David Groves: Be a Street Magician
Groves, David: Be a Street Magician!
©1998 David Groves
Softcover, spiral-bound, 8.5x11", 145 pages

Also in perfect-bound
David Groves: Be a Street Magician!
Image courtesy eBay seller MercyMercyNew

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Contents (from book ToC, page number for chapters only):

5 Part One - How to Create a Great Street Show

7 Chapter 1 - Structure of a Street Show
Act I Hooking the Audience
Act II Building Your Crowd - Early Show
Act III Sustaining Your Crowd - Main Show
Act IV The Pitch
Act V Delivering Your Finale

11 Chapter 2 My Show
Act 1 Hooking the Audience
The Cute-Animal Hook
The Linking Rings Hook
Breaking the Ceiling
Act II Building Your Crowd - Early Show
My Closeup Show
Gauging a Crowd's Size
The Lighter-Fluid Strategy
Preparing the Lighter-Fluid Bottle
My Stage Show
Act III Sustaining Your Crowd - Main Show
Act IV The Pitch
Act V Delivering Your Finale

15 Chapter 3 Your Show
What Type of tricks work on the street?
Closeup
Portable Tricks
Danger Tricks
Common-Object Tricks
Escapes
What Types Of Tricks Don't Work On The Street?
Geek Magic
Larceny Tricks
Elegant Manipulation Acts
Fire Tricks
Angular Tricks

19 Part Two All About Money

21 Chapter 4 How Big is the Money?
Factors That Influence Your Earning Power
Your Skill At Magic
Your Skill At Manipulating Crowds
The Local Economy
Local Attitudes
Your Pitch
What Type Of Magic You Do
Your Personality
The Venue
Street Seasons

25 Chapter 5 Pitching For Money
Pitching At The End
The Key To The Pitch; A Serious Moment
Elements Of A Good Post-Show Pitch
How The Length Of Your Show Relates To Tips
Pitching Before The Last Trick
The Promise
The Philosophy Behind Your Pitch
The Pity Mongers
People Reward Quality
Your Tip Container
Using A Hat
Using A Bucket Or Coffee Can

31 Part Three: Rules Of The Street

33 Chapter 6 How To Attract A Crowd
A Crowd Attracts A Crowd
Street Audiences Have Something Else To Do
Crowd Control Techniques
Barking
Setting Out Props
Wearing A Costume
Setting A Rope Boundary Around The Edge Of Your Stage
Slipstreaming Behind Another Show
Using Music And Movement
Displaying An Animal
Doing An Eye-Catching Trick
How To Keep Your Crowd
Always Know Your Next Trick
Always Keep Talking Between Tricks
Find Ways To Keep The Audience Interested In What's Coming
Setting Boundaries
How I Set Boundaries
Decisions To Make Before Setting Boundaries
When It Is Easiest To Attract A Crowd?
Finding A Spot
Seven Keys To Finding A Good Spot

41 Chapter 7: Lighting & Sound
Lighting
Beware Of Backlighting
Sound
What A Sound System Can Do For You
How Much Does A Street Sound System Cost?
Your Dream Sound System
Other Requirements
Don’t Blast Away Other Performers
How To Deal With Loud Acts
Don’t Plug Into A City’s Electrical Outlet

45 Chapter 8: Magic Tables
Purposes Of A Table
Types Of Tables
My Tables
Blair Tollefson’s Table
Future Tables

47 Part Four: The Experience of the Street

49 Chapter 9 The Street-Performing Community
Community Relations
An Online Community
Jealousy And Jockeying Among Performers
Full-Time Street Performers
Performers From Tough Backgrounds
Difficult Street Performers
Success And The Street Performer
The Homeless

55 Chapter 10 Women And The Street
Guidelines For A Female Street Performer's Safety
Romance On The Street
Portrait Of A Street Romance
Avoiding The Wackos

59 Chapter 11: Is I Here Any Future In Street Magic?
Street Magic Is A Means To An End
The Downside Of Street Performing
You Take Abuse From The Public
Audiences Associate You With Street People
The History Of Disdain For The Street Life
It Takes Its Toll On The Body
It Doesn’t Tolerate Disease Or Disability
It's Seasonal And Financially Unpredictable
You're Rootless
You're Outside Of The System

63 Part Five: Legalities

65 Chapter 12 Street Performing And The Law
Pertinent Ease Law
Other Cities' Restrictions
Street Performers’ Rights Expanded In 1997
What Local Governments Can Legally Restrict
Offensive Street Performers
Some Practical Tips About The Law
Unfriendly Venues
Offensive Acts
Pioneering New And Untested Venues
How To Obtain Approval From A Venue
Venues That Seek You Out
How Not To Obtain Approval From A Venue
New Orleans, February, 1995
Largo, Florida, November 18, 1995
Your Relationship With The Cops
Bad Cops
Undercover Cops
Disputes With Other Street Performers

71 Part Six: Best Street Venues Around the World

73 Chapter 13 Los Angeles
Santa Monica: Third Street Promenade
Pasadena: Old Town
Venice: The Boardwalk
Universal City: CityWalk

81 Chapter 14 San Diego
The Gaslamp Quarter
Embarcadero Park
Balboa Park
Seaport Village

85 Chapter 15 San Francisco
Cable Car Stops
Market Street
Union Square
fishermans Wharf
Haight Street
Arts and crafts shows
Ghirardelli Square
Pier 39
The Cannery
The Anchorage

89 Chapter 16 Santa Barbara
State Street
Stearns Wharf

91 Chapter 17 San Luis Obispo
On the main streets downtown
Farmer's market
Downtown centre

95 Chapter 18 Santa Cruz
Pacific Garden Mall

97 Chapter 19 New Orleans
Jackson Square
Washington Artillery Park
The streets of the French Quarter

101 Chapter 20 Boulder, Colorado
Pearl Street Mall

103 Chapter 21 Boston
Fancuil Flail Marketplace

107 Chapter 22 Cambridge
Harvard Square

109 Chapter 23 Key West, Florida
Duval Street
Mallory Square

113 Chapter 24 Chicago
Navy Pier
Rush Street
Taste Of Chicago
The La Salle Street Train Station
Grant Park
Lincoln Park Zoo
Natural History Museum

115 Chapter 25 New York City
The Staten Island Ferry
South Street Seaport
The Greenmarket
Greenwich Village
Washington Square Park
The Theatre District
Midtown
The West Side
The Metropolitan Museum Of Art
Central Park
Fairs And Festivals
The Subway

127 Chapter 26 Seattle
Pike Place Market
The Bumbershoot Festival
Northwest Folklife Festival
Westlake Park
Other Venues

133 Chapter 27 Other Venues
Fairs, Festivals, And Farmer's Markets
Summer Fairs And Festivals In Southern California
Farmer's Fairs And Markets
Renaissance Faires

137 Chapter 28 International Venues
Munich, Germany
Switzerland
London, England
Rome, Italy
Barcelona. Spain
Vancouver, Canada
Victoria. Canada
Tokyo, Japan
Paris, France
Edinburgh, Scotland
Oslo, Norway
Stockholm, Sweden

143 Bibliography: For Further Reading


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