I am about to read both stickies in this thread, but I just wanted to put some info out there. I am currently majoring in psychology. I am lucky enough to have a parent who pays for my necessities+college in exchange for some basic things: good grades, housework (all of it, my mother passed away when I was nine), and errands (grocery shopping, rides for my little sister, etc., etc.). Things between my dad and I have been getting more and more tense; he vehemently disagrees with a certain decision of mine. Suffice to say, this is something I've been doing for 3+ years while managing all aspects of my life (save for income) and maintaining good grades. Although I don't feel as though he is in a position to act upon what I do outside of the house, he has threatened to hurt me and call the police. I am unwilling to live in a house where I am perceived as an addict and a criminal for no good reason. I am also unwilling to make major decisions based on his contrived sense of morality. My solution is to find a few close, responsible, productive with which to room in a rented house elsewhere in the state.

Summary: All of my free money goes towards food and gas; more money would be useful.

I currently work for kgb.com, the 542542 text answer service. I also make commission on the marketing team for a home improvement company. Neither job is cutting it, both financially and mentally. I have been toying with the idea of restaurant/bar magic for several years now, and I feel I am ready to make the leap. Performing is where I am comfortable and at ease; I don't stutter, my sense of humor is prominent, and I am able to utilize my natural flair for social dynamics (without having to push a product.) In terms of experience, I have a ton. I've been performing for people since high school; I've done kid's parties, private parties, and corporate events. Most of this is through family and friends. Whenever I host a group of people, I always arrange a little show. I've performed at malls for tips. I've improvised with trading cards and I've developed multi-phase routines.

The working professionals here understand the transition I am attempting to make - the difference between a hobby and a career. I am going to have to develop a strategy for marketing myself, along with routines, back-ups, and a persona. I am gong to have familiarize myself with performing regularly in a restaurant setting. I am going to have to do a lot of things which I am currently unaware of.

My initial plan is to speak with managers. I am not sure whether I should approach these meetings as "let me perform for tips and we'll see what happens" or "After X weeks I will only stay if you pay me Y dollars per hour". In terms of routines, I figure I'm not going to be at any one table for very long. Three of my babies are a CSI-themed suspense-driven version of Chicago opener, a "try to keep track of the card you selected among these four" version of jumping geminis which catches people off guard, and a creation of my own where person A signs the face of one card, person B signs the back of another, and the signatures appear on one card while held between A and B's hands. I will need to put some thought towards what else would be appropriate but these three effects should provide a solid foundation, seeing as I can choose/tweak each routine based upon how many people are at any one table. Do any of you have recommendations regarding a smaller opening or closing post-tip trick?

Well, I'm off to read the stickies. Thanks for letting me release my thoughts

Give ONE NIGHT ONLY as an audition after that they pay you plus you get tips. I do restaurants 6 nights a week and I will not do a freebie except to audition if I need a new one.
Paddy