Skills or Schtick?

[Greedybogle]

I work at a large theme park...I do roaming entertainment and a small show. However, I resent the restrictive setting of the theme park...the set hours, the boss, the control they have over what goes into my show.

I'd like to try it on the street, and go into business on my own. The trouble is, I'm worried about my level of skill [img]confused.gif[/img] . I can spin a diabolo, throw it around, I can juggle three clubs, do some tricks, basic magic and balloon animals... and sometimes I think the sheer variety of my skills is enough, but when I look at (for example) Jim's website, I realize how far beyond me he is. I'm young yet, still in high school, but I'm restless.

So, is my time better spent practicing and developing my skills, or should I work on developing a good show with funny schtick? Obviously there's no simple answer, but I was hoping for some guidance. Thanks!

[le pire]

Here's the hard answer:

you need to work on both.

Technical skills are very important, because they are your REASON to be on stage. They are what separates you from everyone in the audience-- you can do something they can't. So you better be able to do it well. Most people out there can juggle three balls or "know someone who's really good." You have to be better than their funny uncle. Remember: You're asking for money, and he gave it away for free.

That being said, I've performed alongside technical champions who have cleared the room because they have no stage personality whatsoever.

Most technical skills people I know have had the attitude "well comedy is easy-- anybody can do that." They use the same tired lines that they found in the IJA publication "Comedy Juggling" or heard their favourite street performer say. They usually do very well performing at juggling conventions-- where the audience is full of jugglers who want to see nine balls, five club back crosses and tricks that they can't do themselves.

When you're not practicing your technical skills, you should be working on your acting. Join an improv group or a community theatre. Learn to listen to an audience. This is VERY important. It's the difference between a performer and someone presenting a skill.

When you've got all this... then you've got to learn how to run a business. It never gets easier. Good luck,


etienne

[Steven Ragatz]

Your profile says that you do juggling, magic and acting. I will answer your question with another question: What do you like to do?

Steven Ragatz

PS. What park do you work?

[Greedybogle]

I'm at one of the smaller Six Flags parks, during my summers.

I love to impress people. I was born in Texas - it's in the blood. If I can do that by portraying a tragic character and bringing the audience to tears, I'm happy. If I can do that by tossing and catching colorful objects, I'm just as happy. I love to juggle, I love to run the diabolo - they're what I do to relax. But I'd rather be charming than impressive...see, I think when it comes down to it, I don't know that I like one part of it more than another.

Thanks for the help!

[Steven Ragatz]

OK, then why don't you do what you like to do? One of my favorite sayings is "Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it." Let's say that you start performing on your act, and it works out well, and you start getting more gigs, and then one day you are performing full time, year round (either on the street or otherwise). You will find that you have to do your show over, and over, and over, and over, (cut and paste X 100)... For your own sake, make sure that what you do is something that you enjoy, because if it isn't, you won't be doing it for long in spite of any success.

If I could give you any suggestion it would be to take advantage of your youth and explore. Don't worry about being successful, worry about being good. Have faith in the thought that there are always audiences and money to be found for acts/shows that are good.

Performing can be such a depressing profession that I personally try to revel in the romanticism of it. Convince yourself to follow a calling and make your career/lifestyle your passion. Picture yourself walking down the street, knowing everyone can see that there is something different about you, that you have a different energy and power. With images like this in your mind, simple questions of technique vs. shtick may answer themselves.

Steven Ragatz

[Stephon]

There are plenty of people out there without much skill who have very entertaining, funny shows (just look at Robert [img]tongue.gif[/img] ). If you can come up with a strong (i.e., something in addition to schtick)show, you can easily entertain people with the skills you already have.

However, at the same time you should be working to improve your skills, 'cuz while a show that's all skill and no entertainment is crap, and a show with some skill and a lot of entertainment is good, a show with a lot of both skill AND entertainment is a rare and valuable thing.

Good luck!

[ 01-01-2003: Message edited by: Stephon ]</p>

[Evan Young]

You can also take dance lessons. Music lessons. Physical theatre workshops. Art classes. Singing. Public speaking. Whatever, there are lots of things that could relate in some way.
I actually had a lot of fun taking dance, and it's not just b/c the teacher was hot.
Have fun, I don't think you have to take it all super seriously.

[Evan Young]

I just wanted to point out that the most successfull juggler in the last 20 years was Micheal Davis, who never juggled more than three objects in his show. He was on SNL, played for several US presidents, etc. etc. etc. People actually know who he is, (or was, he's retired now), and not many of us variety performers can actually say that. Anybody ever heard of Anthony Gatto? or Albert Lucas? No, they havn't, and they claim to be the best.
Not to say that fame is the only reason to get good at your show, I'm just pointing out the fact that skill isn't as marketable. In the end, refer to Steven's post.

[Doctor Eric]

Showmanship, not schtick. If you start doing the street, you will learn what you need as you go, much better than anyone's advice. But, what you need is showmanship. If you go out there, remember that, because it is especially important on the street. See, in a club or at some gig, the people are coming to see you, they will watch what you do, and probably like it as long as you aren't horrible, but on the street, they have no NEED, and you have to create that need before you do anything, hence, showmanship. Make em want it first, then give it to em. Then, get the money. It sounds like you have plenty of skills to do a show, and like I said, as you go, you will learn what you need, besides, I have a theory, "The less you do, the more you make."
Go out there and kill 'em, kid, eat nails and spit lightning!

[Steven Ragatz]

[quote]I just wanted to point out that the most successfull juggler in the last 20 years was Micheal Davis...<hr></blockquote>

Evan, I would be careful with your pursuit of "success", particularly financial success, with juggling and performing, if for no other reason than success is subjective and seemingly always just out of reach. There is a pretty low glass ceiling on the variety entertainment circuit, so if you are interested in creating a great earning power in your career, I would suggest looking elsewhere.

My own experience has mirrored many other jugglers whose paths I've crossed over the years. It seems that it always looks like such a good idea when you are young, and then as the time goes by, you begin to realize the empty effort and wasted energy on a craft that few people really care about. Technique vs. performance aside, the reality is that in this business we are selling an intangible commodity - one which we present to the masses in hopes of some sort of praise or reward.

Yes, you can find both, but don't expect that to be enough, at least not in the long run. When you are young, in school, slummin' or traveling about, then it can provide you with food and shelter. After all, what more could somebody want in life? Keep you mouth fed and your wings open to catch the next updraft, right? But can that last? Is that enough? What was a success at twenty isn't a success at thirty, and I certainly hope doesn't qualify as one at forty.

I strongly believe that the pursuit of success has to be done indirectly. I eluded to this in an earlier post - the desire to be good. By "good" I mean whatever your definition of "good" means to you. Maybe that has something to do with comedy, maybe it has something to do with being able to juggle ten balls. No matter, because if you can find your own personal success, then you have something more tangible than relying on unknown audiences to supply it.

There are performers like Michael Davis who have very strong comic dialog who also incorporate juggling as a direction for their comedy. But there are also others like Anthony Gatto, as you've mentioned in another thread, who take a different approach to their personal success. Yes, I suspect that Michael has grossed more money than Anthony. Even though I don't know for sure, it seems to me that money alone couldn't have been the motivation for either of their careers. Moreover, even though they both use juggling in an entertainment medium, I don't see how one could possibly compare the two. Britney Spears probably makes more money than the English Early Music Ensemble, though they both create music.

Try to define your own success, and then allow yourself to redefine it regularly. As I said before, nurture the romanticism of the theater, for that may carry your spirit much further than the number of zeros before the decimal place on your next tax return.

Steven Ragatz

[Evan Young]

[quote]Originally posted by Steven Ragatz:
<strong>

Try to define your own success, and then allow yourself to redefine it regularly. As I said before, nurture the romanticism of the theater, for that may carry your spirit much further than the number of zeros before the decimal place on your next tax return.

Steven Ragatz</strong><hr></blockquote>

Once again Steven Ragatz eloquently puts things back into proper perspective. Today I made a list of things that made me feel like a success this last year. At the top of my list were things like; when Tom Tumbelweed stoped complaining about how my show was too week to follow, holding an audience on Venice Beach, and actually getting out the door to do this stuff with determination (and not giving up in the face of obsticles).

"nurture the romanticism of the theater"
I do a victory lap every time I get a phone number in my hat [img]wink.gif[/img]