Brad Weston’s Stagecraft: Mime

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This column explores different art-forms and the creatives who work in them. We look at how choreographers approach their work, what an improviser needs in his tool kit to do well, and how a painter sees the world. In each case, I will apply the techniques of each specific art-form to juggling and demonstrate ways in which we can apply the creativity of other disciplines to our own.

Mime: the most hated variety art-form in America. It’s also the least understood and, at this point, one of the rarest. Billy the Mime [https://billythemime.net/] is pushing the boundaries and delivering a solidly entertaining and thought-provoking show. The creator’s name is Steven Banks. I got him on the phone and we spent close to an hour talking about creativity and what it takes to be successful.

When I first contacted Banks to do this interview, all I knew about him was that he was a mime. What I didn't know was that he’s also a musician, an actor, and a writer for television and books. He had his own sitcom on PBS, wrote a New York Times bestselling book, and as head writer for SpongeBob Squarepants, he was nominated for an Emmy.

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Stagecraft: Magic

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This column explores different art-forms and the creatives who work in them. We look at how choreographers approach their work, what an improviser needs in his tool kit to do well, and how a painter sees the world. In each case I will apply the techniques of each specific art-form to juggling and demonstrate ways in which we can apply the creativity of other disciplines to our own.

This month brings us an interview with a modern legendary magician, Arthur Trace. He received international recognition in 2005 by winning 1st place in the stage competition at the International Brotherhood of Magicians stage competition. At the same convention he was also awarded the people’s choice award and the Gold Medal for Excellence in Stage Magic award. To get a sense of what his highly crafted and entertaining show is about, I recommend watching his demo video at https://arthurtracemagic.com/

My conversation with Arthur lasted over an hour and he had so much to say. It was a pleasure to talk with someone who has done so much deep thinking about what it means to be an artist. As difficult as it was to synthesize our talk down to 2,000 words, I think that you will find his approach informative and inspiring.

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Stagecraft: Improv

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This month we look at the art of Improvisation. The word ultimately comes from the latin: improvisus, which translates as unforeseen. When an artist is involved in the creative process, they literally can not see the terrain that lays ahead.

The creation of performance pieces and the development of new juggling tricks is a pure act of improvisation. We uncover the unseen and reveal the hidden. Although long and short form comedy improv on the whole stands apart from the variety arts, there are so many similarities that it bears a closer look. What’s more, there are many resources that can be found in print that can help us deal with our own issues, such as creative block, free association, and continuity of theme.

Many of today’s great improvisers such as Mike Meyers and Tina Fey got their start at a school in Chicago called Improv Olympics, a school founded Charna Halpern. She is also the author of a classic improv manual: "Truth in Comedy". Here is an excerpt of an interview we did last week.

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Three-Ball Pattern from Praise

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EXCERPT:

Frankly, I don’t know what to call this, other than Praise’s Pattern. He didn’t share a name with me, he just demonstrated it and explained some pre-exercises to build up to it. The move has elements of three well-known patterns. First, there is the familiar crossing and uncrossing of the arms as in Mills Mess. Second, there is a hint of the extended double-arm crossing, as in Eric’s Extension. Third, there is a trace of a Hi-Lo Shower with some low Shower passes thrown underneath some high-flying balls.

It takes a total of fourteen different throws and catches to run through a complete cycle. Two sets of throws occur at the same time, which reduces the number of beats—throws and catches—to complete a full cycle to a series of just twelve beats.

The pattern is symmetrical along the vertical axis; seven throws and catches (carried out over six beats) on side are mirrored on the opposite side. Remember, though, the symmetry is not seven beats on one side of the pattern followed by seven beats on the opposite side. The throws and mirror images are spread out throughout the cycle.

Each ball has a unique flight path. You throw and catch the white ball six times in one cycle, while the striped ball and the black ball only have four throws and catches each during a cycle. Again, since two of the beats involve simultaneous throws from both hands, the fourteen throws and catches become a total of twelve beats.

The entire sequence of twelve beats is described directly below, with two additional beats tacked on to better show how the end of one cycle flows into the beginning of the next. After that are descriptions of the three different flight paths for the balls. Finally, some pre-exercises to work on are offered.

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Stagecraft: Creativity and Inspiration

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The art of juggling is at a crucial moment in it’s history. Like most art-forms, the internet is rapidly changing how it is learned, seen and understood. It will grow from here in one of two ways: It can become more like a competitive sport, where it will belong in the gym, or it can become a more expressive and creative movement, flowering on the stage. In this article, veteran performer Brad Weston shares his experiences and and talks to other well-known and creative performers where they seek inspiration for their work.

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2

Anthony Gatto Interview on Practicing

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Here is a summary of the questions covered:
How do you structure your practice sessions?
How much time do you spend on each prop/trick?
Can you describe your warm-up theory?
What are important considerations about posture while juggling?
What do you think about when you practice?
What do you concentrate on more when doing combination tricks?
How relaxed versus concentrated are you when you practice?
What do you think about after you miss a trick?
What kinds of corrections do you find yourself making most?
You spoke a lot about your physical approaches. What about your mental attitude and preparations?
How much do you think about your practice sessions outside of practice?
Do you use visualization when you practice?
How strict are you with your practice sessions?
How has your practice style changed over the years?
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this information with us.

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This exclusive article is for IJA members only. Go to https://ezine.juggle.org/membership-options-page/ to join the IJA for this and other benefits.