Post
by david » 28 Mar 2010 16:04
Last night was my final show with my performing group. The Maryland crew and Mike Toolan drove 3 hours to see me perform - amazing. A good session followed. The 4 of them coming out means a ton. I am happy to have such great friends in footbag. The final ticket count was over 500.
The girl who wrote the above article is doing a follow up. She asked for my thoughts on the show. This is what I wrote to her, and I thought you might enjoy it.
Last night's show was a mix of ups and downs, as is every performance. There were times when I opened the curtains radiating all the confidence my body could muster, and there were times when some hiccups in the show pulled on the edges of my smile. Overall, I think we put on a good show for people and I think they enjoyed it, but I don't think I've ever walked out of a show thinking it was all perfect. Last night makes me want to do another show just because I know we can get it all down super smooth. I know that if the applause was strong last night it could only get stronger if we were more polished.
Last night, upon seeing my sagging shoulders after the show, my friend told me the performer is always the hardest on themselves, and that's probably why I was the one last night replaying the negatives instead of the positives. However, I feel that it is this "always striving for more" attitude that makes the group better. We do not revel in our successes but rather search for ways to make our show better from year to year. The worst part is that this time that process can't occur. I woke up and watched the tape from last night, stopping myself from writing down all the things we would change for next year. Because this time, there is no next show.
In general, we did end on a good note. I have to remember the audience doesn't know where you meant to stand, what you meant to say, and I think true professionalism radiates when mistakes turn into better things than you could've planned. I think the Out of Hand name is tied to memories of quality performances by local talent that doesn't just roll in for the night and leave. Our jokes about State College life and the University were not scribbled behind the curtain, but rather are just fabric samples of the lives that we have woven in this city for the past 4 years. I am not so sure about lasting impact, but for 2.5 hours we had people enjoying themselves.
My efforts here can be summed up in one story from last night. A kid in the lobby before the show ran up to me and wanted to show me a magic trick. He had seen me perform on the street and was so proud to show me his trick. I laughed as his empty hand produced a pile of 5 quarters, and his nervous shakes took me back to my first tricks for someone besides a mirror. If that kid gets into performing and has half the fun that I've had I consider all that I've done here worth it. If someone in the audience had a bad day and we took away their worry for just a little bit, it makes the practice worth it. If some kid sat there and said "hey, I could do that" - and then goes out and entertains others, then I'm happy to have helped ignite that spark.
The best part of it all is that 500 people came out and took a risk on a couple kids who like to do magic tricks and juggle. 500 people made me know that the hours of practice, hanging up flyers, and doing magic on the street were not for nothing. In a world where the world's best talent is a few clicks away people came out and saw it live. When the radio crackled backstage and I heard the theater manager say, "a line of 25 people - looks like we'll sell this out", I might have been the happiest kid in State College.
So at the end of the day, I owe it to the hundreds who took a risk on a couple students who wanted to share their art forms. There's some famous quote about people not remembering what you said or did, but how you made them feel. I hope that we made people feel like they were part of something last night. The applause may fade into the wooden walls of the theater but it still echoes in my life, giving me the courage to go out and share the hobbies that have made me who I am. And while the curtain may of closed on Out of Hand for now, I have a strange feeling that the stage lights will one day warm up once again.
David
david
By the time USO, Worlds and Euro's rolls around everyone will be back in the spirit of the game.
