So far March has been a sickening month for me, literally. I started near the end of February with a scratchy throat, turned into laryngitis, and into a cold for about 10 days. Felt better for a few days, but then WHAM! I got the shakes, fever, and finally pneumonia. During this time I had several shows. When I got laryngitis I turned my puppet show into a HOW TO workshop and showed how to do the puppets. I also hired a magician to come and do half the show.

A friend volunteered to step in for two more shows as a relief in case I started coughing. He was a big help.

I have 3 more shows coming up this weekend. I did turn down a one year old birthday party. I didn't want the baby to get sick. I'm on the upswing, but this is the first day I've had any energy at all. Before it was just moving from one chair to another. It was exhausting just to breathe and I thought I would pass out for a time.

Fortunately, the antibiotics have started kicking in and I'm feeling up to about 15% of normal. My next show isn't until Friday. One of these years I'm going to invest in Axtrax and just used them behind the stage for those days when I lose my voice!

I forgot to mention that I would stick a cough drop in my mouth about two minutes before the show started. I kept it in my mouth for as long as it would last, sometimes the whole show. I also kept a bottle of water nearby and stayed hydrated.

tony, once again you brought up a great point. what to do if you are sick? So, last night, i took all of my axtrax and moved them onto my ipod! i put both the rehearsal and show cuts on them. (my ipod provides my soundtrack via my p.a. system) this way, if i do get sick, or am asked to do something extra, or, WHATEVER, i have some great routines ready to go.
this would be a great way to save or extend a show. look through the catalog, there is everything there for all of your characters as well as any character if you use the wide open series. Yes i know i sound like a commercial, but it was the axtrax that helped me move from puppeteer to vent. they became the bridge i needed. am i fan? yes!

You gave me a good idea, I could record my bits with each puppet, load on my mp3 and keep them as back up...
Ribbons the Clown

Ribbons the clown
Robin Bremer
http://www.ribbonstheclown.com/
www.youtube.com/user/ribbonstheclown
www.RibbonsBelieveItOrNotBlogspot.com

I probably lose one or two shows a year, on average, from not having the voices I need. I wound up losing over $1100 worth of shows this year already. I'm a puppeteer as well as a ventriloquist so I could do my show behind the stage with recorded songs and skits. I'll have to make that a project.

It's a rare trait to see flexibility like this in a performer. Creative, expanded thinking.

A ventriloquist also using a puppet stage? Why not? Expand your market!

A Magician adding Ventriloquism? Of course! Expand your show with another personality!

A puppeteer doing Magic? Certainly! Double your entertainment!

Ask yourself what else you can do..... are you a musician? Do you have an interesting hobby? Add a segment to your show to feature this in an entertaining way.

Break it up. Mess with it. Expand - your - show....

Ax

I'm slowly getting a reputation as a vent/magician -- was just offered a job at a bar/restaurant as a full time walk-around v/m -- but that's not me. I'm adding one more facet... I have the MDB and the ungimmicked board which I'm now using to do caricatures of people. Time will tell if it catches on.

March break is usually my busiest week of the year. Last year I had pnemonia and lost my voice by Tuesday. FOr the next three days I did silent magic and puppet work. I still had great performance evaluations and return requests. I did use my Axtrax drawing board routine. In fact, I got such good reaction from some of the silent work that I have kept it in the show. Some of the best acts in the world are silent

Were these preschools or after school care who look for entertainment during that time?

I had to chuckle when I read this. I am sitting here nursing a battered voice as well ! Lost it this past weekend after four shows in two days. Thank goodness I am just playing trumpet for a show till Saturday, when I have to start talking again. That one will be a four hour Autism Benefit, with a couple of short stage shows and lots of walkaround with the puppets. I feel for you, man. I am just glad my schedule worked out that I din't have tocancel anything......yet!

I live in Canada and the public school system takes a week off in mid March for a holiday. Just about every Library and community centre offer special programming for kids with too much time on their hands. This is Canada after all - we don't go to the beach during spring break (but we do go skiing). I have deevloped a spring reading themed show targetted at libraries. I usually book 10 to 13 shows for the five weekdays. This year I introduced Verna the bird into the show. She did some magic and went over very well.

Ian