Page 2 November 1979
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WEST
COAST Los
Angeles The
Los Angeles area has become a busy place for jugglers in the last year
with many types of opportunities arising. Street jugglers performing in
the Westwood area report steadily increasing hat revenues as do jugglers
at the various West Coast Renaissance fairs. Edward Jackman, Sandy Grinn,
and I recently were cast for small parts in "Can't Stop The
Music" an upcoming MGM movie about The Village People. We'll be In
that show, John Luker will be attempting to set a world record by
balancing a 100-foot pole on his chin I The pole weighs 45 pounds.
On
the night club scene, Greg Dean, better known as the Obscene Juggler,has
been working steadily at the various Comedy Store clubs while Sean
Morey, the Political Juggler, is in the middle of a very successful run
at the Mayfair Music Hall. The Variety Arts Center is now producing
weekly variety shows that very often feature a juggling act. Veteran
juggler Jim Rinehart performed in Los Angeles clubs for six weeks last
spring.
The
Juggler's Forum continues to attract about fourty jugglers every Monday
night and in the last month I have been able to arrange for
demonstrations of rope spinning, magic, and hulahooping. DeAnne Deluna,
the world champion hula hooper, amazed everyone by doing 30 hula hoops
simultaneously!
While
observing and participating in all this activity, I have been constantly
trying to figure out how the I.J.A. relates, or should relate, to what
is occurring. It seems to me that the I.J.A. should expand its services,
capabilities, and visibility to the public. When Dr. Keith brought his
videotapes of the 1979 convention to the Variety Arts Center, they were
a big attraction. This caused me to realize that the I.J.A. should have
its own videotape equipment capable of filming conventions and other
special events related to juggling. This would allow us to supply
members with dubs of workshops, etc. for educational purposes.
Performers who want tapes of their acts could acquire them at
conventions and also control the use of such tapes. Another idea is that
it may be advantageous to divide the I.J.A. into regions and have
regional coordinators. This is how International Mimes &
Pantomimists operated to increase communication among its members.
I
am currently in the process of collection ideas and comments on the
I.J.A. and will be reporting my findings in this newsletter column. If
any of you folks have thoughts you would like to see discussed, please
send them to me at: Santa Monica, CA. San
Francisco by Bob Nelson The
situation in the Bay Area is in a constant state of flux; The current
situation is this: Hi
Robert, Street
performing is dying in the British Isles. Police repression, audience
apathy and awful weather are a tough triad to vanquish. But
Quixote-style I continue to do battle. Am guerilla busking. Doing a show
and running. A good day here is $60. But my spirits are excellent. Am
practicing every day. Making good progress. My act is a big hit at the
late-night artists cafes. Give my best to everybody. Take Care, Ray. Mike
Davis - one man vaudeville - recently took second place in San Francisco
stand-up comedy competition. A.
Whitney Brown (and his dog of renown) took a very strong fifth place in
the same San Francisco comedy competition. He did a very funny routine
about working the street.
Gary
Calder - the only juggler to ever master six rings in
Fly-By-Night
Jugglers - This four man team (Mike, John, Frank and Robert) recently
broke up while two members go to Ringling for nine weeks.
Juggling
Mizmos - Fred Anderson and Kit Trueblood are doing the Renaissance Faire
along with Pier 39/The Cannery and the Anchorage.
The
Butterfly Man--Robert Nelson--Really getting his head
"Dr.
Hot" (Bill Galvin) and Steve Mock will be coming to
San
Francisco jugglers routinely get together at Bill Barr's Saturday
afternoons in Berkeley (Beserkely) (Ho Chi Minh Park) and on Sundays all
day in Golden Gate Park near the conservancy.
Take
care. Fargo is a reality (esoteric comment) |