37-1,p30

SO, YOU CAN JUGGLE . . . MAKE ME LAUGH!

Tips on Comedy Juggling

After mastering an assortment of tricks, what's next? For some, the urge to perform is strong. Most of these people will end up as comedy jugglers, in part because it generally doesn't require the skill of technical juggling.

For the past three years I've traveled the country performing in various surroundings. I've had the privilege of seeing many juggling acts, and would like to pass along some of my observations for others who want to try comedy.

· Stay away from "stories." The first thing a new comedy juggler generally does is to write a story to go along with a three ball routine. Most stories are not funny and tend to drag on too long.

· Stay away from puns. The pun is the lowest form of humor. Puns usually get groans rather than laughs.

· Be creative. There seems to be a trend among juggling acts to look and sound alike. Use different props - fruits and vegetables instead of balls. Design new kinds of clubs. Turn a devil stick into a stick of dynamite. Be different. I can't stress this enough.

· Don't steal material. There are many reasons for this. You'll generally go farther with your own material than with someone else's lines. Stolen material is not as funny in the mouth of an imitator. Stealing material takes credit away from the originator of the material. Stealing material is just that - stealing. If you want to use someone's joke, switch it into your own words to suit your character.

· Pay attention to your audience. They can write some of your funniest material. People have shouted clever lines during many of my shows. Also, if you ad lib a line in a show and it gets laughs, write it down or you'll forget it.

· Don't drop. In an viewer's eyes a juggler who drops is not a good juggler. If you consistently miss a trick in a routine, take the trick out of the show. The audience will never know, and your show will be tighter. However, if you juggle, you will drop. When it happens, stay relaxed and make a joke out of it. If you are uptight and uncomfortable, the audience will be also.

· Have fun! It's much easier for an audience to have fun if you are too.

· Be clean. Dirty jokes and four-letter words might get laughs, but they're cheap laughs and the type of audience you can play will be limited. If you must use sex, use innuendos. They are more clever and can be used with family audiences. But be careful. Leave it out if you have doubts. · Maintain eye contact as much as possible. This makes your show much more personal.

· Probably the most important thing to remember is not to rely on tricks to entertain your audience. You are the entertainer and comedian. Another way of saying this is, "don't hide behind your props."

One - Liners to get you restarted

when the show st(dr)ops

As Mallery notes above, everyone drops. He suggests that comedy jugglers cover their drops with a joke to ease the tension of the error. Here's a collection of drop lines that have been widely used by comedy jugglers for many years.

They were collected and turned over to public domain by long-time IJA member Bill Barvin. Remember, creativity is the key to success. Feel free to use these directly, but they're better employed as literary springboards for original material!

· I learned to juggle by mail... I guess I lost a few lessons!

· If you haven't got any other place to go you can watch me practice!

· First drop I've had all day!

· I washed my hands this morning and can't do a thing with them!

· Thank goodness I don't do this for a living!

· Let's face it, I can only get better!

· I'm so nervous I even keep coffee awake! · Things seem to be... picking up!

· I'll get this trick tonight if it takes all week!

· It's all part of the act... the part I didn't practice!

· I'm all tired out. .. last night I dreamed I was working!

· Just a slight technical error...

· This is a good trick... even if I can't do it!

· With one hand I can juggle four plates... and with the other I can pick up the pieces!

· My act is out of this world... Some people can't wait 'till I join it!