We all label things and people. It helps us survive. The quicker we can label something, the quicker we can ignore it. We need to ignore a lot of things so we can look out for danger. We ignore the sticker on the windshield so focus can be put on what’s outside the windshield.
We don’t want our audiences to label our show. If they can write it off as something they understand, it is not going to be entertaining. It can not feel totally safe.
Every time I’m on stage, I need to change the pace to establish my leadership role, but then I also need to do something or say something that doesn’t make sense. Then, I need to do another thing that doesn’t make sense in a different way. This establishes that there’s no pattern to find. This is how I tell the audience that this is not about finding a pattern and relaxing. This is about getting involved mentally. We are going to see what’s around the next corner and we’re not going to be able to rest because we’re in a game right now.