help me please

[Louise]

Help me please, I want to eventually get into the alternative performing arts. I have a few basic skills that would be alright for street performance but I don't really know where to start; first I think alot of practice and tomorrow I am going to buy a unicycle hopefully. But who can help me learn more complicated arts like visual magic, sword swallowing etc...I would greatly appriciate any feed back, thanks!

[Steven Ragatz]

Being more specific would help greatly. What sort of performing do you like to watch? What sort of skills do you think would be appropriate for your age/sex/physique? Where do you want to go with this inspired career choice?

What you are doing is the correct thing - you are asking questions. Don't waste your time being shy. Watch, listen, explore, take and share. But first, ask yourself the questions to find out what you need to do. Then you can ask the community (such as P.Net) specific questions on how to do it, and I suspect you will get far more directed, and useful answers.

Steven Ragatz

[Peter]

You have a "few basic Skills" you say. What the hell are they? You mention you would like to do magic. Good, you are in London, there are many magic teachers there. Get into a class with one, practice like hell, rehearse like hell, and after a couple of years you may have a good street act.

Hell anybody is better than that Blaine idiot.

You need to give us more information so we can help you.

Peter

[Louise]

Ok, so my basic skills : poi (learning); chatter ring (progressing); quite flexable with ability to dislocate things; acting, performing, singing, playing intruments, telling jokes. And I would like to learn unicycle, fire eating, sword swollowing and other things as well as developing my skills that I have further.

[Stephon]

Try getting in touch with David Straitjacket of the Freakshow/Straitjacket Circus.

He's not in the London area, but he may be able to put you in touch with someone who is that could help you.

[nick nickolas]

Go to Covent Garden and talk to the performers there.........!

[nick nickolas]

......and buy 'em a drink......!

[Butterfly Man]

The Art of Street Performing

some things to think about before you buy Pep a drink:

1.THE RIGHT STUFF-
a) physical ...
b) mental ...
c) emotional ...
d) theatrical ...

... combine ALL your skills

2. MATERIAL-
a) “street” is not “stage”
b) the family show
c) the Pizza Hut mentality
d) the “L” factor
e) character & personal style
f) technique
g) K.I.S.S.
h) standard lines, tired bits
i) ripping off.
j) Houdini’s Rule: involve the senses.
k) the hat line

3. DESIGN
a) set
b) props
c) costume
d) sound systems

4. SAFETY
a) personal
b) audience
c) fire
d) security
e) travel

5. THE SHOW
a) packing
b) structure
1. set-up, warm up
2. crowd gathering
3. intro., hat line
4. bit
5. transition
6. routine
7. Big Trick set up.
8. hat line.
9. Big Trick...
10. hat pass.
11. benediction...
12. cool down, reset


P.S. Watch Keano but don't trust him!

[Mr.Taxi Trix]

http://www.performers.net/library/taxi.html

[Trevor Rooney]

Not Always the Case Louise

Well I had to write into this one with all the friendly advice for you, dont always take for granted that there is always a correct method for being a street performer.

Over the years I have seen guys walk straight onto a street and start making any making a living without years and years of experience.

The hardest part is the doing it in front of the public, once youv'e crossed that bride you have basically mastered the getting over being nervous about being the centre of attention, all eyes on you feeling.

After this things can only get better if you keep on trying things out and watching the other guys.

Try to form your own ideas and always use what you see to form them, all performers including my-self use little parts of things we have seen. The most important thing to do is form a routine that stands out when your on the circuit.

This way then you will stand a chance at getting more festival bookings, if you too much like anything else then you still do Ok but you'll have to work harder for your airline tickets and travelling if that's what you want to do.

Remeber you dont have to prove yourself to any-one show wise, it's what you do with your crowd that matters. There are streets enough to make shows on, in fact there are places where none of the others go. You dont have to do the big places where all the competittion is, if your queing for shows, for just one sure and your on a big pitch where every-one needs to earn something then thats the time when your under the scruitiny of the artists themselves.

You must not let this bother you, if you so a shit show in fron tof any-one then wait on and do another until YOU have proved to YOURSELF that you have pulled it off.

Also you must know that you dont have to do all the mind boggling sword swallowing tricks to get crowds, there are many simple and beautifull ways you can entertain them.

Sometimes the more beautifulla nd clean the act the better you do.

Lea Andrea the mime artist is just one great example of large crowds and success, Lea doesnt even utter a word to any-one he's an absolute superb mime artist, one of the best I have ever clapped my eyes on. I can name loads of people met have met along the way, all great artists , some are pratts but that's life.

So keep your chin up girl and get tough, thats something else you have to learn, when you have anyb of the qulaities that I have written in this mail you have most of the things you need, apart from your props.

By the way it's a performers dream to be able to go around the world and do shows without props, no shit to carry, the less the better......... Seriously.

You are the best prop available use it, you voice will be the thing that will be communicating with the people, make sure they get to know you as a real person, dont fake yourself, dont try to be anything that your not....... apart from the basic drive of your show, the thing that keeps them watching you until the end, for the hat lines.

In straight terms the way you handle that will be something you will have to decide, yep you can use the standard hat lines, every-one does, they work for sure...... but at the end it will all depend on all the factors leading up to that part.

One thing I can tell you and many will voice for me that there are sometimes mysterious times when you have really large crowds the biggest ever and they dont drop much. You know you have done a great show and there's no reaction.

If this happens it will annoy you, it does all of us, I ahve lost my rag with the audience that have done this at times and it's strange when you feel they are doing it on purpose.

Sometimes you never know why and sometimes you do, when you become experineced you will know if it were you, believe me when I say that one wrong thing uttered to the crowd or mishandling of a drunk or nutter walking right in the middle of the show can finish your act on the spot.

With knowlege and hopefully seeing other artists having to handle these kinds of problems will go along way in learning how to be carefull in these extremes.

If you go around the places that every-one suggests sooner or later you will get to see these kinds of things.

Get the crowd first then figure out the rest as you go.

Get yourself a portable amp and radio microphone, then you have the voice, the props are next then you figure out what the hell your going to do with them. Buy the cigarrete vanish from the magic shop. You can hold a crowd witht hat for 10 minutes if you good at talking. Nice little crowd builder, carry it in your pocket.

Have fun!

Please dont do a statue!

Trevor Rooney

[pablo]

Huh?

RE:
2. MATERIAL-
a) “street” is not “stage”
b) the family show
c) the Pizza Hut mentality

Okay, so what is "the Pizza Hut mentality"? Avoid becoming a formula or too cheesy? Somebody give me a clue.

[Butterfly Man]

terminologic

2. MATERIAL-
a) “Street” is not “stage”

... Means you must break the "4th wall", the sooner the better

b) The family show

... No swearing (not too risqué), appeal to all ages, ethnicities

c) The Pizza Hut mentality

... Appeal to the lowest common denominator ... dumb it down ... high brow humor won't fill your hat in Newfoundland
P.S. (this is just a personal choice ... it depends on your act)

[Trevor Rooney]

Stage

The whole world is a stage!

Trevor Rooney

[The Amazing Beaumanz]

if the whole world is a stage, where does the audience sit????

[jester]

The Audience should sit on the bloody moon. After all, they expect it on a stick nowadays anyhow.

There are those that do and those that should be sent to the bloody moon.

AAAAAARRRgh!

Thanks for listening guys. I can't afford proper therapy.