Comedy is subjective.
The success of a show is influenced by audience
demographics, environment, situation and the vibe in the room. Of course, my ability, timing and rhythm also
have an impact.
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| Engaging audience at Welcome Club of No. Virginia show. |
On-stage as a performer I benefit from real-time
feedback. Does the audience laugh? Is there a more muted reaction? Or, are we talking crickets?
This is helpful and allows me to shape (and reshape)
the content of my show. However, I am
rarely provided a more comprehensive review.
Then, there is the whole hypnosis thing. My Hypnotic Experience show is a unique twist
on a traditional casino or comedy club act.
I use entertaining stories to highlight the power of positive
visualization.
Some people though have little interest in hypnosis
or may even be turned off by it, influenced by long-standing misconceptions
(i.e. it is mind control). This too can
color how I’m received and reviewed as an entertainer.
Each year I have the privilege of guest speaking at
a number of high schools in the Washington, DC area as part of the health or
psychology curriculum. My longest standing
relationship is with a health educator at Walt
Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland.
I look forward to visiting her classes each semester because the kids
are smart, talented, engaged and brutally candid in their assessment.
I’ve included below verbatim reviews of my talk from
earlier this month. I scored well with
most of the students, yet flamed out with a few.
It has me thinking about how to continue to grow and
improve. Ironically, that is one of the
key points of my talk.
Loved
Me
“He actually hypnotized me into having a positive
attitude.”
“He is an awesome performer. I could totally see how he’s a stand up
comic. He was so funny. I actually had a good night sleep and woke up
restored.”
“I thought it was a really unique experience to be
hypnotized while in school. It really
helped me feel better all day.”
“I thought your performance was really de-stressing
and I think it’s a great tool to use every day so you can achieve inner peace.”
“Really fun, interactive activity. Creates an atmosphere for together-ness.”
“I thought the presentation yesterday was
great. I did my homework with a smile on
my face.”
“Usually, I get about 8 (maybe 7) hours of
sleep. Last night I got about 8.5 – 9
hours. I feel less tired.”
“It was awesome.
You’re really good at your job.
Very funny too. Also, I had the
best sleep last night, so thank you.”
“Great job! I
really enjoyed the class and I think the hypnotism really worked. I had a great rest of my day.”
“The hypnosis really helped relieve stress and
anxiety that I struggle with. I really
want to do it again.”
“That was the most relaxing class I have ever had.”
“His speech was amazing. And it was new to me to see how hypnosis
works in real life.”
Hated
Me
“Waste of time.
I have an eight period day, so I forfeit my lunch for this. It’s a joke.”
“The hypnosis did not work for me and the attempt
made me slightly more stressed and restless for the rest of the day and night.”
“I freaked out during the hypnosis thing.”
“I felt uncomfortable when he whispered way too
close to me with my eyes shut.”
“Talk less.”
“Yesterday’s experience was not as affected as
promised.”
“It was funny, but I don’t think the hypnotizing
worked because I had awful sleep and an even worse stomach ache. But, other than that, I thought it was very
funny and interesting.”
