Heyy. I need lots of help. Some people want me to perform at the fringe next year, but i dont have the right props for the job. Any quick tips?

Get the props.

Why do something that you obviously have no clue on how to do it!

Well he does have a year to prepare for it.
He has to learn at some point.

With the info he gave there is no clue what the event will be or what is expected. No info on his experience, it's hard to give any suggestions with the info. But once again until he has a show I wouldn't accept to do anything unless I had a clue what I was doing.
From what he gave he doesn't have the props to even do the job, regardless how far off it is.

Your correct. I guess I should have said "he needs to learn at some point, to be much more detailed and specific in his questions if he wants help."

I went to Asia's site. It is without any doubt, THE WORST site I have ever seen. Hard to read flashing backgrounds just pure dreck. It is obvious from the site that she has no idea of what magic is about and it will take a lot longer than a year for her to learn.

Please turn down the fringe fest the crowds will just heckle you without any mercy at all. Hey I am being kind compared to what a crowd will do to you.

I'm not really sure why this was posted in the Kids Shows forums. For those who aren't familiar with the festival, the Fringe is an annual event designed to showcase amateur theatrical acts and street performers. The Winnipeg Fringe Festival is one of the smaller events when compared to others worldwide.

It's a relatively friendly crowd for busking since the people come to the festival expecting to see the buskers and expecting to pay them for their shows. So, this is a great event for anyone wanting to hone their skills and get into that area of work.

Having said that, busking is not easy. You have crowds of all ages. You're performing outside, in the hot summer sun. You're performing almost non-stop. You also have to develop the skills necessary to build a crowd, keep them there throughout your act, and motivate them to dig deep into their pockets at the end of each and every show.

People like Cellini and Gazzo have turned busking into a true art form and they make it look easy. But,. having done it myself, I can tell you that it's a lot of hard work.

As for "the right props", THERE IS NO SUCH THING!! The Fringe is a venue for artistic expression. Magic is an art. For us to tell you what props to use, is tantamount to us telling a painter, what to paint and what colors to use. If you're going to perform at the Fringe (or anywhere else) you need the ability to decide for yourself what works and what doesn't. A lot of this will be based on your personality and your skill level.

Kent

Geez guys, go easy on her. She asked for advice for next year.

Quick tip Asia. Get Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic. You will find all kinds of great things in there.

For an amateur forum such as the Fringe, you could do a squared circle routine that could rock, or put together a few Andrew Mayne illusions. Either would be good for that venue.

Advice. In the future, when asking for advice, never make it sound like you have no idea what you are doing. There are many here who love to pounce on noobs that seem to be looking for the quick tricks, and are not interested in advancing our art.

I actually know Asia and discussed this with her. She is very skilled in the realm of close up and has worked with me performing for children. The reason she asked in the kid show forum is that there is a portion called kids fringe that she was asked if she would be interested in performing for. She has read numerous books on performing for children and does indeed have Mark Wilson’s course. I will not justify the question as it is impossible to determine what prop is right for someone when you don’t know them. (I will help create her show) I will just say that many teenagers her age have not read the right material (she has) and also have parents that are willing to spend lots of money for the props they need (she does not). The real question should be about making inexpensive props and getting the most out of little (playing big)

Oh Dear, your right. I just looked at it...to say the least its awful.
ITs not clear, or well typed. The playboy button is a nice touch.
The back grounds are lousy. The colors clash, the headline buttons are unreadable. ITs more like a liite girls site than a magic site.

But this isnt to discuss about her site. to say the least it needs work.

I am glad some one explained the fringe.
I hope it goes well. Good luck Asia.

I might add that her website is obviously not a commercial website. It is something that she played around with. People put links to all sorts of things, that doesn’t mean they use them for commercial purposes.

I'm usually one of the first to jump on others when they ask for similar help. Again I don’t condone it what so ever. But this is not a kid who hasn’t done any research.

Lets change the question a bit again. What would someone suggest that both plays for busking and a children’s show?

This would give her atleast some insight in which direction to look.

Not all Fringe work is busking oriented. My wife performed as a dancer in an indoor theater at the Edinburgh Fringe a few years ago.

Pretty much anything goes. It's all about exposure, but there is a LOT of talent out there and you'd better be unique or you're going to be passed over very quickly in favor of the next act.

What effects play well when busking for children? The effects need to be angle proof, visual and quick. They also cannot be too bulky since you are expected to move your pitch after every 20 minute set.

With that in mind, I would recommend effects such as:

Linking Rings (Maybe a 3 or 4 ring routine)
Sponge Balls
Miser's Dream
Professor's Nightmare
Fiber Optics


This all assumes that you are performing in one of the smaller pitch areas and not doing a full circle show. More important than the tricks, however, are the various techniques you will use to build a crowd and pass the hat. You have to remember that, even if the children are enjoying the show, it's the parents who have the money.

Kent

Dave,

You're absolutely right about the theatre shows. I assumed it wasn't a theatre show since people are required to audition for them. In that case, Asia would already have the premise of her show designed and not need the kind of advice she requested. The seasoned professionals are the ones performing in the theaters.

Kent