On Wednesday afternoon, after the late lunch crowd, but before the late market crowd, near the hickory syrup stand, and not far from the acoustic guy poorly playing "Nights in White Satin," stood a bunch of high schoolers getting, well, schooled.

"Let's swing back into it," said Trent Baumann, an iNDYfRINGE performer, standing in front of more than a dozen theater students, shortly after their lunch break. "Think about what worked, what didn't, and give it another go."

Baumann, a 34-year-old Australian known as "The Birdmann," had already supervised a morning of street performance by rookies from Cathedral High School and Butler University. Now it was time to see if they could refine their work.

Baumann has been in Indy for two weeks now. Having performed both stage and street theater around the world for 15 years, he volunteered his time over the past few days -- along with other performers -- to help hone a few local acts.

"Just be aware of the markets," Baumann said. "Be aware of the people. And try to get in there and show them a good time."

The Birdmann's own act combines circus sideshow oddity with stand-up comedy, and has been likened to equal parts Houdini, Chaplin and Dada. But he said he wasn't expecting the same level of theater from his workshop students.

"We've been training them in a few of the performance techniques useful for street theater, from still statue work to roving movement acts to circle stage shows," Baumann said. "It's stuff that I've done in my line of work, and they're taking to it well."

Justin Brady, marketing coordinator for iNDYfRINGE, said the festival has worked to bring more street theater into the fray this year, "but it's more of a long-term goal to actually bring street theater culture to the city." Also new to the Fringe this year is the Outdoor Stage, which will become a focal point throughout the festival for street performers and audience members alike, with music, dance, comedy and other theatrics taking place at 748 Massachusetts Ave. (at the Indianapolis Historic Fire Museum and Memorial) day and night until the end of August.

"We think (street theater) adds a lot to the festival," Brady said. "It makes it lively when you come to a show and go outside and show is almost still going on, and you can interact with it, be part of it, and be part of the Fringe."

Rani Huszar, 32, is half of an Australian act called "Tastes Funny", with Daniel Oldaker (see times below), and they were also out on the streets helping theater groups from Cathedral.

Huszar was helping Caitlin Weber, 16, Kelly Hartman, 16, Erin Selsemeyer, 16, and Grace Hannoy, 15, with their act called "Strike a Pose," an interactive bit of theater where the girls -- in various types of French dress -- tried to get passers-by to pose for Polaroid pictures with them.

Analisa Pettijohn, 30, was out shopping for her week's produce when she was tempted into sitting for the girls with her 23-month-old daughter Eliana.

"I'd been watching them, and they complimented my daughter's curly golden hair," Pettijohn said. "I'm still not sure what they were doing. But it was fun."

Huszar, a veteran of street theater, said getting people such as Pettijohn involved is the key to a successful performance.

"They seem to be doing pretty well," Huszar said. "They're getting people to stop, pay attention, and give them money."

"Theater adds life to the street," she said, and it opens up the very notion of what constitutes art and where it can be found in life.

"People forget colors, and action, and fun," said Huszar, "particularly today, when everything is commercial and competitive and work-a-day."

Butler senior theater students Jessica Strauss, 21, and Emily Cross, 22, made almost that exact statement with their outdoor show on Wednesday.

"Bizcas" (a combination of business and casual) involved the two of them talking on their cell phones in different places before meeting up and continuing to chat as they laid out mats and began a Pilates-style workout in the streets, complete with chanting and panting. In case it sounds confusing, Strauss acknowledged that people often didn't seem to know what to make of their act, which is fine.

"We've gotten some looks, and that's fun," she said. "And some people don't seem to want to look at all, and that's fun too."

Grade the teachers yourself

Trent Baumann ("The Birdmann") along with Rani Huszar and Daniel Oldaker ("Tastes Funny") helped teach the street performance workshop through iNDYfRINGE, but they are also performing at the festival. Check out their shows for yourselves, and see if they're worthy of giving lessons:

The Birdmann

Performed by Trent Baumann

Theatre on the Square Main Stage -- 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22; 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23; 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26; 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27; and 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28.

Tastes Funny

Performed by The Great Gondos

Theatre of the Square Main Stage -- 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22; 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23; 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24; 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29; 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30; and 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31.