Who REALLY Is in the Audience?

“When it gets down to it, there’s only ever really one person in the audience, no matter how big the crowd.” – Bono

Bono, one of the world’s most iconic performers, describes his relationship to the audience, and perhaps those representing our first audience…our families.

Sometimes, the need for an audience goes back to an early relationship that was wounded, or didn’t exist at all.  How many performers of our time lost a parent to death or divorce or never knew one at all?  From Jack Nicholson to Johnny Depp to Ryan Gosling to Bono himself, the audience can fill a void left by childhood loss.

The 17th Century philospher, Blaise Pascal, called this “the God shaped hole.” Each and every one of us has one.  Perhaps for the performer, it is the space that needs to be filled by an audience.

The life of a performer can have tremendous potential highs, but often many rejections and failures.   In my work with a variety of performers, I’ve noticed that the ones that look to their spiritual lives to fill this hole, not to substances or other people, are the ones who stay the most grounded. Then it matters far less if you’re on a stage in front of 50,000 or 15, whether you get the part or just do your best at the audition.

In the next Inner Stage™ workshop, Who REALLY is in the Audience? on November 26th from 6pm-9pm, we will explore the performers’ desire to be seen by an audience. Through psychodramatic exercises, we will discover how our families impacted the way we see ourselves on stage.  Learn to let go of old scripts and enjoy your time on stage!

The Inner Stage™ will be meeting in our beautiful new workshop space at The Leadership Program, 598 Broadway, 5th Floor,
 between Houston & Prince Streets.  Join us!!

© 2012 Valerie Simon, LCSW, CP, PAT