A Dilemma: Choke in Front of Strangers, or Succeed in Front of Friends

If you were going to get up on a stage and do something you’d never done before, be it acting, improvisation, singing, dancing, you name it — would you want the audience to be full of friends or full of strangers? It’s something I’ve gone back and forth about over the years. I’ve had my share of performing moments… mostly on the radio but occasionally on a stage.The first time was back in 1990 — a local comedy club whose name escapes me now had an open entry stand-up comedy contest. They had a few weeks of it, followed by a finals, where the winner would get a trip to Toronto and get to perform at Yuk Yuks. I slapped together a 5 minute bit that was, by and large, horrible (though included this ever so topical gem.) I told all my friends about it without hesitation — there was no internal debate. I wasn’t afraid of bombing, for some reason, and I didn’t. I came in second place in audience voting, but the club manager called me aside and asked if I’d come back for the finals, because he liked what he saw. I did so, but ended up not doing so well — the crowd was way too drunk and chatty by the time I got to the stage. I tried one other contest in St. John’s, and once hopped on the stage at an open mic will on vacation in Halifax in ’91.That’s the last time I took the stage in front of an audience. Aside from my incredibly fun tenure with the Audio Toon Theatre doing writing and performing on the radio, I’ve never had any real performance experience.Which leads me back to my original question. Think about it — if you were going to get up on stage doing something new, would you want an audience of friends, or an audience of strangers? The argument for “strangers” is that, if you do horrible, nobody you know is going to see it. It somehow feels less humiliating. But the argument for “friends” is that you stand a better chance of succeeding, because they want you to do well, and will support you with applause (and laughter, when appropriate).I’ve gone back and forth, but I think I’ve landed on “friends”. I’ve been on the other side of that coin once or twice, and as an audience member with someone you know up on stage prancing and performing, you just want them to do well. You send out the best possible vibes, you applaud loudly, you’re like a proud parent.Why have I been debating this lately? For the past 5 weeks, I’ve been taking Stand-up Comedy lessons at Zanies in downtown Chicago. The four week beginner class culminated with a 5 minute performance on stage in front of the class, with helpful criticism from the instructor (Dobie Maxwell). The Intermediate class culminates with a 5 minute performance in front of a real audience and a booker at Zanies in Chicago (the best comedy club in Chicago, might I add).On December 4th, I will, along with the rest of my class, take to the stage and perform a 5 minute bit that I’ve only just begun to write. Wish me luck! And let me know if you’re interested in coming to the show and I’ll get you in for free.