What Is Street Theater?
Street theater is a type of performance where people play in public spaces without a paying audience. You’ll find them on shopping center lots, in car parking garages, in parks, and on street corners. The actors are either individuals or part of a group or troupe. Sometimes, they use the public spaces to promote their mainstream performances. For the most part, street performers earn their living through the generosity of people watching them. However, occasionally, they will be hired to perform at festivals and children’s shows or parades. These performers use few costumes and props so that they can easily travel to new locations. Since they have limited budgets, they also often buy used clothes and other accessories. The beauty of watching street performances is that they can appeal to all people regardless of their economic status. If you can’t afford tickets to the local stages, you can pull up a chair and watch a street performance. Street performers have various reasons why they use public spaces as their stage. Some might be not accepted by mainstream theaters or might be working their way up to those prestigious theaters. Robin Williams, David Bowie, Jewel, and Harry Anderson had their starts doing street performances. Others might choose street performances to make a statement either socially, politically, or artistically.
7 Top Street Performers Worldwide
If you are interested in watching street performances, you might want to check out these troupes on your travels around the world. You might want to start with Spiderman, a performer who climbs skyscrapers as featured on CNN. Here are a few of the others. These are some of the most amazing street theatre groups out there. You can watch their acts on YouTube and other online platforms, but there’s nothing like catching it live. Featured photo credit: Christian Spies via unsplash.com
