The Arts in New York City

Outside the Met two Fridays ago, two black guys were at the bottom of the steps giving a street performance. They got three willing volunteers to go up and stand in a straight line and one of the performers was going to jump over them. After a minute of mental preparation, they asked for a little kid volunteer. After one guy did a flip in the air over the little kid and then somersaulted once on the ground while landing, the two guys asked for donations in such a humorous, skillful way that I found that it was almost artistic. They said in perfect unison lines they had obviously performed over and over again:

“If you liked the show and would like to see us do the big jump, please make a donation. We are not asking for much, we just want all the money in your wallet.” Whenever a kid donated money, the performers said, “Thank you. Now, go ask your parents for more.”

I was surprised to see that they got almost everyone to donate. Some people donated $20!! Their performance of the art of persuasion was something I will never forget even though I did not stay to see if the big jump was even worth all the money they received.