Give Them What They Want

Tonight Rick had a great show. It was a 1030 slot which we haven't always done well in. Weekend late night crowds are usually rowdy, drunk, and crass. Not something really conducive to good improv but tonight we did it. We had a fast fun show with goblin scenes and relationship scenes.

I've heard coaches say that the audience will tell you what's fun, will tell you what to follow and what to call back. I always kind of rejected the idea after seeing shows where audiences responded to performers going blue and then the show turning into one long protracted dick joke. I don't want the audience to lead me, I lead them. The stuff they find funny might be obvious. I want to do what I think is fun. During the show I had a realization that kind of put things in perspective and made some things fall into place.

When you're improvising by the very nature of it you don't really know what's coming, you don't have a clear idea of what a scene is or where it's going. While you're doing a scene the audience may react to something that comes up and that is an indication to you where the interest is. Audiences will generally laugh at blue material but not always. More often than not when you're improvising you don't know what's going to work and their reaction will tell you "ah I've found something" and that guides you, it doesn't lead you it simply points you in a direction.

Energy from a crowd can guide a show. If it's a rowdy crowd they may respond to more energetic faster scenes. If it's an older crowd they may respond to more patient scenes. The content of those scenes probably doesn't matter but the energy, movement, and pace in them does.

Tonight was a late night young crowd and they wanted energy and speed. We gave it to them. We did a Rumpelstilskin scene with over the top characters and lots of movement. We did scenes with a teenage couple and two men with an unknown father that were more grounded but always keeping in mind the pace. We gave them what they wanted, energy and speed, and still maintained the integrity of the show.

Audiences don't dictate a show but they are there to be entertained. You're not only collaborating with teammates but the audience as well to produce a night that makes everyone happy.

Don't be a snob. Give 'em what they want.