PYA: A Guide to Performing for Young Audiences!

Everything you need to know about performing for children of all ages and event types!

• Page Count: 300
• Size: 8.5″ x 11″
• Contents: Text, Color Images, Charts, Graphics
• Price: $75 USD

Welcome to the wonderful world of PYA! I coined the term PYA, which stands for Performing for Young Audiences. I based this term on an existing equity theater contract called TYA, which stands for Theater for Young Audiences. In traditional theater, you have a director, producer, stage manager, lighting and sound designers, set designers, grips, and other people working behind the scenes to make the show happen. PYA is geared toward the solo performer who is tasked with doing all of these different jobs on their own. We will discuss myths surrounding PYA, dive into real-world challenges, and find practical solutions to help make you a successful children’s performer.

The book is divided into 4 parts:

• Part 1 is how to develop your product
• Part 2 is how to deliver your product
• Part 3 is how to market and manage sales of your product
• Part 4 teaches you how to build your own magic tricks and offers some routines to perform them, with approximately 25 minutes worth of material

Click the link below to DOWNLOAD the first 14 pages, which include:

• Table of Contents
• Forward by Tommy James
• Introduction
• QR code that will take you to a secret page on my website with downloadable materials like graphics and templates

Richard Ribuffo has been performing for children for over two decades. He has worked with parents and teachers to develop shows that are not only educational, but also loads of fun. He is a member of the Academy of Magical Arts at the World Famous Hollywood Magic Castle and has helped several magicians with their auditions to great success! In addition to helping magicians with their Magic Castle Auditions, he has mentored many performers over the years to create their own shows and upscale their businesses. Not once has he ever charged for coaching or mentorship.

Richard’s performance career extends beyond magic. He holds a bachelor’s degree in theatre from Palm Beach Atlantic University, which helped tremendously in creating a variety of magic shows for different themes and audience types. Performing for young audiences has been part of his business since he went pro in 2003. He chose to make it his primary focus in 2014 when he moved to California from Florida. He would often joke, “You know how magicians say they only do kid shows until their corporate career takes off? Well, I only do corporate shows until my kids’ show career takes off!” And took off it did when he created his character California Joe The Explorer Magician, who made his first appearance in the fall of 2015. Richard has performed as California Joe ever since.

After years of giving the same advice over and over again, Richard decided to finally compile his vast experience and knowledge into the 300-page book: PYA: A Guide To Performing For Young Audiences! He noticed performers of all types asking the same questions:

• “Where do I start?”
• “What material do I choose?”
• “How can I manage an audience of 5-year-olds?”
• “How should I charge?”
• “How do I come up with routines?”
• “Do I really need a character?”
• “What’s the difference between performing for children and adults?”
• “Is performing for children really for me?“

Richard wondered, “With all the books on the market about performing for kids, why is it so hard to find these answers? What’s missing?” Richard found that most books on the subject are either about the business, the performance, or the routines. Rarely do you find something that goes in-depth into all three. He considered the book title to be a tip of the hat to his formal theatre training. In his view, the term “young audiences” reminds the performer that these tiny humans deserve the same respect as older audiences.