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the Way of the ShowmanAuthor: Captain Frodo
Philosophical and esoteric perspectives from a modern day Showman. Each season is different in its approach. S1 is essays. S2 is one book length attempt at Understanding Showmanship, S3 is conversations with remarkable Showfolk. The brand new Season 4 explores the relationship between Showmanship and Play.The host, Captain Frodo, internationally renowned circus performer, director, writer, husband and dad lays out, in great detail, his practical performance philosophy for performers who seek to deepen the conversation with their audiences and themselves. You can find him, and more of his writing at: www.thewayoftheshowman.com Language: en-us Genres: Arts, Performing Arts, Philosophy, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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153 - Stage Presence Demystified w Jay Gilligan & Captain Frodo part 1 of 2
Episode 153
Monday, 27 October, 2025
Some performers step into the light and the room leans in. Others work just as hard and leave us cold. We wanted to know why. Together with juggler and performance thinker Jay Gilligan, we unpack stage presence without the fluff—what it is, how to build it, and why authenticity beats polish every time.We start by challenging the myth that presence is a gift you either have or don’t. Yes, some people radiate charisma from day one. But most of us can raise our baseline by choosing the right lane and aligning our inner life with our outer expression. We explore useful archetypes to find leverage (clown, lover, hermit, magician), and show how mismatched personas create static the audience can feel. Then we get practical with a simple, powerful framework: head (ideas), heart (emotion), hands (skills), and senses (look and sound). When those four line up, presence clicks.Jay and I share stories from street stages and theater runs about entrances that land, silences that speak, and why the “living time” is the beat between tricks. We dig into micro-choices that shift everything—how your eyes acknowledge the crowd, how breath sets tempo, how a half-smile reads as gratitude instead of performance. We talk technique versus embodiment too: you can copy moves and still miss the moment; intention is what makes shape meaningful. Expect grounded advice you can use tonight: choose one beat for connection, test variations on camera, refine details like shoes and sound, and let your true motives shape your mechanics.If you care about connecting—juggling, comedy, magic, music—this conversation will sharpen your instincts and your toolkit. Subscribe, share with a performer who needs a lift, and leave a review with your biggest presence breakthrough. Your story might spark the next one.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo
