Monday, August 18, 2008
Sword swallowers, fire eaters, jugglers, magicians and musicians will gather on Massachusetts Street for the first ever Busker Festival Aug. 22-24.
Rick Averill, drama program director at the Lawrence Arts Center, said the idea for the festival originated with Richard Renner, owner and director of Vodvill Entertainment Co., a company that specializes in finding work for street performers.
According to Renner, “busker” is the old English term for street performer. Although this is the first busker festival in Lawrence, street performers can be found in cities around the country.
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Busker Festival Schedule
Friday Aug. 22 - 8:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday Aug. 23 - 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. Sunday Aug. 24 - 2:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Robert Wolf, professional sword swallower, said he learned many of his skills on Pearl Street in Boulder, Colo. Wolf will be performing at the festival with his wife, Valerie Wolf.
Wolf’s show is called “The Wicked Liars,” and includes sword swallowing, fire eating, magic, juggling and bull-whip cracking.
“It’s fantastic that we get to kind of express ourselves in our show,” Wolf said. “We can come up with anything we want and stick it in.”
Wolf broke the world record for fire eating in 2002 with 42 torches in 60 seconds, but said his most dangerous skill was sword swallowing.
To swallow a sword, Wolf said he must align his body and pass the sword by the epiglottis in the back of the throat, through the esophagus and into his stomach. He said the sword passed behind his rib cage and could bump his heart.
“You have to be very conscious of your body and what the sword is doing,” Wolf said.
The festival will also feature a children’s workshop at the Lawrence Arts Center. Kids can sign up to learn how to mime, juggling, and make music and balloon animals from the performers.
Brian Wendling, professional juggler, said he would bring tennis balls, juggling scarves and plastic bags from a grocery store to help the kids learn the basics of juggling.
“There will be things flying in the air everywhere,” Wendling said.
Renner said most of the artists performing at the festival were professionals from the Lawrence and Kansas City area. Each performer will be paid a stipend of $100 to cover expenses, but will be relying on tips for a profit.
Renner said he was unable to attend the festival because he would be performing at the Kentucky State Fair. He said one of his biggest challenges was letting go of his role as director of the Busker Festival.
“It’s like not being there for the birth,” Renner said.
Jane Pennington, director of Downtown Lawrence, Inc., an organization that promotes downtown business interests, worked with Renner and Averill to plan the event. She said it would be a good way to bring more people downtown.
“I just think it’s going to make downtown buzz with good energy,” Averill said.
— — Edited by Andy Greenhaw
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