From: "Preston Foerder" <preston-AT-pfpuppetry.com> To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org> Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:14:10 -0500 Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] busking Since my name was invoked, I have come out of hiding. I street performed for 15 years, living almost solely from it for about 3 months out of the year, performing either magic or puppets or both. I started in the Boston area while in college, in Harvard Square (street performer heaven, at the time) and at Faneuil Hall, and after that spent 12 years at South Street Seaport in New York City. I started there on the day they opened. I was never an adventurous street performer, pioneering new performing areas. I almost always played established areas where I could receive a permit or played "private" pedestrian mall areas such as South St. Seaport and Faneuil Hall (which usually have some kind of audition and scheduling). For busking or street performing (depending on the country, and by this I mean performing for money from the crowd, and not paid street performances, or unpaid street theatre, etc.) there are three goals: get the crowd, keep the crowd, and make the crowd give you money. This is the main difference between performing in a theater and on a street. In the theater, you have to be really bad to make people get up and walk out. On the street, you have to be really good (or at least interesting) to make them stay. There are two models for making the money. The first would be to gather a big crowd, attempt to keep them and build the crowd during the show, and ask them for money at the end. The second method is where people wander by, watch for a moment and throw some money into the hat. This is the street musician model. Even using this method for a show, it's good to try and have the most people at the end to give you money when you pass the hat. This second technique accounts for the dramatic structure of Punch and Judy. While there is a vague story, each of the different scenes can be appreciated on its own and the story can be entered at any point without too much explanation. Audience members can feel like they've seen something that can give you money for even if they haven't seen the whole show (especially if they have a bottler bugging them for money, though I never used one). To gather a crowd you need at least 3 people watching. It seems to be a rule. Once you get those initial 3, others will start to show up. You can gather people by making noise, calling them over, waving big things around or doing something unusual (i.e. mimes). One way is to set up your show and people will start watching to see what you are going to do. Often it pays to break down your show to some extent each time, just so you can put it back together again to gather a crowd. Street show structure is different than theatrical show structure. Your goal is to have the most people there at the end and not have them leave before that. There are a few techniques. In a variety format, never finish a routine before starting the next one. People are waiting for a break in the action to leave, so don't give them one. Announce at the beginning of the show and several times during the show what big thing you are going to do at the end of the show, so people will hang around to see that. Or make sure they can see something big that's coming up. For example, if you're doing variety marionettes and you have a big fancy marionette that is in your finale, have it visibly hanging so people will stay to see it. To get them to give you money, you have to ask for it. Most performers try to have a unique joke that asks for money, known as a "hat line". The money you make from a show is known as your "hat" (as in "How was your hat, today?") even if you don't use a hat. You should always mention something about paper, or mention 1, 5, 10, 20 dollar bills, whatever, or show paper money. If you don't tell the people what to give you, they won't give it to you and you'll wind up with change. There is a technique where you ask for money before your finale, and refuse to do it until you get enough. It seems to work for some performers but I never liked it and didn't do it. Finally, please ask for money. Do not perform for free ("just for the fun of it")if you are performing in an established street performing spot. First of all, you are taking up the place of somebody who could be making their living there (and there are a few performers who feel that it is their right to your spot and make sure you know it in no uncertain terms), and second, if you are giving your show away for free, its going to be that much harder for the next performer down the way to get money out of the crowd. This turned out to be longer than I intended. Tired now. Back to lurking. Preston -----Original Message----- From: puptcrit-bounces-AT-puptcrit.org [mailto:puptcrit-bounces-AT-puptcrit.org] On Behalf Of BNathanson-AT-aol.com Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 7:51 AM To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Has everyone seen this? Hi Rolande, Preston Foerder, who posts here once in a blue moon, performed at the South Street Seaport, as well as many other street locations, and he was (and probably still is) one of the best. My late friend, Duke Kraus was considered by many to be one of the finest street performers anywhere. He used to perform quite a bit in the Philadelphia area, and he just loved performing in Mallory Square in Key West. Bob Nathanson ************** Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living. (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campo s-duffy/2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598) _______________________________________________ List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit Archives: http://www.driftline.org _______________________________________________ List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit Archives: http://www.driftline.org
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