P – Performance anxiety

Excuse me…there’s someone performing

I’m a storyteller and a musician. Sometimes I get to perform in schools and classrooms, at festivals, occasionally at libraries, and at events where there are a lot of other things going on at the same time. I can certainly relate to a discussion that Lina and Minna had following an evening Arts-in-Education event at their school. Lina plays guitar and sings and was asked to perform for the entire group of parents and children as they were entering the auditorium for that evening’s scheduled performer.

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“I can’t believe it!” Lina said angrily, as she came backstage after her performance. “Don’t those parents know how to show respect for a performance that is going on?”

Minna was backstage, fixing up some refreshments for the performers when Lina entered. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about common courtesy.” was Lina’s reply. “When you walk into a space where someone is performing, you find a seat, sit down, and enjoy it, or at least remain quiet. These parents and kids just don’t even realize that someone is performing for them. They feel that it is all right to keep chatting away loudly, ignoring who’s on stage. It makes it very difficult to perform.”

Minna tried to find a reason. “Well, you’re not the person they came to see. Maybe they just don’t realize that you are doing a performance. You could be just testing microphones or something like that.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t buy that,” Lina replied, “they are just self-centered and rude. People should enjoy it when people are performing, whether they are who they paid for or not. If they don’t like what is being performed, then they should at least excuse themselves temporarily. It is a disservice to those of us that perform, and models the wrong thing to their children, who, by the way, are just as bad.”

Minna asked, “Don’t the teachers or supervisors that are there try to control the noise and ask those that are inconsiderate to leave?”

Lina laughed, “Some might, but a lot of them are doing exactly what the kids and parents are doing…poor role-modeling.”

“Couldn’t you ask for them to be quiet and respectful?”

Though Lina knew that she could ask, she was adamant that she was being tasked with being a performer, not an audience police person. “I think that diminishes my role as a performer. It’s the organizers and supervisors that should be doing the policing. That should include the use of cellphones during a performance.”

Minna felt somewhat guilty as she realized that at times, she had done exactly the things that Lina was complaining about. But being made aware of something you’re doing that is inconsiderate can sometimes teach you not to do it again. “I have to apologize to you,” she said to Lina.  “I wasn’t out there tonight, but I can recall times that I have done exactly the things that you are complaining about. I’ll make sure from now on, I definitely show more respect for people that are performing.”

“Thanks,” replied Lina. “I guess I’ll work on changing society, one person at a time.”

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As a performer for both small and large audiences, I see this kind of behavior a lot. I wrote a blog on this topic in 2013 http://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=297 . What I wrote then, still holds true. Here’s a picture taken during one of my performances where a parent walked up beside me while a group of girls were chatting away right in front of me. I assumed she was coming up front to get her daughter and her friends to stop chatting. No…she came up to take a picture of her daughter and her friends. Mind you, this was while I was performing.

I wish I had a solution to this problem. Any thoughts you might have would be appreciated.