What I think about when I'm putting on a show

A lot of improvisers I know like to challenge themselves to be more daring. Let's throw into the show some random shit we've never worked on before! Let's fuck with your scene partner to see how they would handle it! Let's take ridiculous suggestions from the audience and see if we can make gold out of shit! Let's get on stage even though your girlfriend just dumped you, your dad just died, you car just got stolen, you have food poisoning, etc! I can't relate to this desire to prove myself by intentionally putting myself under unpleasant circumstances. Sure, it's good to be brave, to not be afraid to fail, to know that it's okay to fail, to know that the stage is a safe place and everyone is there to take care of you, but my examples seem too much like shooting yourself in the foot.

When I have a show coming up, I like to think about the audience. I like to think about the people who have to leave their house. Maybe they're coming to the show after a long day at work. Maybe they have to pay for a sitter. Maybe they choose us over going to the movies or just staying in and watching Netflix. Maybe they have to park on the east side and cross the bridge on foot because parking is cheaper there. Maybe they have to pay for super expensive parking downtown. They DEFINITELY have to pay for tickets to our show. They might end up buying overpriced drinks at the bar. A LOT of money is spent on a night out. I want to give them a good show. I want them to go home inspired. I have met too many people at the theater who told me they had never seen improv before. Well, if you give them a good show, maybe they'll come back. If not, they may never give improv another chance, not just our improv but everybody's.

Even people who have a great time don't always come back. A few years ago I had a chat with an audience member at the Brody who said he had the best of time, and he won a pair of free tickets for giving the best suggestion. I was at every Brody show for almost two years, and I never saw that person again. 

As performers I believe that it's our responsibility to not only to get people to come to the show but also to give them a great time, so that they go and tell other people about it. The least we can do for our beloved art form is to try to do it well.

So please, leave your ego at the door, and get to work.