I was told by a teacher once that in order to have "theatre" all you need are the following:
1) Space (Doesn’t even need seats or walls)
2) Performer (Doesn’t even need to be human)
3) An audience (Hopefully a captive one)
This being said –
-If an actor is in a space performing without an audience, is it theatre?
-If a street performer is in the park and has an audience of tourists, is it theatre?
-If the I puts folding chairs in Times Square and sang “Give My Regards to Broadway” in several genres is it considered an off-Broadway show?
These questions inspired me to look up information about street performers. Below are few interesting bullet points that I discovered:
- Street Performers can be found as early as the 1700s in New York City.
- In 1935 during the depression, Mayor LaGuardia banned buskers because many people were trying to generate income via entertaining causing chaos in the streets.
- In 1970 Mayor Lindsey lifted the ban after it was found to be unconstitutional.
- It is legal to perform on Subway platforms but not in the subway car.
- Amplification may be used if you have a permit.
- Street Performers may not legally sell promotional items without a permit.
- Street Performers may ask for donations but not force payment.
Take a look at this list of artists that started as street performers: Cirque Soleil, Stomp, Blue Man Group , Eddie Cantor, George Burns, Iving Berlin, Jimmy Page, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, The Violent Fems, and many others.
Advertisers are making attempts to place their products in unexpected places and in unexpected ways. What unexplored opportunities are there which can be inspired by the busker tradition? Is there a way, we can use unexpected space to produce commercial theatre or promote it (If it is indeed even theatre)?
Other resources on street performers:
In London, if you want to perform around Covent Garden, you need to audition with the city, and have a assigned time.
Posted by: Michael Krug | December 25, 2008 at 01:41 PM