Performing places

Abstract

Street performers use carefully designed interactions to: create their performance space, build their audience, and elicit payment. Two of the key transformations a performer must achieve are (1) to transform a public space into a distinctive performance place that passers-by acknowledge as such; and (2) to turn a crowd of passers-by into an audience. In this ethnographic study of street shows we analyse the specific practicalities of creating a performance place within a public space. We propose that performers design their actions in ways that help passers-by and audience members identify them as part of a performance. We investigate how passers-by display their recognition that a performance is being created, becoming watchers before being audience members. We explore various techniques performers use for place-construction and demonstrate that in each case, while objects themselves may be important in attracting initial attention, it is only through interaction that they are successful in actual building of a performance place.