So I was a witness to a part of theater that we often encounter and are not always in control of and that is audience participation. As an improviser it is our duty to get suggestions from the audience and utilize them in the shows to satisfy the audience's participation. However the gang who played the other day realized a different type of audience participation where the audience was at times disruptive or overly loud during the show. The circumstances were such that they could not be helped. A group of audience members with special needs came to see the show along with a group of Russians who were translating to there fellow members what was going on in the show. As the show went on words were repeated by the audience as well as a translation in full voice. As an audience member myself I found it very distracting to enjoy the show without worrying about what the actors were thinking and how they would react to the noise. As an actor on stage you are constantly aware of the audience and what they are doing it can't be helped so if you see someone in the fourth row yawning you have a tendency to push yourself more to some how get this person engaged in what is going on. Acting is give and take with the audience. If the audience is disinterested then you feel you are not doing your job. So when the audience becomes louder than the business on stage you have a tendency to want to push yourself to get the interest drawn back to the stage. Although as you develop as an actor/improviser you learn to cope with different situations and bring back the old euphemism that " The show must go on!" no matter what you encounter. You can be given all of the tools in the world but the fact of the matter is that when you are onstage you never know what is going to happen. Of course the unpredictable is what keeps us going as improvisers. So I want to take the time to commend my fellow actors/improvisers for working through the weird energy of audience "over involvement" and continuing with the story as they were taught to do. This is what distinguishes the difference between amature and novice improv/acting. We have been given the tools as improvisers/actors and it's good to see these tools being utilized through such episodes and that perhaps the audience was more uncomfortable than the ones onstage. Good work gang! Thanks guys! And keep up the good work!
Larmo