To steal routines or to not steal routines, that is a recurring question at IJA conventions. Many professional jugglers are very vocal in their anger and disappointment over plagiarism in the business. Other equally professional jugglers say the question is moot.

 

The widely divergent viewpoints are poignantly expressed. Frank Olivier of San Francisco pleaded, "Ten minutes of my material is six months of my time. I won't do my act at IJA conventions because I'm afraid someone will steal it and perform it on TV before I can."

 

Rhymin' Robert Peck, who writes his own juggling poetry and routines, urged the IJA to adopt a code of ethics or guidelines to help performers realize the consequences of their plagiarism. One of the best ways to deter the action, he said, was for people who hear suspicious material to ask personally where it came from.

 

Peck suggested that when people hear a great line they'd like to use, they should ask the originator if they can borrow it. If nothing else, Peck said, why not attribute lines to their originator when they are delivered?

 

Greg Dean, a Los Angeles comedian, pointed out how serious the problem is, stating, "I can't do some of my own material now because people think I stole it! I've had people come up to me after a show and say I got a particular line from someone else. But the truth was that I wrote that material first and the other guy stole it from me. Audiences believe whoever they hear it from first is the person who wrote it. "

 

Dean said he'd take physical action if he ever saw anyone repeat his trademark mop, bucket and rag juggle. "What else can I do?" he asked. "I can't sue them, I can't copyright my stuff.

 

The only thing I could do would be to threaten to beat them up. People allover the world know me for that one trick. "

 

There were persuasive arguments on the other side of the issue also, mainly along the lines of "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. " Those not upset by plagiarism claim that truly successful comics always stay a step ahead of their imitators, and that the character with which a particular performer delivers lines assures that plagiarism will never be effective.

 

Jack Plimpton, who formed the Japanese Jugglers Association, noted that the IJA was organized by professionals seeking inspiration from each other. He said that the few professional Japanese jugglers are not successful partly because they still refuse to reveal their skills to each other.

 

An unidentified person stated simply, "Every time a performer appears on stage there's a risk someone will steal material. This convention is a high-risk area, and if you're scared of plagiarism, don't perform here."

 

Robert Nelson, a San Francisco street performer, is fond of saying, "All jokes are just orphans looking for a home. ..

 

But Nelson assumes that the orphan will find new clothes and a new hairstyle in that new abode. That idea, of switching a joke's wording, context or style of delivery, is a basic ethical guideline for many performers.

 

Nelson brings his personal joke books to conventions for others to peruse, and says, "I feel very comfortable with that. .. He adds, "I think people will utilize discretion and not use them word for word. ..

 

Another professional juggler who preaches moderation, while recognizing inspiration, is Barrett Felker, a performer with the Harlem Globetrotter show. He pointed out the different ethical guidelines for physical tricks, as opposed to oral comedy.

 

"If you're willing to put in the practice time it takes to learn a juggling trick, then it's fine to use it," said Felker. "If I tried to do an act using only stuff I've developed, it wouldn't be much of an act! But, I don't approve of copying someone's whole sequence or scene."

 

Sam Kilbourne, the Pantoclown, summarized the popular middle ground of the argument. He said, "Juggling tricks belong to whoever can do them. But people need to develop original ways of delivering them. ..

 

To help beginning performers, Olivier, Peck and Ben Decker held an impromptu comedy writing workshop at the Santa Barbara convention, explaining the techniques of writing and routining.

 

Also of help was a workshop on street show techniques, which Dean taught. He discussed the essential elements in a show, such as gather­ing a crowd, relating to the audience, timing of jokes, tricks and the hat pitch. He said it is better to switch jokes than to steal them verba­tim, changing things to fit your own act.

 

"It'll help you feel better about yourself," Dean concluded.