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From: Mike Bennett
Date: 10/18/99
Time: 10:55:10 PM
Remote Name: 166.90.33.143
Whenever I do a kid's show, I try to tie as many things together as possible. For example, tie the topsy turvy crayons to the coloring book (and a finish could be a production of the oversized crayon similar to the pole production.) Kids usually like gag/sucker tricks as long as you don't make them the butt of the joke. Fraidy cat rabbit is great if you bring up a helper and you are the one who "goofs" the trick and the helper puts it back (with the help of your breakaway fan.) As you mentioned, being a dad has given you great insights into how kids think. Being a clown (whether or not you wear make-up) helps. I do a gag cut and restored rope routine that gets lots of laughs -- and ends well so you don't look like a complete idiot. With kid shows, I try to stay as portable as possible, staying away from larger effects like botania or even run rabbit run unless I can absolutely control the children's access to the "stage." Bring more than you'll ever use, being ready to substitute any effects that will be lost because of bad angles or poor lighting.