Playing to the wrong crowd
Background: Keith Johnstone, founder of Theatresports, says that an audience that yells out crude suggestions isn't interested in seeing you do well. They just want to be funny themselves at the expense of everyone. And some audiences are just trouble waiting to happen....
Our
comedy troupe, Off Kilter, had to do a gig at a battle of the bands
competition. We were to introduce the bands and perform some improv in
between while they were setting up.
Unfortunately the night we went there, it was punk rock night and the crowd was not in the mood for improv comedy!
We
were about to do a song and for an "ask-for", we yelled out, "What
is something you
would find in the bathroom?" Thankfully, we got
"toothbrush." Just as
we were about to start singing someone yells out "dildo!" and the
crowd
laughs at his juvenile remark. To the response, he yells back "See,
I'm funnier than you guys!"
To get out of this pickle we decided to create a song about a
toothbrush dildo and it was quite funny! Most stories like this would end
with the audience warming up to us and finally having a good time - but they
continued to be apathetic towards anything non-punk rock-musical on stage.
We finished our bits and then got the hell out of there...!
Jason Cormier, "Off Kilter"
Ontario, Canada