How To Be a Modern Day Pirate (Part 2) - Street Shows
- Corey Leighton
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
In the last blog, I summarized a great tool that circus artists use as a way to navigate this wild rollercoaster ride of life - traffic lights. This blog will be about another commonly used tool - street shows.
There is an art to doing street shows. It's an art that usually takes refinement and an understanding that typically comes through many "failures." Though I don't use the word "failure" in a heavy negative sense, because in reality - to mess up on the street (or at the traffic light) is not such a big deal. In fact, it comes with the territory. It's very important to mess up in all the ways imaginable so that when it comes to doing shows with more at stake, one will be ready. I had one legendary teacher and director who always said, "What can go wrong on stage, will eventually go wrong." In other words, it's not a matter of "if," but it's a matter of "when." It's important to be prepared for each and every scenario. That's exactly what makes street work so valuable; you can fail with little to no negative consequences (besides a bruised ego) and walk away from the failed attempt all the more wise for future shows. Knowledge is power. For example: Last year I was doing a show with a buddy of mine in the center of Ljubljana, Slovenia. We had already done numerous shows that evening and little did we know that our speakers were just about to die. We started our final show of the night riding the high from the shows before. We had captured the audience and it was smooth sailing. But then, in the most climactic (and most dangerous) moment of the show, the speakers died. Without missing a beat, both my partner and I started to mimic the dramatic music with our voices (I was upside down in a handstand). We started to sing. We started to improvise. What was supposed to be a poetic scene instead turned into a comedy. In the end, it was our favorite and most enjoyable show of that evening. All that to say that each failure can be reframed as a gift, and maybe can even lead to something better than what was already planned. So cliché, but oh so true. Failure is a friend and working the streets offers you many opportunities to make friends.
In reality, when it comes to doing a street show, there are actually two shows that need to happen. The first show is used as a device to attract the crowd, to let the audience know that there is, in fact, a show about to happen. If you just start a show raw with no build-up, there won't be enough of a crowd to enjoy what you are doing. Like sex without foreplay, the build-up is just as important as "the act." After all, people are in their own world on their own missions; you need to let them know that something exciting is about to happen. You need to hook them enough for them to take a detour from their own agenda. This can be something very simple. Something that has worked for my buddy and me is to simply play a "crowd hype playlist" and then begin a warm-up routine. The purpose of the warm-up routine is more to allure people than it is to actually warm up. It can be simple and silly. We hit play on the carefully curated crowd-pleasing music and then begin our synchronized and improvised 90's style workout choreography. We look absolutely ridiculous, but that's the point. Two dudes in matching outfits bopping their hips to a beat and randomly dropping into full splits are bound to attract attention. Before long, a crowd starts to gather. As it gathers, we continually shout something to them, "Circus show in 5 minutes!" Of course, even if the show is in 10 or 15 minutes, we always say 5 minutes. We only start when the crowd is full, ripe, and ready - like a fruit ready to be picked and devoured.
Crowd gathered: Check. Next is a bit of crowd work to get the crowd's appetite more stimulated, to get them hungry. This is both easy and fun, especially if you have a partner in crime like myself. We then engage the crowd in a dialogue that goes something like this:
Us: "ARE Y'ALL READY FOR A SHOW?!"
Audience: Yeah! ....Yes! .....Woohoo! (but typically this first response is weak and dull)
Us (responding with a prod): "WE CAN'T HEAR YOU. ARE YOU READY FOR A SHOW?!"
Audience: Wooooooooo! .......YESSSSSS! (this time they are more activated and engaged)
Us: "OK. WE ARE READY, BUT FIRST WE NEED EVERYONE TO HELP US LIFT THE ENERGY OF EVERYONE HERE. LET'S SEE WHO IS READY!"
Us: (we then divide the audience into two separate groups with an imaginary line)
Next, we proceed to push each group to yell back and forth, telling them to be louder than the other (IS THAT ALL YOU GOT? ...OH COME ON, THAT'S WEAAAAAK...). It's just one big crowd of shouting. It's silly. It's childish. It works. And by the way, this technique is as old as time. We didn't invent this. This crowd work not only hypes the people, but it also serves as a device to further attract a larger audience that is passing by and is seeing/hearing this. Two birds with one stone. After this short game, which takes only about 2-3 minutes, the actual show is ready to begin.
...and just like that, with the audience wrapped around our finger, we let it rip! If the audience is already in a heightened positive mood, already activated, then each handstand or acrobatic trick, or whatever we choose to do, is going to land that much better. In all honesty, the actual show is the easy part of it all. The tricks have already been honed and practiced for years. The building of the audience is the real art that is always a bit different and always a bit improvised to one degree or another. The only way to improve on crowd work is by doing, to be cast into the fire of reality. The best advice that works for me is this: don't give any fucks and just go for it!
...So, you gathered the crowd, you did a bit of crowd work, you performed, and now comes a very important part. You now must cleverly, creatively, and without ruining the nice vibe that you have created, ask for the money. After all, an artist has got to eat (after performing I could literally eat one of the audience members. Circus hunger is next level!) Here is both a comical and creative way that my friend showed me to ask for the money: After you have reached the final climax of the show and have done your final bow (making it clear that the show is over), you can do something like this. It's important that this next part is as dramatic and overtly emotional as possible...
Performer (after the clapping has simmered down from the show): Now, please, everyone raise your hand to the sky.
Audience: (in unison, everyone lifts their hands to the sky)
Performer: Do you feel that energy? Do you feel that positivity that we have created together here today? Now take that energy from the sky (said while poetically waving the hand in the air), and gently bring that energy into your own heart (everyone places hands on their heart). Let that positive energy spread through your body. Do you feel that? It feels good, right?
Audience: (smiling and giggling at how silly all this is)
Performer: Now please, take your other hand and once again, lift it to the sky (again, wave it around dramatically and with a hint of sarcasm - everyone once again will follow). Bring this other hand gently and slowly into your pocket. Do you feel that wallet? Do you feel any spare change or bills? Now take whatever is in your hand, and place it here in our hat. We do this for us. We do this for you. We do this to eat (said with a big, fat smile). THANKYOU!
...The audience, then realizing that your dramatic speech about feeling the "love" and "positive energy" was just a ploy to get cash, typically laughs and happily throws something into the hat. Boom-ba-da-boom. Mission success. The amount of money that can be won from a street show depends on many factors. Let's say there are 50 -100 people and each person on average gives 1 euro. Boom. 50-100 euros. Although in reality, most people will watch but never throw anything in the hat. But no worries, just do another show! I remember that in Slovenia we did our 15-minute show about 3-4 times in an evening and walked away with about 100 euros each. That's plenty enough to keep the adventure going. That's plenty enough to keep on keepin' on. For me, that's what it has always been about, just having enough money to keep the adventure going. At this point, the adventure has been going for 8 years and counting...
Porto, Portugal
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