When you fall off a horse…..
Nov 24
…you get right back on. So I’m on at the 8 o’clock show at the Comedy Hole tomorrow night at Celt’s Pub (Dundas West on the north side just west of Keele).
I had an interesting moment last Saturday at Elvira Kurt‘s stand-up masterclass at Second City.
I was trying to understand why I had such a hard time at my gig at the Diesel Playhouse. Elvira was saying how she always tries to “read a room” before she performs – by that I think she means sensing the atmosphere, listening for what the audience seems to like, and taking notice of the size of the stage, proximity to the audience etc. Then she alters her routine to suit the audience – if they’re laughing at tit gags don’t do your esoteric stuff. I didn’t do much reading of the room at the Diesel Playhouse. I also realized I just don’t have the amount or breadth of material available to be able to make that change, to turn on a sixpence and deliver.
Damn – I need to write more – much, much more!
Plus, Elvira suggested that I could have asked for the house lights to come up a little so I could see the audience, if I don’t like to be dazzled by the stage lights. One of my fellow students at her class, an excellent new talent called Muniza, said she prefers not to be able to see the audience. I’m the opposite – I like to be able to see what they’re reacting to, and what that reaction is, instead of relying on just sound. The bottom line is that I guess I took it for granted that everyone would love me like in my first two shows and that it wouldn’t be a problem.
I feel quite positive about the Diesel Playhouse gig – I wasn’t really too bummed at the time, just a bit surprised. (What, they don’t like me? Really??) But now I have some useful feedback to take me forward. And I don’t mean that in a wanky, hippy way. I mean that doing all of this, putting myself out there and taking classes, means I can really learn stuff fast. And I’m an impatient performing monkey…
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