Rare Lib

When can you say you have an act?

Most novices and even professionals do not fully understand what makes
an act different from a performance. They may have what they consider or
call an act but really they are just a string of unrelated jokes or
unconnected activities aimed to keep the audience amused. A clown or
puppeteer for example telling meaningless jokes and gags doesn’t
constitute as an act it is merely a performer stating humorous tales,
facts, etc. A balloon worker transforming balloons to animals for an hour
or a face painter painting tattoos onto somebody’s face or body cannot
constitute as acts and the person cannot be classed as Childrens
Entertainers as they are only participating/performing an activity.
Activities however cannot be classed as not entertaining but can still
not be known as an act. A magician that performs a series of magical
tricks/allusions without identifying a theme or a story cannot call
their performance an act as there is no meaning or story told in their
actions. Identifying this story or theme sets the performer apart from
other walk-arounds or strolling activities (like the ones you see at
fairs and fun day). This isn’t to say that the strolling acts can not be
classified as humorous but they are not an official act.

The word ‘act’ is often misused to mean show. These terms are often used
interchangeably. A childrens show should have a start, middle and end
such like a story. This story (told using jokes and gags) should consist
of several segments inside the main structure of the show. The Childrens
Party Entertainers should have already planned the structure of the show before
their act had begun to ensure the story and act is of the highest
possible quality. This pre-planned/memorized factor of the show makes
your performance an act unlike a balloon workers or puppeteers
performance, which consists of ad-lib or random recitation of jokes.
Entertainer whos performance consists of mainly ad-lib like balloon
contortionists present a short show centered around balloons, filing the
rest of the time up with group activities and taking requests from their
audience. Their show is usually started by a five-minute group
participation warm-up then followed by a 10-15 minute show. The rest of
this time is probably consumed by Childrens requests for balloon-shaped
animals, although this is an effective party entertainment piece the
format is rarely followed and can not constitute as an act.

Some parents do hire entertainers for entertainment pieces and not for
the act that they have trained for. These situations are not bad but the
childrens entertainer should make clear that painting faces, making
balloon animals, playing games, etc is not an act. Generally the parent
who has employed a childrens entertainer wants their child to be
entertained and is paying the entertainer to be the life and soul of the
party; telling jokes, gags and involving people in the fun.

About the Author

Working for the Party Man Company has inspired me to write  a series of articles on how to become a successful Childrens Entertainer

The Library Minute: Exhibits