When performing who do you portray?  Vampire or Vampire hunter?

Witch or Wizard?  Demon or Saint?

How does one develop just such a character?

I'm glad you asked.  I have the honor of introducing you to your

instructor for this course --

Mr. Peter Marucci

Below you will find the first installment in this course on

Bizarre Character Development.

 - Bizarre Character Development 101 -

By Peter Marucci

The late English magician Harold Taylor used to have a test; in London's Trafalgar Square, he would position his wife on one side of the square and he would walk across to the other side.  If he didn't get heads turning from at least half the people he passed, he knew he didn't look the part of a magician.

And this was NOT when he was performing; it was during the day and he was dressed in what would be called "street clothes".

He was a flamboyant character and his point was that he was always "on", whether performing or not.  So it should be with the bizarre performer.

It's difficult, if not impossible, to appear in an old, shiny tux, or jeans and a T-shirt, and expect to be taken seriously as a bizarre magician.  But it is equally difficult, or impossible, to do the same if what you are wearing looks like it came

from a second-hand shop.

And whether you perform as a wizard, a Gothic story-teller, or whatever, what you wear should be as authentic as possible.  That does not mean that, if you perform as a wizard, you have to wear long, Druid-like robes and such; but what you wear should be a contemporary version of that.

For example, when performing bizarre, I would wear a black turtleneck sweater and black pants; around my neck is a pendant - a small, pewter dagger with a dragon's head on the hilt, or a massive chunk of crystal.  These two items are as authentic as any I could find; they are not things that you might find in your local joke or magic shop, or at Wal-Mart around Hallowe'en!

The chains on which one or the other hangs are (a) a heavy, gold one (for the crystal) or (b) a silver one for the dagger. They are not cheap craft-store chains or ball chain that looks as if it were pulled out of a toilet!

Now, this is for performing.

That is not to say that you should necessarily dress like that at all times - although some performers can and do.  But when you are not "on", you should at least look like a scaled-down version of your performing persona; that is, dress in black, if that's your style; or wear occult jewellery, if that's your style.

No matter what, there should be something that not only separates you from everyone else, but also symbolically indicates who your performing persona is.

We will discuss that persona in future articles.

Peter Marucci

showtimecol@aol.com

Look for more pages to be added as soon as Peter has the time

to write them up.  This looks as though it will be a serious boon to

all Bizarrists.  I want to take this space to personally thank Mr. Marucci

for taking his valuable time to contribute to my humble site.

Thanks Peter!

If you like what you see here don't hesitate to send him a thanks

as well.

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