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Page 15 October 1981
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...Geno... I'm
glad you've had time to come to IJA conventions. This may be a
dangerous question to ask, but, what do you think of the IJA? ..
.Bounce... The
conventions are great! I've been to three now, and every one has been
like juggler's heaven. I've thoroughly enjoyed myself, because it's a
magical time for everyone there. It's wonderful getting together with
other jugglers and sharing. Through
the years on the road we've met a lot of of jugglers and heard about a
lot more. Then all of a sudden there we are, all together at an IJA
convention! It's a great time to share and enjoy. ...Geno... Can you suggest how other jugglers might develop a performance? Would you stress work on developing entertainment, or technical, ability?
...Bounce... You
never get worse as a juggler if you're working at it. But you've got to
touch the audience.
A
lot of technical stuff can leave an audience cold. If you're a good
entertainer, you can get them on your side juggling just one ball or
club - that can mean more to them than juggling ten.
When
you see some of the entertainers on the circuit nowadays, it's clear
that you don't have to be a great technical juggler to be a good
entertainer. I think people are looking for a good entertainer who uses
juggling as a vehicle, rather than just a juggler.
For
myself, I hope I can develop more as an entertainer than just as a
technician. Just being a technician won't get you very far. You have to
be able to communicate verbally with the audience for your act to go
over well.
(Editors
note: Jan Kirschner has recently left Loco-Motion
Vaudeville and Rodger French of Atlanta, GA, has joined.)
...Geno... Jan, can you tell me how Loco-Motion works juggling into a total act?
...Jan... Although
all of us admire the brilliant juggling technician, there is a very
severe limit on an audience's perception of juggling. The average
non-juggling audience can only appreciate a certain amount at a time.
In
a Las Vegas juggling show, you see perhaps a 7-minute non-stop technical
act. But 7 minutes is really all you can watch. It becomes a visual
display for the eyes. To some extent, it's like getting an intense shot
of artwork, where there's only a certain amount of it you can focus on.
By bringing the juggling into a theatrical framework, we can use it as a
hook for the audience's attention. That's what we're trying to do.
The
audience will be able to watch a lot more juggling and gain an
appreciation for how it relates to them as people. By demystifying the
process with words or music, we can tie people into juggling.
...Geno... How
much practicing do you do on the road? ...Bounce... The
main time we practice is before a show. We try to get to a job
about three hours ahead. One hour is for set-up, and the rest is our
preparation getting our strength together and tuning in on the
juggling. If we have some extra time during the day, we might to some
extra juggling.
Then,
I go for a run every day. Other people do other things - stretching or
working on their flexibility. But we all keep in relatively good shape
on tour. ...Geno... Do
you put conditioning right up there with rehearsaI and practice? ...Cyrus... It
depends. If you're a stand-up comic, you have to be aware of what
material is in vogue. If you want to incorporate mime, fine arts and
dance, you have to continually take classes in those areas to
be aware of what's happening out there in the world. It's a matter of
continuous education in whatever you choose to do.
I
guess if I have any suggestion to give to a performer, it's
preparation. You're in the public eye; preparation reflects on you. if
you get into performing with fervor, you'll be doing a number of shows a
week and you'll have to put on a highly developed, high quality show
every time.
...Geno... It's
interesting that you say, "What's in vogue," because what you
do is almost timeless. It doesn't need a specific vogue. How do you feel
about the particular kind of material you use?
...Cyrus... I agree that it's timeless, but we work nuances into it.. We pick up from some figure in the news or a celebrity or comic, because we know the audience can relate to that figure.
...Bounce... Music
in the background can put an act either in vogue or out. Juggling is
timeless, but when you do it to something like Devo's "Whip
It," then it's a vogue thing for now. The college kids are up as
soon as they hear that tune. ...Cyrus... They
identify with what's happening, and that wins them over. The thing
that's frustrating is when you do material you know is good, but no one
gives you feedback. Some material has to be worked geographically. ...Geno... I've
noticed a lot of changes in your show over the years. What kinds of new
things are you adding now? ...Bounce... In
the last year, Cyrus added a straight jacket escape off his seven-foot
unicycle, which has probably never been done before. We actually tie
We
spend about eight minutes building the crowd up to the trick. We do it in
different ways, but all are comedy pieces to support the conclusion when
he escapes.
Then
there are some abstract things. I play a life sized juggling puppet called
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