RSS feedThere’s nothing quite as exciting and exhilarating*, as standing on a stage in front of a live audience, without a script, and holding them completely in your control. Knowing that any body movement, facial expression, or utterance will dictate what the audience will say and do, and that even the smallest mistake will break that delicate connection. Don’t underestimate the power of silence. A mimed scene that keeps a comedy audience dead quiet, yet intensely focused, for the entire scene, feels like pure magic, only to be topped off by the roar of the crowd as the scene ends. People seem to like being controlled, so long as they are rewarded. Mind control? Pah! We’ll keep that between you and me.
* Actually I lied. I would expect something like bungy jumping would probably be pretty exciting, not that I’ve had the guts to do it. But then very few people lose their eyeballs on a comedy stage, and if they do, they either put them back in again before they leave, or they’ve perfected a new and exciting microphone technique. Either way, it’s still all about control.