Had a Great Show Tonight

[Chance Marmalade]

I was asked last minute to do an act for a STIFF (Seattle's True Independent Film Festival) after party about three hours before curtain. I was pulling my hair out wondering what I could do that would be worthy of the invitation with no prep time. I quickly thumbed through my untested acts and didn't feel confident enough in them to try them out. Instead, I did a mix of my Bowler Hat Ballet, Quick Clown Show scarf routine and some audience participation improv set to The Entertainer. The performance went way better than I'd hoped.

Here's how the act went!

I entered through the audience and took a huge spill on the first step down. It brought all the attention to the aisle I entered on and people instantly felt for me! Hopping up I dusted myself off and began offering my hand to people to shake. Shooting it under my leg, or "sikeing" out people when they reached for it. I went down the aisle doing different hand shake fake outs and people were laughing!

I got up to the front row where I'd scouted out a really noisy woman earlier in the night, probably drunk off her heineken (that joke works two ways!) and offered her my hand, siked her out a couple times then finally let her grab it under my leg. Tried to turn around to get on stage but guess what? You guessed it, stuck!

With my leg up in the air and my knee in her face I kept trying to turn around and get on stage. The audience was really good at this point and really laughing loudly. I messed with a few more people and then finally made my way up to the stage, slipping on the two stairs. Started with the scarf routine, through in some improv with the mic and making fun of audience reactions and then got into the bowler hat stuff. They'd clap or yell at the end of a routine and if they didn't I would stop the show and make them clap, make fun of them and then start the act again. I did the whole show silent and I think the audience had a lot of fun.

I got really great compliments from the other performers after the show and my spy in the audience over heard good things! It was just a great experience and with no prep time. I was really sweating it, but I am so glad I did it. It definitely toughened me up for short notice gigs in the future! If I can do one with three hours notice I can do one with 24!

I would say it was even better that I didn't have a lot of prep time. Though I didn't think so at first, it took a lot of the stress out of the situation. So if you've got an opportunity like that, and you are sweating bullets and pulling out your hair like I was, do the show anyway! You will be glad you did!

[contrachapado]

Congrats! Glad it went so well for you. That nervous adrenaline worked in your favor!

[The_Princess_of_Bozonia]

Good work Chance!

[Snugglesnort]

That's great man! Nothing like panic backed by a couple of vauge ideas to feul creativity!

[Sassy Frass]

Stellar My Man! Stellar I Say!!!

[saphireSue]

That's fantastic, congrats

[Fitzwilly]

Way to go Chance!!!

[Chance Marmalade]

I wish we'd brought a camera so I could've gotten pictures of the performance but I did find some photos of the theatre at the website and wanted to show you all the stage! The Jewel Box is a really cool renovated 1920s theatre. I imagine in the 1920s this place hosted one or two vaudevillians!