I went to the zoo on Friday. Right in front of the monkey pond there was a sign reminding zoo-goers like me not to throw food to the monkeys.
I went to a sushi restaurant on Saturday. Right in front of the hostess there was an giant aquarium with a sign taped to the glass telling raw fish eaters like me "Please, do not tap on the glass."
I went to a baseball game on Sunday. There were a whole bunch of signs all over the place reminding fans of the fines for jumping on to the field (someone did it anyway).
It is a human being's natural instinct to want to interact . . . especially with things put on display. It's so much of the majority's curiosity that we have to put up signs telling us not to, when it's not appropriate or not safe.
I also went to see a show on Sunday. This show took advantage of our natural curiosity and had actors handing out programs, had the star talking to the audience, and even had a couple of audience members on the stage. And a better time was had by all as a result.
It's simple, and not ground-breaking, but it works every time. Why? Because it's part of who we are.
We want to feed the animals.
So give your audience that chance in whatever way is appropriate for your show. Maybe you can't have audience members on stage. Maybe you can't break the fourth wall.
But there's gotta be something you can do. And you're creative enough to figure it out.
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3 Responses to Please DO feed the animals.
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In the Zoo in my hometown there is a group of funny monkeys, the attraction, which have a baby among them this year. It is so tiny that he can get out of the cage by slipping between bars. It doesn’t need for you to try and feed it, but the baby gets out, grabs your candy, and flees back. I guess it is telling whatever you are telling, please do feed the animals
Way to encourage your fellow peers!
So true. For example, I, along with many other audience members, was intrigued to find Catherine Russell, the star of Perfect Crime, manning the box office, taking tickets, talking to and greeting the audience, answering my questions about the show’s business model, and then going backstage, putting on he costume and performing. And the audience was charmed by the uniqueness of that experience…