stressfull street story

[Danny Hustle]

**Free advice is usually worth what you pay for it**

I’m not going to get into the whole right or wrong thing because others have made the point very well. What I’d like to say is getting into a fight on the street can be deadly.

I’m 6’ 3” tall, weigh just less than 200 pounds, and spent a large part of my life boxing. I grew up in a pretty tough neighborhood and spent at least one day a week in a fistfight with someone right up until I graduated high school and scraped the stink of that place off my shoes.

Having so much experience you might think that I would think clocking this guy would be a great idea.

The truth is if he came up to me after my show and got in my face I would have apologized to him cap in hand.

I am an entertainer. I stand on the street to bring a show to the people and have them fill my hat. That is my purpose.

If I offend someone in my show and they come up to me after the fact and demand respect I will give it to them. Right, wrong, or indifferent they will get my respect. It costs me nothing but a few words, “Gee, I’m sorry sir I was just trying to work my show. In hindsight holding a torch under your ass was probably a pretty stupid thing to do. I went for the cheap laugh to fill my hat and didn’t realize that it might be offensive to you. Sorry about that and I’ll think twice next time.”

How you get those words to sit well with your pride is the tough part. I know who I am and appeasing someone who I might think is a prick with a few humbled words costs me nothing.

A fistfight on the other hand scares the shit out of me. Any human who weighs in over 135 pounds can potentially kill someone with a misplaced blow. If you were to fall to the ground and your opponent chose to kick you in the head there is decent chance you can wind up dead or a turnip. I know a guy who spent seven years of his life in Walpole State prison for just that. I also knew the 21-year-old guy who got kicked in the head and never woke up.

If your seven buddies were to jump in and put the boots to this guy he might wind up dead and where does that leave you? Evan, the guys in prison would like you a lot more than you would like them, if you know what I mean.

What if the guy had a bad heart, or asthma, or insert malady here, that caused him to keel over while in a confrontation with you. You would wind up screwed.

What if the guy carried a gun? What if that was what made him brave enough to get into your face?

You never know, and you can never know until the shit goes into the whirligig. At that point it is too late.

That is why the smart move is to always defuse and evade if at all possible. Hey, the day may come where the guy doesn’t want to talk but just comes up and sucker punches you. You need to be prepared for that as well. And think about that when you are choosing your “victim” during the show.

These are all scenarios that I have experienced first hand in my life. These are also the reasons why even though I am very capable of defending myself physically you will never see me in a fight on the street unless I am defending my life. I will always humble myself and apologize when confronted with a physical threat in a show. If I can I will also call a cop.

Play nice, don’t fight, and choose your words well.

Best,


Dan-

[firegirl]

[quote]Originally posted by Steven Ragatz:
<strong>Picking up some papers stapled at the corner. "Excuse me sire, but I don't see you anywhere in the script... Oh wait! Here your are! 'Guy interrupts show by crossing to stage right.'"

How about simply stating the obvious? "Excuse me sir, but you're blocking my view of the audience."

Instead of making him your dad, how about making him your agent? (To the audience) "That's my agent." (To the guy as he leaves) "If you'd booked me real shows, this sort of thing wouldn't happen!"

One device that can be used in situations like this is to redirect the joke. Often, you can redirect it towards yourself, but in this case, would it have worked if you told the guy - "Here, let me help you. 'Scuse us - coming through!" taking the torch and waived it through the crowd to create a path for your stage-walker to exit the stage? That way, you could still use your fart joke if you wanted to, only on an audience member, someone who has shown that they are on your side.

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

those are all excellent suggestions, steven - i may even borrow one or more of them to incorporate into my gigs... [img]wink.gif[/img]

but then i read bill's post... yah! that's great material there for ya evan! it is posts like these two which keep me reading the p.net... when we can put silly bickering away and actually give helpful suggestions.
smoochies to all y'all!
kate

[ 08-25-2003: Message edited by: firegirl ]</p>

[Pyromancer]

Well Evan, we can argue about what you did, I can point a finger as if I have never found myself in a similar situation, at least you started an interesting thread! [img]wink.gif[/img]

Postive thinking, you know... [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

[firegirl]

you're absolutly right pyro - we ALL have been in a similar situation with a heckler/interloper before... it took me YEARS to learn how to turn hecklers/interlopers into a positive instead of a negative disruption to my show... i don't know about all y'all out there - but, when i'm on stage i get so far into the "zone" that even a meaningless comment tossed out there by someone can often break my pacing...

anyhow - i thought in the spirt of knowledge exchange i might share with y'all the five most important things which i was ever told/taught about audiance interaction... as this information was (and continues to be) very helpful to me...

1. it's OKAY to let an audiance member one up you with a funny comment... to do so with grace and good humor actually will add an extra "something" to the bond you're trying to create with your crowd... people will often shock you with how funny it they can be given the opportunity... and, when they do you should adknowledge it and laugh along with them... not to mention if it's really, really funny you can always steal it from them and put it into you show... [for example: one time at a ren faire as i was preparing to do an extinguish with a torch a woman in the back hollered out "don't sneeze." this cracked me up... out of that innocent comment grew a five minute bit (which i use as a regular part of my show) about how i would hate to have someone make me laugh or sneeze at an inappropriate moment because fire might shoot out my nose like a dragon (or, like soda) and whereas that might be spectacular to look at it's "snot art."]

2. if someone is REALLY persisting on being disruptive or a blow-hard and isn't contributing to a show it's best to just stop and be quiet and honest about your desire to keep the show on track... [another example: in a show where a drunk guy kept persisting in trying to come into my performance space (a stage/dance floor of a club) and grabbing my arm every time i attempted to do a mouth trick with a torch i stopped and said: "you know guys i know that this gentelman is trying to be an 'audiance participant' - and, i appreciate it... however, if he continues to act this way it is going to disrupt the show and i don't want that. could we all help encourage him to please take his seat and stop this so as not to seriously injure either himself or me?" i then asked him to take a bow and take his seat while the audiance applauded him. situation disfused.]

3. in doing a show of any kind it is important to remember that it's not about what YOU want or YOU think is funny -- it's about the audiance... it creates an awful lot of ill will with the entire crowd to intentionally antagonize a heckler... it's so much better to play along to a degree and make the guy/gal feel like they've come out on top... [example: one of my standard heckler lines is: "hey if you think what i'm doing is so easy, then why don't you come up here and i'll lace you into my bodice/put you into some leather pants and high heels and let you finish the show for me while i sit back there with your friends and have a beer... otherwise, SHUT UP... and, i'll tell you when to participate, baby!" -- granted this works best on men...but, i find that it is men who most often feel the need to heckle... and, i've had people take the challenge and come up onstage... and, i actually keep an extra bodice/pair of high heels in my prop trunk... and, i'll make a REALLY big stinkin' deal about getting the crowd to cheer for them and putting them into costume pieces and handing them a copy of my "script" and pointing out where we are in the show... handing them a torch... going out into the crowd and sitting with whom ever they are in attendance with... perhaps taking their hat off or some other item from them (like a beer) and heckling them the way they were heckling me... and, when everyone (including them) are laughing and cheering i get back up onstage and get the dude to take a bow and send them back to their seat... this gives them the chance to feel important and be "part of the show" -- it (without fail thus far) shuts them up for the rest of the show and increases my tips a BUNCH!]

4. never set up situations which intentionally make a person in your audiance (be they heckler or participant) feels like they've been "had" or are stupid... it is much better for audiance goodwill to create situations which make YOU out to be the idiot... be the brunt of the joke -- you're the professional -- you can take it... the best example of this i've EVER, EVER seen is in phil johnson's (moonie the ma'nificant) show... he gives his audiance participants opportunity after opportunity to make him look goofy... and, he is the best performer i've EVER seen at thinking on his feet and going with the flow... check him out if you ever get the chance... there is a reason which i refer to him as the "variety performance jedi master..."

5. it is up to YOU as the performer to ensure that your audiance is having a good time... the only ways one can do this is to remain in control of the show... know where you're going with things - pacing, audiance interactions, etc... make it look spontanious - but, have a plan of what you're going to do. that's the hardest part... your audiance is going to take it's cues from you... and, if you get upset, distracted or hostile -- they aren't gonna have a good time... and - then why are we here? if not to entertain then why?

anyhow -- more like 50 cents of advice this time... but, it's all been passed down to me thru performers i respect... i find that it works for me... hope it does add somethings for y'all to consider/use as well!
smoochies,
kate/firegirl [img]cool.gif[/img]

[ 08-25-2003: Message edited by: firegirl ]</p>

[raspyni]

Evan,

A great quote from my days in a Dale Carnegie course comes to mind: When given the choice of being right or being kind, choose kind.

That (along with all the other great posts in this thread) said, we have all been 21 and all had our own versions of your experience with the circle breaker. Many of mine were, in fact, at age 21. Now, 20 years later, I cringe at how I handled those times. I'm sure in the year 2023 you will as well. But, rest assured, it is the exposure to those experiences that will build the Evan that looks back and cringes.

Enjoy the ride. Don't beat yourself up.

-Barry

[Dan Tastik]

So this topic has really been done to the death but I was thinking about it while working today and I think the deal behind being 'mean' to people is they have to be playing the game with you.

The game is called 'im going through, what are you going to do'

You can always tell when people want to play this game, they make eye contact with you.

If they just plow through with their head down they don't want anything to do with you, why bother trying to engage them, they will only respond negatively. Make humorous stock line #7 to the audience not them.

Had a great one today which ended in me chucking machetes and screaming. Went over perfectly coz the breakers were willing to play the game. Very funny for all concerned and the breakers felt they were in on it too and not threatened at all.

Thought that since I actually thought about it and had an example and all

[Evan Young]

I saw the guy on friday (i think) and apologized to him for being so rude. He accepted my apology with a smile.... I think it made his day.

I still think he's an asshole though.

[firegirl]

...and, so go the adventures of yet another street performer...

tee-hee... kewll, evan.
cheers!

[Stretch]

Good on you Evan.

[Cybele]

Ditto what Stretch said, Evan, good on ya.

And, he may have such an unrewarding life that you really did make his day. Wouldn't that be a sad thing?

Now you can breathe easy, let it go, and do it better the next time.

(And your spelling has improved dramatically, kudos, kiddo.)

xox, Cybele

[Evan Young]

Isn't this heartwarming?
I think an angel got it's wings.
I'm gonna go kick it in the balls and then apologize.


watch me turn into another bitter old asshole performer over night.

[Stretch]

Angels have balls?

[firegirl]

heh...

i always thought the bitter performers were the funnier people to go out and drink with after a long day of passing the hat... at least at ren faires... [thinking of an acerbic escape artist, a surly whip thrower and a curmudgeonly mud beggar... [img]tongue.gif[/img] ]

just remember not to poke surly bitter performers with sharp sticks... tee-hee.

(*sniffel* -- cold medicine makes me goofy.)

[ALAKAZAM]

If you treat every occurence in your show with positivity,the crowd has a better time and ultimately you get paid better.I'm sure people were laughing but there were probably a few who decided not to pay you that day because they themselves were white upper class and didn't appreciate your comments.
Negativity alienates people,maybe not all of them but some of them.
I've been in situations where i've been attacked in shows,the only thing you can do is try to keep things funny,if you kick their ass,everybody will think your an dick. Same thing applies to non voilent conflict,eat your ego and keep it light.
AL [img]cool.gif[/img]

[Mr.Taxi Trix]

I used to work the parking lots at Grateful Dead concerts in the eighties. It was a great scene... huge circles, eager, happy, laughing people, and I was the only game in town. One night, midway through a three torch routine, a long, tall, wandering waif walked into me. Having spotted her about 2 steps before our collision, I hastily gathered the fire. She was not quite of this world, and nearly intangibled through, mistlike. I don't think she saw me, even after we made our light contact. I've always thought of this as a tasty piece of street memory, and it dances well with the old couple slowly wandering under the slackrope. We are often less important than we would want to be.


My response was wonder, mixed with respect, and a mischief wink to the crowd.

Would that I responded to life that way more often.