Living statue street performers

Living statue street performers in Europe have learned a new trick. Now they levitate.

I’ve seen these floating swamis in several cities this month, all sporting minor variations on the theme. My favorite is the solo act I saw on a sidewalk in Rome. Unfortunately, there were three versions of the act in a row, which takes away a little of the surprise and mystery.

Aside from the lone meditating man in Rome, all the others I saw were duos—still a great effect.

And here’s what I really liked. The actors, and their assistants if they had them, hid their set-up. One morning, I saw a giant gray tent-like cover, billowing in the breeze on a sidewalk, as some mysterious activity took place within it. Though I enjoy watching the better living statues apply their makeup and don their costumes, I would not like to observe the secrets of this effect being revealed. It pleases me that the actors bother to prevent exposure.

How have the cities so suddenly become flooded with floating swamis? Is there one magician somewhere who sells or rents the gear? Does he own the franchise? Or did one clever living statue street performer take his act public, only to see a rush of copycats proliferate all across Europe?

At least one of these groups is from Bangladesh. Perhaps they all are. I didn’t have a chance to ask if they all descend from a single purveyor. Only one group I saw had a guard-assistant-controller nearby, with whom I could speak.

In general across Europe, the quality of living statue street performers has come down. I can be impressed with the creativity of some: their concepts, costumes, stillness, face expressions, and movements to reward a coin donation. But just as often now, they’re disappointing. Boring, with their faces covered by commercial masks, allowing them to lick their lips and twitch and scowl to their hearts’ content. So many now are cheap copies hopping on a bandwagon. If you’re going to be still—and do nothing—you better be really something to look at.