Steve Trash

Notes From The Road By A Globe Trotting Eco Entertainer

Two years ago my agent Jerry Ross at Harmony Artists in Los Angeles, California said to me, "Can you write and perform a show that will work larger performing arts venues, but without the large cast & crew you currently travel with? I think it would really serve many of our performing arts clients well."

I said, "wow, I have no idea, but let me try."

So I set out of to create a performing arts "BUS IN" show (kids are bused to the venue) with lots of eco-educational content, lots of funny stuff, lots of great green magic tricks, but only requires one Rockin' Eco Hero (me) and one technical person (Jake).

In addition, the show would need to travel with much less equipment too.

Switching from a Ford 350 to this Ford Transit Connect helped me get much better mileage and reduce my carbon footprint.

That should be easy I thought to myself.

 But I have learned over the years that Orson Welles was correct, sometimes the restrictions placed on us actually do make us come up with really creative solutions to problems. 

 So two years years and thanks to hundreds of writing and re-writing sessions, illusion rehearsals, and many, many music recording studio sessions later I have the Steve Trash - Trash and Recycle Show. 

The Trash & Recycle Show at the North Shore Performing Arts Center in Skokie, IL this past November was really terrific. Loved the venue. Loved the audience.

 I'm really proud of it. It's been road tested and gets great reviews from the venues, the teachers and the kids! It's a very good program, getting kids stoked about the ecological world and the show fits into most science/ecology curriculum requirements as well.   I currently have a team working on cross correlating our show info with each individual states' core teaching requirements. This way a teacher can look on our web site resource page and find out EXACLTY what core requirements will be taught by attending the show. Nice idea right? It wasn't mine, it came from the box office manager Beth Curran - at CITY STAGE - Theater in Springfield, MA. 

We have several different light scenarios that make this show more theatrical and just a little bit more "rock and roll" than your average eco-educational experience.

 Trash & Recycle Show has the look and feel of a "rockin'" concert, but it's an educational event. The kids learn about the magic of Reducing Reusing and Recycling, the web of life, the water cycle and the most important lesson of all, they learn; all natural resources are valuable and should not be wasted. That's a good lesson for all of us.  Probably the best part of this show, is personal. I have been a touring professional entertainer/educator for 27 years. I love performing this show. It's powerful, magical, and I get to have almost as much fun as the kids. Thanks Jerry. Good suggestion.

One of the favorite eco-routines in the trash and recycle show, I perform magic with an old coffee cup and an empty aluminum can. Photo by Robin Conn