I just got my first booking for a school show! Thanks Steve for pointing me in this direction. ThankYou tony for all the advice you have given me through these pages. Now comes crunch time as i put together this 30 min show for kindergardners! subject matter, "comunity helpers". i will be including a911 calling segment as well as a segment on learning their own phone numbers to music. any other suggestions? the show is set for the week of the 23rd
mark

Great Mark! Take over Southern cal!

Ax

I recommend that you go to a party store and pick up some community helper costume props for your vent figures. Nurses cap, police badge, fire hat, etc. They can talk about what they want to be. If you have a dog you could explain how the dog helps the police. Trained to smell suitcases (for dirty socks?) No. For dangerous things that someone might try to sneak into the country.

Focus on the positive. Don't stop at the regulars. If you have a nurse also mention the pharmacist, the ambulance driver, the dentist, etc. You could even bring an ace bandage and wrap the puppet's leg after laying him down.

thanks Tony!, i have a call with the teacher coming up and we will settle on specifics. I will certaninly bring up your suggestions. I have a phone co back ground so i intend to have a segment on dialling 911, (the right way) and on the kids knowing their address and phone number., now all i have to do is make it fun!
thanks again, mark

Well as my first show takes shape, I am very happy to say that Axtell will be well represented. i am starting off with the applause meter for a warm up, then open the show with my Axtell duck! after setting the stage and topic with him, I will go with a puppet I bought just for this topic, a cute little girl with a big smiley face. she will be teaching the kids my "3 note method" of learning their name, address, and phone in a song. a little break at that point for some vent fun, then a 911 "do and don't" with my buddy "fred" the lion, (sorry steve, not yours) then we will wrap up with the magic drawing board.
show time is 30 minutes.
Now here is the quirky part. as the house is torn up at the moment, I have been practising out in front of the garage! Set pieces up and all. I have been following Mark Wade's teaching of "play big, pack flat", From just that, I have 3 more bookings! another school, a church, and a police "take back the night" shindig in aug!
ok, I wanted to get into this biz, but I didn't expect this! When people see my Axtell figures, they stop and stare, want to talk with, and get close to them. A lot of comments like , "wow, these are really cool". or "those are great!" and then followed by, " how much do you charge? "( I know that line is somewhere on this forum!)
There will be more as we get closer
mark