Have you ever experienced a rush? You know, that heart racing, exhilarating feeling you get when you are doing something you REALLY enjoy. Have you ever had a feeling of great terror? One of those OMG moments that both frightens and excites you at the same time. Yeah, I think everyone can relate to these.
Being on stage and entertaining people is one of the biggest joys I could ever hope to experience. It is fulfilling in ways I cant even describe. Sure, applause is nice and money, well who in this world doesn’t like THAT? But the fulfilling nature of performance, for me, is when I feel the show I just walked off stage from was just…well…kick ass!
Don’t get me wrong, as much excitement as there is in doing an improv show, there is also just as much (if not more sometimes) fear, that may or may not show up while on stage. If you could see inside the head or read the thoughts of any one performer you may see a bunch of jumbled thoughts along with a little inner “mini me” screaming like a scared little girl in a haunted house. I have personally experienced all this in a single game, not to mention a full show! Maybe it’s the fact that both things can heighten your senses and that makes you more acutely aware of things going on during your performance. It could also be letting your mind wander and not focusing on your scene and making it good. (more on all that later in Stagecraft)
The next time you are watching a live comedy show, whether it be improv or stand up, see if you notice those moments. Some may be very obvious and others might be a bit more subdued. Much like bungee jumping…you know there is going to be the snap back but you aren’t sure when its going to happen!
~ Beavis
I can tell when you get nervous…when you get scared…when you have NO FEAR.
It’s pretty neat because it seems to roller coaster, as one would think it would in an improvisational stand up show.
I’ve experienced the exact same ride and I don’t know if there is a cure. Not even sure if I would take the antidote if it were available. The rush is worth any pain it causes.
The rush of being vulnerable. I’ve read a couple of biographies recently – Steve Martin and Bob Newhart, and they both talk about the “need” to be on the stage even when it bombs. As a comedian, knowing that you have medicated someone’s pain for an instant, a minute or maybe more has to be so fulfilling. Instant gratification which I am willing to guess is more valuable than any paycheck.