ORQ Run Over in Manhattan
Ok, not literally, but still. Last week, it seemed the time had come to bring ORQ to Manhattan. The Queens and Wassaic debuts of ORQ have been great, but it was time to pack ORQ up and take it on the E train, from 23rd Ely in Long Island City, Queens to W.4th St., NYC, on a glowing Sunday September afternoon.
Since ORQ paraphernalia can get pretty heavy, and most NYC subway stations involve stairs I opted for one chair instead of the usual two. Also tried to keep the sources to a minimum. With tripod, camera, books, small table etc., it still added up to a sizeable load. But it didn't matter. ORQ was going to Manhattan!
The first trouble, it turned out, was that Washington Square Park (WSP) is undergoing some major renovations. At least half of it, including the fountain where "big guy" performers draw dozens or hundreds of passerbys for their audiences, was behind fences.
Things seemed ok as I staked out and then got a nice spot in a shady (from the trees) area - lots of folks walking by there, yet a sense of semi- privacy, if you can actually call it that in WSP - just a bit off the beaten track, but not too far.
Lots of curious and interested folks checking out the ORQ chair sign. Three folks came to consult the Oracle.
But staking out territory in WSP turned out to be an issue. Soon a public poet showed up nearby - complete with sword, and dressed in robes - and after about 20 minutes he began admonishing people that the show was about to start. That was ok as he wasn't so close to ORQ, plus no one was paying any attention to him. Then, before the poet could actually drum up an audience, there was trouble in paradise.
The true pro, an alpha-male of street performers, had staked his turf, moved in, and set up. Unfortunately for ORQ, he had fire and a sound system, and was only about 20 yards away. If you are ever wondering how to get people to pay attention to you, beyond the usual (literal) fire-breathing tactics, take lessons from decades-of-experience street performer Master Lee.
Yes, he can gather a crowd, yes he can breathe fire, yes he can humiliate some and make others laugh, yes he can make a living doing this for decades, and yes he can run over ORQ as though it had never existed, just by setting up in the same vicinity.
ORQ doesn't tend to be too showy. That's one reason that I don't consider it to be a performance, but rather, an opportunity to interact. Turns out this is a major disadvantage on a sunny weekend afternoon in Washington Square Park, at least during the current construction phase. In the culture of Manhattan street performance, ORQ just could not survive in the same 20-yard radius as Master Lee. So the Oracle gave up and schlepped all its stuff back to Queens.
Since ORQ paraphernalia can get pretty heavy, and most NYC subway stations involve stairs I opted for one chair instead of the usual two. Also tried to keep the sources to a minimum. With tripod, camera, books, small table etc., it still added up to a sizeable load. But it didn't matter. ORQ was going to Manhattan!
The first trouble, it turned out, was that Washington Square Park (WSP) is undergoing some major renovations. At least half of it, including the fountain where "big guy" performers draw dozens or hundreds of passerbys for their audiences, was behind fences.
Things seemed ok as I staked out and then got a nice spot in a shady (from the trees) area - lots of folks walking by there, yet a sense of semi- privacy, if you can actually call it that in WSP - just a bit off the beaten track, but not too far.
Lots of curious and interested folks checking out the ORQ chair sign. Three folks came to consult the Oracle.
But staking out territory in WSP turned out to be an issue. Soon a public poet showed up nearby - complete with sword, and dressed in robes - and after about 20 minutes he began admonishing people that the show was about to start. That was ok as he wasn't so close to ORQ, plus no one was paying any attention to him. Then, before the poet could actually drum up an audience, there was trouble in paradise.
The true pro, an alpha-male of street performers, had staked his turf, moved in, and set up. Unfortunately for ORQ, he had fire and a sound system, and was only about 20 yards away. If you are ever wondering how to get people to pay attention to you, beyond the usual (literal) fire-breathing tactics, take lessons from decades-of-experience street performer Master Lee. Yes, he can gather a crowd, yes he can breathe fire, yes he can humiliate some and make others laugh, yes he can make a living doing this for decades, and yes he can run over ORQ as though it had never existed, just by setting up in the same vicinity.
ORQ doesn't tend to be too showy. That's one reason that I don't consider it to be a performance, but rather, an opportunity to interact. Turns out this is a major disadvantage on a sunny weekend afternoon in Washington Square Park, at least during the current construction phase. In the culture of Manhattan street performance, ORQ just could not survive in the same 20-yard radius as Master Lee. So the Oracle gave up and schlepped all its stuff back to Queens.
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