can get more ________ than mediocre actors.

-money
-women
-experience
-influence
-chance for experimentation
-alcoholic friends
-free room and board
-schedule freedom

The street is not like the stage though. If you dominate the street you will not always do well on stage. Street doesn't take the same amount of responsibility or consistency. You can make your entire crowd mad in 80% of your shows and still survive. With stage you often have to audition and plan ahead to get jobs. You sometimes have to play political games (more than running faster than the cops). On the stage you can focus on your focus instead of thinking about what's happening within your crowd and without.

There are lots of people that are famous for acting and not really anyone who is famous in the mainstream for busking.

[martin ewen]

The relationship between the two forms is amorphous. You can bicker until the cows come home but there is no real relationship, other than theatre, between street and stage. I know people successful in both, but they are a rarity. Obviously everyone wants to defend their home turf.
Why bother?

[em]

The question "why someone(interested in acting) would be doing street theatre" was asked because within a vast majority of indoor theatre (especially here in the UK) there is a lack of understanding on the merits of street theatre...within any career there is usually the tendancy to want to further yourself, achieve "greater things". This is very much the case with indoor theatre as work is so hard to get...And it stands to reason that the more famous you are the more work you seem to get (although not always "good" work!) and so they are always trying to be "seen". So it would not make sense to a thesbian that we would be happy out there on the streets(were we spit,tramps sleep and cockroaches make love) as where would we go from there? (I often wonder how much further one can go as a street performer...I travel the world,i make money when i need to, i party a lot,i do a show that i enjoy and hopefully others enjoy,what more can we do?... except perhaps gain an understanding of artistic integrety within generisism!)We don't have to wait for work as we can create it ourselves...if the money won't come to us then we will go to it!
But for me personally, I enjoy the accessability of the street and being able to perform for all different types of people without exception...indoor theatre especially main stream can be, by its very nature, classist.
However,having had experience in both forms, I love working inside for the subtlety and i love working outdoors for the freedom.

[Blake]

Great comments Em
I have to agree with you on all counts.
some points i would like add to this discussion are to do with ego and being seen.

A friend has now twice been approached by major record labels on the street.

and so i think one can be seen on the pavement

I also would like to comment on the nature of the acting profesion as i see it.
today i think the fame factor is what drives a great deal of actors to get out there.
one thing i get out of the street is the anonimity factor.
I finish i get out of costume very few people ever recognise me.
maybe i dont get millions of dollars but i get to see every one i cause to smile and touch many beautiful young people and receive the gift of seeing the innocence of some really swwet young kids and some older ones.

fame kinda wierds me out and at the end of the day i know my friends are my friends cause they like me not cause im the star of big budget hollywood hype.
Although having said that if i could be in a film i would jump at the chance.


dunno just some thoughts
i like this topic gives good cause for reflection.
regards to all
blake