The great improvisation teacher Del Close often said that performers should play up to their audiences, that they should treat them like poets and geniuses. This idea, though, shouldn’t be relegated to theater only. It should guide choices for anyone that creates and works with an audience, whether you’re a writer, a teacher, or an event planner.
Because here’s a truth: Like attracts like. If you cater your content for idiots, all you’ll ever get are idiots consuming your content.
Perhaps that’s what you want to do, and if so, great. Keep on keeping on. Personally, I’m unable to go down that path. I’ve always struggle with “write to an eighth-grade level” or “be overt with how it’s applicable to the audience.” To dumb down content, for me, is appalling.
The best part about improvisation is discovery. It’s an incredible feeling when you’re on stage and you discover that your ideas and actions match your co-performers’ ideas and actions. In other words, it’s magical when you hit upon group mind. It’s double magic, wizard-style, when that group mind spreads out into the audience. You can hear audience members gasp when you gasp. You can sense that they know it’s time for a callback at a particular moment and you do, too. And when the show is over, you get a rousing round of applause because everyone, on stage and off, discovered something magical together. The show will be unforgettable for a long time.
You can apply the same idea to writing and reading. In fact, reading is an action. A person may look passive reading a book or magazine, but she’s not. Her brain is making all sorts of connections and working in overdrive to sort out meaning and context. And guess what will make that book or magazine article memorable. Yep, discovery. Actively participating in the reading process, along with the writer who is pouring out info to guide you, makes for a much more fun and enjoyable experience.
You can’t have that, though, if you’re treated like a dummy. For example, consider if William Faulkner started off The Sound and the Fury with “This is a story about the disintegration of Southern values.” That takes the fun and mind growth out of reading it. Isn’t it more interesting and more rewarding as a reader to discover that on your own, to make that connection yourself or talking it out with others?
The question is: Do you want to create content that’s memorable, or do you just want to relay information? The answer depends on who you want as your audience. As I mentioned, if you want to continue with a passive audience, that’s fine. Me, though, I’m sticking with active participants, because through discovery comes change and enlightenment. And, really, this world could use more discoverers.
(Image via Flickr: John Goodridge / Creative Commons)
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Jason, you have hit so many points that have guided me in life.
Thank you for sharing your view as an improv performer. As a former improv performer myself, I agree that improv proves that like attracts like and that feeds a beautiful give and take that makes any performance much greater than the sum of everyone in the room.
From an “events” perspective, you ask a very important question: What kind of audience do you want to attract? Too often we are willing to settle for ANY audience and we will do ANYTHING to get them there.
By focusing on attracting your ideal audience, you raise the bar on what the experience is capable of being. This also helps to stoke your passion for what you are creating as an event organizer – something that is SO important if you want to create memorable, noteworthy events.
Thanks for sharing this important view.