The companion book to Al Stevens's popular "Ventriloquism: Art, Craft, Profession," this book contains a comprehensive collection of scripts that Al wrote over the years for his ventriloquist act and that he has performed in night clubs, private parties, and corporate shows. Many of Al's most popular routines are here including Doodley Squat, Viagra for Dummies, Uncle Sweeter's Ol' Woman, Dexter at School, Aunt Sally the Librarian, Uncle Sweeter Goes to the Doctor, and Juan Comes to the USA. The material ranges from G-rated to a small sampling of R.

It a special day The circus is in town and Pinky's dad is taking her and her brother, Peter, plus her friend Mary, under the big top. The children are awed by all of the wonderful circus acts. From the lion tamer to the high-wire, the trapeze and all the clowns, Pinky and the gang have a great time. Every part of the performance enthralls the youngsters, from beginning to end. When the show is over, the kids are already anticipating going again when the circus comes back to town next year Pinky Visits the Circus will have you recalling your own trips to see the marvelous shows under the big tent

The Manual of Juggling by Max Holden (1884-1949) is a classic introduction to the art and skill of juggling, illustrating the various ball throwing techniques, along with how to juggle clubs, plates, hoops, hats, and devil sticks (as well as spinning top hats and plates). This is a facsimile reprint of the 1947 text.

Color, decorate, and cut ten funny patterns. Paste them on a paper bag and make amazing puppets Puppet Theatre is one of the oldest traditional art forms. It is powerful, magical and diverse, created by and for the enjoyment of human beings. You can find puppets in almost every culture and used in different context.

OLD WINE IN NEW BOTTLES STUART LEE A practical handbook setting out full instructions for a routine of spectacular card tricks. The tricks are classics of card magic revised to produce new and amazing effects. The book is designed to guide the beginner in card magic through the basic handling of the cards to the successful production of the tricks. However, the re-working of these classics of card magic will also appeal to the more experienced performer. ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

Darren Griffin has been a ventriloquist since 1974. Now, after years of experience and thousands of shows, he brings you techniques that are easily mastered. Learn to speak without moving your lips, the different voices that will bring your characters to life, and how to combine your imagination and your voice to create real magic.

Clowning Glory is the ideal resource book for would-be clowns of all ages - from the youngest tot to the most elderly totterer. With over 200 tips and ideas, from acrobats to zoo games, this A-Z of clowning provides a wealth of material for use in churches, youth groups, children's clubs and street theatre.

The most complete treatise on sleight-of-hand coin conjuring, including best traditional methods and modern innovations. Guides you systematically from basic techniques, through integrated tricks to complete routined acts, 18 in all. 510 clear illustrations by Nelson C. Hahne. The best manual for amateurs, an encyclopedic source for professionals.

For many people, the circus, with its clowns, exotic beasts, and other colorful iconography, is lighthearted entertainment. Yet for Greg Renoff and other scholars, the circus and its social context also provide a richly suggestive repository of changing attitudes about race, class, religion, and consumerism. In the South during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, traveling circuses fostered social spaces where people of all classes and colors could grapple with the region's upheavals.

"The Big Tent" relates the circus experience from the perspectives of its diverse audiences, telling what locals might have seen and done while the show was in town. Renoff digs deeper, too. He points out, for instance, that the performances of these itinerant outfits in Jim Crow-era Georgia allowed boisterous, unrestrained interaction between blacks and whites on show lots and on city streets on Circus Day. Renoff also looks at encounters between southerners and the largely northern population of circus owners, promoters, and performers, who were frequently accused of inciting public disorder and purveying lowbrow prurience, in part due to residual anger over the Civil War. By recasting itself as a showcase of athleticism, equestrian skill, and God's wondrous animal creations, the circus appeased community leaders, many of whose businesses prospered during circus visits.

Ranging across a changing social, cultural, and economic landscape, "The Big Tent" tells a new history of what happened when the circus came to town, from the time it traveled by wagon and river barge through its heyday during the railroad era and into its initial decline in the age of the automobile and mass consumerism.

2012 Reprint of 1935 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. As engaging today as when it originally appeared, this book has two parts. The first describes the colorful life of two artist-puppeteers and their travels through the famine and revolution torn land, into remote oriental provinces. The second is the practical part. It tells just how the author conceives her plays, and make and works her puppets, whether they be hand-puppets, shadow figures or the special hand and rod combination type she evolved. No other book has gone so deeply into the heart of the artist using puppets. The Efimovs invented an original design of puppets on rods, which enabled them, by way of experiment, to stage scenes from "Macbeth."

Step-by-step instructions for creating puppets, from simple handkerchief varieties to more advanced puppets for performers wanting to expand their cast of characters. Includes scripts for three plays and simple designs for stages and props. Over 60 black-and-white diagrams and illustrations.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK with complete instructions for a routine of card tricks performed using the cards as they are removed from the manufacturer's sealed carton. The book is designed to guide the beginner in card magic through all the procedures required to produce effects that will delight, surprise, and amaze an audience. Full explanations are given of all the handling required and the tricks can be performed with the minimum of manipulation and, if wished, without the use of any sleights-of-hand.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede, Bryden presents this #1 "Calgary Herald" bestseller detailing the fascinating true story of the romance that started the Stampede.
The love story of rodeo promoter Guy Weadick and trick roper Flores LaDue began among the rough-and-tumble vaudevillians preserving the frontier way of life in the first Wild West shows. Their love endured through North American performances in the small-time and big-time circuits to the audiences of Europe and culminated in 1912 with the most spectacular of accomplishments--the establishment of the greatest outdoor show on earth, the Calgary Exhibition & Stampede. That was one hundred years ago, and this is their story.

Audley V. Walsh presents a fascinating overview of the popular street (and con) game of Three Card Monte, with contributions by magician John Scarne. There are multiple methods and card maneuvers used by tricksters of which the general public is unaware and magicians can incorporate into their acts Walsh (1894-1957) was a Vaudeville comic turned policeman, and an expert on gambling fraud.

Covering the years 1870-75, this history celebrates the introduction of P. T. Barnum into circus proprietorship, an episode that connected his name and legend with this American institution for all time. By the middle of this decade, Barnum had become the most recognized personality of the nineteenth century--and a showman who is still remembered today. Complete with index, bibliography, notes, and contemporaneous illustrations.