Dear Constant Reader,
It’s the last Friday of 2022! I don’t know about you, but I am so ready to say farewell to what has been a terrible, terrible year for me. I know that just turning a calendar page doesn’t mean a fresh start, but I can hope.
Anyway, here’s your tip!
If you consume something during your act, replenish it as soon as possible (or have a plan to do so before the next performance).
By “consume”, I don’t necessarily mean “eat”, but something you use once and can’t use again. This could be a giant paper bag you cut your way out of, a t-shirt, you tear off, whipped cream you spray on your butt, &c. You don’t want to be caught at the venue, missing a vital component of your act because you forgot to get another one.
Betty Blaize has an act where she cuts her costume off with a knife. She keep rolls of ribbon on hand to reset the costume pieces after each performance. For “French Champagne“, I need a bottle of champagne. I’m not going to keep one on hand, just in case I get booked with this act, but it’s on my pre-show checklist.
When performing an act like this, where you have to make or procure something every time, consider the additional time and expense when you’re negotiating with the producer. Also, it might not be an ideal act for multiple shows in a row depending on how complicated the reset is
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