And the business did grow. Soon he added day care centers and elementary schools to his roster. While doing market research in 1988, Keith realized that 2,000 elementary schools lay within a day's drive from Providence. He was touring a juggling and comedy variety show, The Flying Huevos, to schools already, but times were changing. The schools wanted educational shows. Keith suspected that if he produced an educational show that was still fun, he'd find a market that would keep him busy and let him live the life he wanted.

 

Actually writing the show was another matter. He refused to do Huevos with Just Say No tagged on the end. He wanted to find a marketable topic he was passionate about, research it thoroughly, and figure out what about the subject would most entertain him and his audiences. At the time, environmental issues were hot. But that, too, posed a problem. ''There were lots of big scary ideas out there," said Keith. "People were telling kids that the world would end because they ate at McDonalds or used disposable diapers. I found this unconscionable."

 

Instead, he chose to deal with environmental problems in a way that made kids feel they could make a positive impact. His slogan for Lets Talk Trash became "Simple things we can all do to keep the world healthy and clean." He incorporated a newspaper balancing and toss juggling routine to help demonstrate the reuse concept.

 

Audiences and educators loved it. It offered solid facts with juggling and silly characters to keep it entertaining. Keith had found his niche.

 

"Juggling is one of the tools I use to entertain people and get my ideas across. You won't see five clubs or seven balls in any of my shows," Keith emphatically states. ''I've never been excited about using my juggling skills as a demonstration of technical skill. It has to tell a story, too."

 

This is especially true in his latest educational show, Science Isn't Always Pretty. In one demonstration, he whips up some slime, (a mixture of borax, white glue, food coloring and water) with the help of a brave audience volunteer. Keith's mess turns into Gak-like balls, which he juggles. Its a perfect way to demonstrate the properties of non-Newtonian fluid, a solid which is liquid. "As long as I'm juggling the slimeballs they act like a solid because of the force and pressure involved." Then he switches to juggling two of the balls in one hand. The third ball, rather than resting in his other hand, melts, and drips through his fingers.

 

Audiences love it. Thanks to Science Isn't Always Pretty, Lets Talk Trash and two other educational programs, schools now account for 75% of his income. Despite a sluggish New England economy, he grossed more than $80,000 in 1994.

 

He still does a few birthday parties, but those will be phased out by the end of the year. So far he has been reluctant to give up what was the foundation of his business, but, the two or three shows a day school schedule is tiring. Weekends are usually booked with fairs, libraries, and corporate events, and he squeezes the birthdays into the non-peak times like 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Keith feels he's letting his client down if he performs on auto­pilot, so he's easing his way out of that part of the entertainment business.

 

The success of the growing business has brought changes. In 1993, Mary joined the business full-time. She now handles the contracts, advertising and publicity, leaving Keith time to develop new material.

 

They get regular feedback from others in the industry. For example, Marc Kohler, founder of the Puppet Workshop, suggested that "Artful Enterprises presents The Flying Huevos starring Keith M. Johnson" was too much. Now he is simply Keith M. Johnson, One Man Shows.

 

After taking a workshop with Kit Summers, they decided to modify the look of his printed materials. Many of them still focused on Keith's technical skills, while on the phone, the couple stressed Keith's personality and humor. They'd also found that teachers loved the fact that Keith was in special education in elementary school.

 

Mentioning it helped the slow learners see a success story, and helped the other kids learn a lesson in compassion, determination and perseverance. That's accented now in the new brochures and teachers guides.

 

Future changes include modifying props and set pieces. One of the big selling points has been the lack of tech requirements for the shows. They don't want to change that, but, as Keith regionalizes, some polishing is planned. Mary explained, "Rhode Islands Trinity Repertory Company, a pioneer in environmental theatre, influences audiences here. They actually prefer a made at home look to shows. But, in the rest of New England, that's not the case."

 

They are talking with directors and designers who can help refine the physical look of the show.

 

1996 marks Keith's tenth year full time performing. A new show, designed for fairs, family concerts and big festivals, is in the works. It will feature his favorite pieces from previous shows, like the incredible tutu dance from The Flying Huevos and slime juggling from Science Isn't Always Pretty, plus new material. He explained, "I've been working on a routine that combines the magic of multiplying billiard balls and toss juggling balls. I use multiplying golf balls, three realistic golf balls made from silicon, and one half­shell which fits tightly over a ball. By tossing the balls and secretly stashing them I can make it look like I have only two or up to four golf balls at any time. Its a nice blend of juggling and magic, which I think is a healthy thing. I've also been thinking about the hula hoop version of the classic linking rings. Those hoops are calling out to be tossed and spun!"

 

As always, it will be a family oriented show performed by a family oriented guy!  

 

Elizabeth Boardman is a freelance writer based in Wakefield, R.I.