"Had a High Energy Kid...What do I do?"

I got an interesting email this morning from a party I performed at yesterday.

It was a blast of an event, very small, (by my standards I consider anything under 15 small), it was in a park and I was instantly recognized by bunches of kids.

The birthday child's older brother, all of 6, was nuts and totally happy and couldn't settle down. I love that kind of energy, if I can keep it just on the bubbling point, I can get big laughs with that energy.

The email this morning from his mom, saying he's a very shy reserved kid, the mom and the dad don't know what came over him.

I hear this over and over, either they are usually very outgoing and they will be shy with me or opposite.

The clown is so powerful of a character, we can bring out what's hidden deep down. I give the kids total permission for unabashed creative freedom. Isn't that what art is about? My art is collaborative, it requires an audience and it requires trust on the part of adults to let the kids express themselves. That's a lot to ask. I have kids too, it can be pretty embarrassing if they are obnoxious.

This email this morning made me think a lot. I perform for children because they thrive on live entertainment. They thrive on live entertainment that is directed toward them.

TV, videos, visual arts are not live arts. What the live arts do is turn a child inside out. They cheer, they laugh, they lose themselves completely. It's pretty cool.

What I know of old theatre, all people used to do this. From what I learned of Shakespeare, the audiences were like the children I see. Shouting, loud behavior. There was a release for them.

Children let it go. I love what I do because it's for kids. Adults have a great time with my shows but I love releasing people, getting them to react. There is so little for kids in this arena. Kids are not allowed to fully react during the ballet sleeping beauty or the Nutcracker. The yearly visit to A Christmas Carol. Those are adult performances allowing children in.

I love doing children's shows allowing adults in!