Summer with The Shakespeare Brothers

Photos: Al Krvlic, left, juggles while reading minds. Steve Averson, right, also juggles when not eating fire. Below is Trent Arterberry gathering a crowd in downtown Boston.

In 1976, I moved to Boston. I found myself spending weekends with street performers  in the Boston Gardens and Boston Commons. Of course, I took pictures.

My favorite group - definitely -The Shakespeare Brothers. I started a review:

The Shakespeare Brothers - “Fools at large,” are not only off-Broadway, but completely offstage. This three-man mini-circus uses the parks and sidewalks of Boston as its stage.

The “Shakespeare Brothers” are: Trent Arterberry, an outlandish mime; Steve Averson, juggler who eats fire and escapes from a giant earth-shoe bag, and Al Krvlick, who also juggles but is really an accomplished “mind reader” and pepper lover.

Witty lines and emphasis on audience participation are keys to this sidewalk vaudeville. After jokes about nonsmoking commercials, the fire-eating Steve announces, “Isn’t it funny what the American public will stand and watch! But isn’t it funnier what people will do to get the American public to stand and watch.” …

Over this last weekend, I uploaded my best 20 images spent with the Boston street performers. Here's a link to my flickr album: 1976 Shakespeare Brothers