Spectator Management

6 posts in this series

Reading Order

1 of 6 — 8 min read

The Audition Nobody Sees: How I Systematically Choose Every Spectator

Every volunteer in my show has already passed an audition they did not know they were taking. The selection happens before the performance begins, and it changes everything.

2 of 6 — 8 min read

She Smiled at Me and the Selection Was Secure: The Eye Contact Test

I used to pick volunteers at random. Then I learned a two-second test that tells you everything you need to know before you ever say a word.

3 of 6 — 8 min read

While Someone Else Is Introducing You, You Should Be Auditioning the Room

The thirty seconds before I walk on stage used to be dead time. Now they are the most information-dense moments of the entire evening.

4 of 6 — 8 min read

Don't Confuse Expressiveness with Extroversion: A Crucial Distinction

I used to pick the loudest, most eager person in the room as my volunteer. It took me a long time to understand why that was almost always the wrong choice.

5 of 6 — 8 min read

If You Can't Remember Their Faces, You Haven't Mastered Your Material

After one of my early shows, I realized I could describe every move I had made but not a single face I had looked at. That was the diagnosis I needed.

6 of 6 — 8 min read

Grabbers: Why People Touch Your Props and What It Really Means

The first time someone snatched a prop out of my hands mid-routine, I thought I was dealing with a rude person. I was actually dealing with a territorial failure on my part.