There is an oft unspoken skill that performers seem to know, but have no memory of being taught. That is because this is something that we do not experience in rehearsal, only in performance: riding the wave of laughter and applause. We may not know what a certain audience will find funny and we are often surprised if there is applause during a performance. We expect applause at the end, but how to know the right moment to leave the stage? When do we come back for a second or third bow? We learn this skill only by performing before a live audience. Mid-performance, the skill is to ride the wave of applause or laughter and then, just as the wave begins to wane, jump in and continue decisively and with vocal strength. There is a sweet spot to hit that is somewhat intuitive. If we ignore the audience and keep talking or jump in too soon…Read on.

I still perseverate with regret about the time my dad gave an entire speech IN THE DARK! It was at the Harvard Kennedy School for about 100 people. He stepped behind the podium and into the shadows. Thank goodness he had a mellifluous voice to carry the rest of the audience with him. My mind, though, was whirring! How do I fix this? Do I ask someone? Who’s in charge here? Do I just start flicking all the light switches? Do I mime, “MOVE!! Shift to the right!” or stage whisper, “DAD! WE CAN’T SEE YOU!” Do I simply walk onto the stage and nudge him over or move the podium or…?” I did nothing. Thus, the ruminating. However, I vowed to be proactive and make sure future speakers, whether known to me or not, are IN THE LIGHT! For TED Talks, the hottest lights are aimed at the famous red circular rug on stage, showing the speaker where to stand. At our Charlottesville TEDx we encourage our speakers to use the whole stage, as long as they know the center red dot is their sweet spot. And, if they want to use the aisles or sit on the edge of the stage, we ask the tech crew if it is possible to make this happen. (They always say YES! Great thanks to JF Legault and The AV Company!) One year, we wanted a few of our coaches to start the event by reading poetry from different seats all over the 1000-person theater. JF and his crew set the lights in advance so that we knew our actors would be seen. In this photo by Edmond Joe, you see Mercedes Herrero reading her poem, lit up and radiant. A few years ago… Read on.

Here is National Geographic photographer, Ami Vitale, being fitted with her headset mic for her talk at our Charlottesville TEDx. See the tiny beige ball peeking out from under her hair on the left? That ball must be placed quite close to the mouth, but not too close or every plosive is explosive! After learning all we can about the audience—who, how many, what we can give them—we get as much information as we can about the microphone set-up for the event. Again, we might find that the organizers themselves do not yet have the answers, but asking the questions will give a nudge so that we have the information sooner rather than later and can prepare. :Questions to ask:..Read on.

Today I got the link to a TEDx Talk by the incomparable, C. Mitzi Sinnott: Trust Your Truth and Serve the World. The first time I watched it I was swept up in the stories, the beauty, the open-hearted generosity. I watched it again minutes later, noticing the skills and techniques she brings to her performance. And then again, just because…because I wanted to make sure I soaked in her deep, heartfelt message. I wanted to make sure I let myself be moved to action. Minutes later, I asked Mitzi if I could write this post and refer to her her talk to illustrate the techniques I have outlined in this blog. Below are a few of the skills and techniques…Read on.

When working with theater director and actor, Deb Gottesman, we immediately spoke the same language: the language of the theater. Deb knows what goes into crafting a performance that sings. She knows just how much time and work it takes to prepare a piece so that it comes alive in front of an audience. The day we began, Deb told me that the organization she co-founded with Buzz Mauro, The Theater Lab, had its annual fundraiser a few weeks before our TEDx Charlottesville event. Deb asked to front-load her preparation so that she would have the weeks before the fundraiser to focus just on that. We mapped it out and…Read on.

When clients assure me that they do not need to prepare, that they are better when they “wing it,” I remind them of Mark Twain’s remark, “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” Exactly. Improvisation takes years of experience, weeks of rehearsal, and is grounded in strong structure and technique. This week, we practice structure to free our creative and improvisational selves.