[MR] Stalking the Wild Audience

[Henry Best]

February 1, 2003, the Coxcomb Academy of the Performing Arts is
sponsoring a track of classes at University Atlantia, in Isenfir. These
are general performing classes, for would-be entertainers in any
discipline. Taken together, they are a full program for the SCA
performer, which we call Stalking the Wild Audience (with a nod of
thanks to the late Euell Gibbons). We explore questions and problems
central to performing in the SCA, many very basic, some less so. We then
examine, in depth, one specific tool which we have found to be useful,
the model of the street performer or busker, based on experience gained
busking both in the SCA and on modern streets in real world conditions.
Whether you are a juggler, storyteller, musician, actor, dancer,
magician, or any other kind of performer, at any level of experience, we
hope you will come attend, ask questions, share your unique experiences
with us, and that you will find value in our curriculum.

On a personal note, I'm greatly looking forward to a chance to spend
some time in fair Atlantia, among family and friends. I've missed you.
I'll be at University on Feb 1 and at the Performing Symposium in Ponte
Alto on Feb 22. It's been quite a few years. Please come say hello and
laugh at how much hair I've lost.

Dr. Henry Best, OP
Chancellor, Coxcomb Academy
http://sca.coxcomb.org

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"With shauen heades as ideotes, in theire hoodes
made with eares & beset with belles much like to fooles."
    -Henry Cornelius Agrippa
Of the Vanitie and Uncertaintie of Artes and Sciences
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---------Begin Coxcomb Class Schedule--------
10:00 Warmups
-Matthew Christopher <mailto:%20matthew at coxcomb.org>
As a performer, it is your task to set the energy level of the room, to
lead the audience where they need to go to enjoy your show. You can't do
that unless you are warmed up and ready to go, physically and mentally.
Learn what you need to know to be able to do your very best performance,
each and every time. And at the same time, let's all wake up and get
ready for a day of high octane learning!

11:00 Building an Act
-Henry Best <mailto:%20henry at coxcomb.org>
In this class, we will explore how to take a basic idea for a
performance and develop it into an entertaining act. Learn to separate
the tasks of writer, director, and performer while creating a one man
show. Learn to routine an act from start to finish, and then learn to
polish that act to an elegant shine.

1:30 Don't Forget the Audience
-Matthew Christopher <mailto:%20matthew at coxcomb.org>
(aka The Five Rules of Performing) The same way that a conversation
isn't just one person talking, a performance isn't just you doing your
thing on stage. The audience is fully half of the transaction. Learn to
perform in such a way that the audience is served and entertained.

2:30 The Performer's Emergency Kit
-Henry Best <mailto:%20henry at coxcomb.org>
Any experienced performer will tell you: Murphy was an optimist. Learn
how to plan for the worst case scenario in your performances, reducing
the likelihood of mistakes, recovering gracefully, & maybe even turning
disaster to triumph.

3:30 Taking it to the Street
-Henry Best <mailto:%20henry at coxcomb.org> and Matthew Christopher
<mailto:%20matthew at coxcomb.org>
A look at street performing in period, followed by an exploration of how
this ever-present venue can be used to your advantage as an SCA
performer. Learn tried and true techniques for building and entertaining
audiences where there was once only dead space.

4:30 Anatomy of a Street Show
-Matthew Christopher <mailto:%20matthew at coxcomb.org>, Henry Best
<mailto:%20henry at coxcomb.org>, and Paulo Garbanzo
<http://www.garbanzojuggling.com/>
After "Taking it to the Street", we will see a tape of Paulo Garbanzo's
excellent street act, as performed in the Pennsic marketplace. We will
then dissect his show, examining the choices he makes and the techniques
he uses to succeed in a street environment. Get a privileged insider's
peek at the workings of a professional-grade street busker's show.