sometimes
i’ll do things
with no one around
that are so dramatic
i feel
i obviously
did them for an audience
but am i
an audience of one
or do i really want to influence
the animals here
that i’m that
ridiculous
?
[either of these could be
the for real
truth]
i NEVER sit the same way
for more than forty minutes
[unless i’m at a play
and i am next to people i don’t necessarily know
then i force myself:
feet flat on the ground,
hands in my lap,
holding on for dear life
the position i’ve chosen;
whether i get antsy,
whether i am uncomfortable,
whether i end up thinking more about my body position
in a tiny chair
than the play or musical itself;
i have to be
NOT
the mess beside the person
that ruined the show for them —
if that means i must ruin the show for myself
so be it.]
audiences
are integral
to a performance
i wish it wasn’t so,
but it sure is.
so, if the audience’s energy
is lively,
is loving the show,
is literally having the time of their life–
the performer(s) will, too.
one hundred percent.
i usually tell new performers
(especially in circus)
to enjoy themselves on their apparatus–
the audience will respond to that enjoyment
and enjoy themselves,
and that energy from the audience
will encourage the performer,
who will send their energy back to the audience,
for a kind of reciprocal feedback loop
of joy.
but i often neglect
(on purpose)
the very real instances
of audiences being super low energy:
not responding to any energy from the performer(s);
or being weird:
responding in unexpected ways
that throws the performer’s energy off–
because you have to be a well-seasoned performer
to pick that kind of energy out
consciously
(but even novices will be able to tell
that something
is simply
‘off’)
kipventures 