quick I need a story......

So I 'm busking at the Steampunk Festival and I decide I was going to use my thunder tube to make noise and get the passers by to stop because there is a magic show starting. What's a thunder tube? A great little bit of seventh grade physical science, (I learned this stuff in the seventh grade I don't know what grade its taught in today) Its a demonstration of sound waves. Its a spring attached to a tube and the spring pierces a drum head. when you shake the tube it rumbles like thunder and its surprisingly loud. The movement and wave shaped motion of the spring transforms to sound waves once it passes through the drum head.

After I stop the linking rings which gets attention and they stop to see my next effect- "The Black Hole Theory" which is a routine for multiplying black sponge balls I shake the thunder tube and announce the show will now begin.
But as the people gathered around and respond to the sound they began asking, "what is that thing". The thunder tube has always been known to me- well since seventh grade at least, so I needed to explain it....at a Steampunk festival in my Dr. Vir Lateus Dentum character. I needed a story so I made one up that was topical and appropriate for the time.
"This is m Thunder Tube! One day there was a passing thunder storm and I decided I wanted to capture that sound, I jumped into my airship and flew it up to that dark and stormy cloud. I grabbed a handful of thunder clouds and stuffed them into this tube, then attached this spring to the bottom. Now when I need my thunder I can just shake it and the clouds rumble just like in the sky!"
Wow....that was a great improv story! And I used it over and over again at that point in the show even when the audience didn't ask what it was. And that is how a show and a script for a show grows and is refined through practical performance......more next time
Be well
Keep 'em clean
(PS you can purchase a thunder tube from American Science and Surplus for $12.95, www.sciplus.com)

It was COLD out there......

This past weekend Phineas and I performed at the Staten Island Autism Speaks Walk.
We volunteered at this walk last year and although smaller than the Manhattan event it was still exciting and very well attended. This year we woke up to temperatures in the 40's with high winds. s you'd realize, not the greatest weather for an outdoor event.
So we beefed up our costumes for warmth, thermals and a sport jacket for me. I actually had this jacket for my costume for just such an event.
As we arrived, we watched the staff and other volunteers were setting up and actually holding the ropes of the tents down and trying to prevent all the flyers and other giveaways from blowing off to Oz. The families started to arrive and although their kids were bundled up in layers to stay warm they were still there to walk and participate.
My usual routine is to walk around and work with the crowd and my prop of choice at the autism walks is my bubble wand. No luck with this thing in the wind, the bubbles came out and disappeared, so after about 15min I had to abandon it and just go back to working with the crowd.
The rule about clowning with a crowd in this type of event is to use anything around and everything we see, this includes the weather. So we clowned and joked with the attendees about the weather and  having this walk outside in the wind. We shared the situation with them and were able to make fun of ourselves and the common challenge we were all facing.  Applying our clown characters to this situation resulted in comedy for all. One of our teachers in clown, the Great Joel Jeske taught that formula, situation + character = comedy. It doesn't take props as much as applying your character's way of dealing with situations you're put in.
Oh, and I did get to meet the AdvantageCare Mascot! what a good dog......

Hey check out that plaid!!! Really warm also
Be Well
Keep 'em clean

THIS JUST IN.......

Dr. Vir Lateus Dentum Magician, Time traveler and Canine Psychic has been booked to perform at the Pennsylvania Steampunk Festival on August 31st 2019 in Bethlehem, PA!
In addition I will be performing table hoping walk around close up magic at the Time Traveler's Gala for the PA StemFest in April 2019

If you are anywhere near the area please consider joining us for this Gala and then in August for the Festival. The joy of the SteamPunk Genre is its connection to the Maker Movement, and the CosPlay community. The level of creativity is infinite! Where better to share my magic that weaves all the tales of my various time travels and experiences in history with great close up illusions.
Then later at the end of the Summer I get to busk at the Steampunk Festival. Some of the best audiences are the folks that attend festivals. They are there to have a good time and enjoy stopping to watch the magic, and hopefully donate to my hat at the end.
I always remind my audience, the price of a movie or club is going up and up and live street theater is harder to find and now happening right in front of them so its certainly worth a few dollars for the hat. That's just one of my hat lines and its the truth! I feel that live entertainment is a very different experience for an audience and magic is a wonderful live art form so please join us for this or follow me to any other festivals and enjoy the sights, sounds, tastes and of course the MAGIC!
Be Well
Keep 'em clean

Enchanted City 2018 Troy NY Steampunk Festival

Through one of my google searches for festivals to busk I came across the perfect venue fr Dr. Vir Lateus Dentum to perform magic for the crowds. The annual Steampunk Festival in Troy New York, up near Albany is a local gathering of all things Steampunk. This would actually be my first Steampunk Festival so I wasn't sure shat to expect. I reached out to the organizers and discussed my busking at the festival. They were very enthusiastic about it and we agreed I would come join the fun and set up and busk on a corner at the event.

I arrived at the festival and at first I didn't see anything but as I got closer and then rounded the corner, it was full steam ahead and it was wonderful. The costumes and the props from all areas in the Steampunk genre. There was a parade of genre specific vehicles and some of the most elaborate props I've ever seen. Lots of different vendors had tables including a wild bird rescue. Visitors could meet an owl and raven up close and see all these majestic birds one on one. The best part was that everyone was very nice and enthusiastic to each other about the celebration of the Steampunk SciFi ideas and concepts.
I walked around and looked at all the vendors and met  lots of other fans. We talked shop about costumes and other aspects of Cosplay. So much fun to be there with everyone.
Then it was time for magic! I found a pitch on a corner next to a busy area near the vendors and set up the table and the act.
Then the performances began and the crowds gathered. It was a full day of shows and nice fat hats!
All together it it was a great event and I'm already scheduled to be back next year.

Be Well and Keep 'em clean

Busking New Hampshire

On a recent trip up the East coast we ended up staying in Portsmouth New Hampshire. Usually when we travel I spend a little time on the inter webs to find out what the local busking laws are. My family is usually very tolerant and allows me time to work the street. SO a quick Google search revealed:

Sidewalk Performer Guidelines

WELCOME

The City of Portsmouth welcomes performance artists who seek to share their talents and skills with residents of, and visitors to, the City of Portsmouth. In order to make your experience in Portsmouth a positive one, the City has provided recommendations and guidance regarding sidewalk and other performance opportunities.

WOW that's great. One of the biggest issues about Busking is the ability to perform and solicit money for your performance and not get asked to move or even worse hauled in by the local police. But Portsmouth NO WORRIES.
 The first day in town while walking around, shopping and looking for places to eat, I scoped out the territory and found my pitch.  The next day was show time. After lunch the family went walking and I went to perform. Great Pitch......lots of people and good crowds and nice hats. I even managed to impress an audience of teenagers!  Usually teenagers strike fear in my heart......they just seem to know it all and are experts in everything.....but the final production in the cups and balls did!
No big money from them but great reactions and for me that's just as good.
Another note here is that I was debuting my new Orange Color scheme to my Steampunk costume with y new flat top hat and all. I strongly believe that as a busker you need to have a good costume and unique look. One of the many things I learned from "Cellini The Royal Touch by E.M McFalls" which is one of my bibles for busking. I highly recommend it to all performers.

I always remind myself that I busk for the love of performance and the thrill of the street as my stage. After all I have a great day job. Always do the research when traveling, you never know when a show is in order.
Be Well and Keep 'em clean

The birds are where?

One of the many areas of magic is Dove magic.
The use of animals in magic is ancient, and before I get emails and PMs about this, the animals in my magic act in my care are excellently treated and cared for by our local veterinarian and also taken care of by my daughter who is an agriculture student focusing on animal care.
Now that we are past that, I started with 4 doves from a local breeder in our big backyard aviary and now through an act of mother nature we have 10. The young chicks were all fed from the palm f my hand from early on and they have become very comfortable with me. I enjoy spending my evenings talking to them and caring for them. Nothing out of the ordinary for a dove magician. The routine is pretty regular, every morning before I leave for work I go out the the aviary to say good morning and feed the birds. I get there and the food tray is usually empty or close to empty and I put in one cup of seed and they all fly up to the tray for a good breakfast. I pick up the second generation one at a tie and let them eat some seed from my hand and this is part of their training and our bonding. I also have 2 parakeets I use in the act and they get a similar routine every morning.
 Well one day a few weeks ago the morning routine was a bit different. It seems I left the large 25 lbs seed bag open when I left for work and didn't get to go back in the evening. So I approached the aviary the next morning and didn't see any doves! They were all gone!

But then as I got inside, I did hear some cooing....I followed the sound and yes they all, and I mean all 10 of them were crowded into the feed bag and were climbing all over each other and eating.
I approached the bag and opened the top and yes there they were. I took the out one by one and put them on their perches and filled the food tray......go figure they weren't hungry anymore.

I love working with animals!
Be Well
Keep 'em clean

What an amazing Summer......

Hello Internet Friends,
Well we've finished a great Summer, with plenty of travel and plenty of performing.
Phineas and I took a trip to Baraboo Wisconsin to go visit CIRCUS WORLD and the CIRCUS WORLD MUSEUM.

Now, besides the Museum and the circus wagon exhibit which were both beyond belief!, we were able to enjoy the Physical comedy and humor of Steve and Ryan. These guy are the best Physical comedians I've seen in my life. Its like watching Keaton, or Chaplin, or Laurel and Hardy Live!
As long as they are performing, American Circus Clowning is in good hands.

We also went to spend time with one of our circus teachers, Greg DeSanto at the CLOWN HALL OF FAME. One day I even spent some time Busking in downtown Baraboo. It was exciting as it sounds, very few people, not enough to make an audience for a show but I spent an hour doing trickle shows and got a very nice response from the passers by.

The CLOWN HALL OF FAME although small is jam packed with the most amazing collection of personal items and props from clowns throughout circus history. Great stuff that you would never expect.  And of course Greg was a very gracious host. Phineas and I each have learned clowning from Greg at different ties during our training mainly with the NY GOOFS.

There is no way to describe the items we were able to read through and see, that represent the circus and its clowning history. Between the Hall of Fame and Circus World my head was spinning and I think I ran out of memory in my IPhone with all the photos and videos. This was a trip I will never forget.
More travel stories in the next post.......until then
Be well and Keep 'em clean!