Seamus
12-04-01, 08:09 PM
In the hopes of creating conversation let me pose a question. Assuming you are a performer with street performing experience; when you perform street shows do you do so in character, with a persona, or as yourself. That is, do you perform as a full-on character, a sort of hyped up you, or simply as yourself.
I have noticed that all over the world wherever I have seen street shows the aggressive, witty, hard-shell-of-an-exterior, male type street performer is by far the most prominent, and popular. Assuming my observations are not completely wrong, is this prominence of the hard-ass (for lack of a better term) street performer due to the demands of putting onself on the line in front of strangers on the street, or because street performing attracts these types of people. That is, do hard-ass performers prefer to do street or does the street prefer hard-ass performers?
Obviously there are some demands that street performance poses that are more easily met with a hard-assed persona. For example the job of getting the attention of a crowd of strangers, and holding that attention is easier if one is a loud, know-it-all, attention seeking, confident, performer as opposed to a timid, quiet, performer. That is not to say that one can't get attention without being loud, and obnoxious, but that being loud and obnoxious provides a definite advantage. Although this generally holds true in most street performance atmospheres, very different styles of performance can definitely flourish on the street. Mime, statue, clown, etc...
If you are a performer who sees himself (or herself) as a hard-assed performer, I am curious to know whether or not that is how you started, and whether or not you consider yourself that type of person in your private life. Are you generally a hard ass or does that hard-assedness manifests itself during your performances as a way to protect yourself from the masses, and attract attention?
If you are a performer who uses a more vulnerable character, or style of presentation is that how you originally began street, or have you evolved into that style of presentation over time?
If you are simply yourself during your performance, is that how you started or have you evolved to that state? Have you changed or has your presentation changed or have they met somewhere near the middle?
When you originally started street work, how much was your style influenced by other performers you had seen, and how much stems from your own personality.
I for one perform a comic character variety show. I use a stupid, clownish, character. I have evolved into this style of presentation during my (2 year short) street career. I am striving to make this character, and my presentation less hard-assed, and more vulnerable. I feel that this vulnerability may help me bond with my audiences more readily than my previous more hard-assed approach to performance. I am not a hard-assed person in my day to day life. I think I originally adopted that style of presentation to make street performance easier, and to make myself less vulnerable. Now that I feel more confident with my abilities I want to experiment with a more vulnerable character.
Anyway I am just ranting on trying to create an interesting thread, and I've probably ranted enough. Please share your own thoughts on street persona/character and presentation style if you feel like it.
I have noticed that all over the world wherever I have seen street shows the aggressive, witty, hard-shell-of-an-exterior, male type street performer is by far the most prominent, and popular. Assuming my observations are not completely wrong, is this prominence of the hard-ass (for lack of a better term) street performer due to the demands of putting onself on the line in front of strangers on the street, or because street performing attracts these types of people. That is, do hard-ass performers prefer to do street or does the street prefer hard-ass performers?
Obviously there are some demands that street performance poses that are more easily met with a hard-assed persona. For example the job of getting the attention of a crowd of strangers, and holding that attention is easier if one is a loud, know-it-all, attention seeking, confident, performer as opposed to a timid, quiet, performer. That is not to say that one can't get attention without being loud, and obnoxious, but that being loud and obnoxious provides a definite advantage. Although this generally holds true in most street performance atmospheres, very different styles of performance can definitely flourish on the street. Mime, statue, clown, etc...
If you are a performer who sees himself (or herself) as a hard-assed performer, I am curious to know whether or not that is how you started, and whether or not you consider yourself that type of person in your private life. Are you generally a hard ass or does that hard-assedness manifests itself during your performances as a way to protect yourself from the masses, and attract attention?
If you are a performer who uses a more vulnerable character, or style of presentation is that how you originally began street, or have you evolved into that style of presentation over time?
If you are simply yourself during your performance, is that how you started or have you evolved to that state? Have you changed or has your presentation changed or have they met somewhere near the middle?
When you originally started street work, how much was your style influenced by other performers you had seen, and how much stems from your own personality.
I for one perform a comic character variety show. I use a stupid, clownish, character. I have evolved into this style of presentation during my (2 year short) street career. I am striving to make this character, and my presentation less hard-assed, and more vulnerable. I feel that this vulnerability may help me bond with my audiences more readily than my previous more hard-assed approach to performance. I am not a hard-assed person in my day to day life. I think I originally adopted that style of presentation to make street performance easier, and to make myself less vulnerable. Now that I feel more confident with my abilities I want to experiment with a more vulnerable character.
Anyway I am just ranting on trying to create an interesting thread, and I've probably ranted enough. Please share your own thoughts on street persona/character and presentation style if you feel like it.