Shutter On The Street

Spring has come and so have the buskers. Performers who are protected from the weather, like in the subways of New York, go year round. But here in Baltimore, aside from a few determined performers who don’t let a little cold slow them down, there is a season to it.
For me, the season kicks off with the Harborplace Street Performer auditions. This event was held last weekend on a beautiful, albeit windy, April day. Prospective performers looking to be put on the 2009 schedule perform a 5-10 minute show before a panel of judges. The applicants this year ranged from clowns, jugglers, musicians, and a balancing act. The crowds were supportive and enjoyed the variety of acts. The festivities were MC’d by the great Jerry Rowan. As a seasoned performer, he did a great job of building up a crowd for the auditioning performers to work with.
One of the first acts I saw that day was a young auditioning female juggler, Laura Ernst. The high winds were tough on her juggling act but she did finish with a rather unique gimmick; she invited a person from the crowd to come and stand on her mid section while she did a back bend. It was a bit of out the ordinary but did a good job of helping me to remember her act.