Performance

Lance described arranging the “stage” space in a specific way to signal the type of performance he and the other organizers were looking for. First, the didn’t want a raised stage. He remembered that Manuel’s was interested in them using their raised stage.

Once we started to get bigger they

really wanted to turn this into a

true performance.

Let’s put your storyteller

on stage

we’ve got some lights we can shine on him

A true performance. On stage. With lights. But the creators didn’t want that. They didn’t think a stage would feel “safe” for the storytellers. Also, the creators had a similar sense of the stage signalling “performance” but felt differently about it than Manuel’s:

We felt like

putting ‘em on stage,

even a small one

and putting a spotlight on ‘em-

now we cross that line from,

telling the story to a group of people to

an actual performance.

And that was one thing we did not want.

We didn't want

performances.

We wanted people to be genuine.

The line Lance is referring to could be the line between cultural performance and aesthetic performance. Although, it is probably more accurate to view different types of performance as a spectrum. This would mean there is no “line” between cultural and aesthetic performance, but perhaps it is possible to be too far down the spectrum in the aesthetic direction to be able to claim crossover with cultural performance.

Defining performance as something not genuine is also not uncommon, but tricky, given that people are always, to some extent performing. This has to do with the performance spectrum again - keeping the performances more toward the social and cultural end and not letting them slip into aesthetic. I believe that is what is meant here. That people are supposed to behave more or less the way they normally do, not “perform” or change how they act for this show.

Proximity is also important:

We also wanted to keep

the tellers close to the audience.

Physically close.

Again, not

put them on the stage

not have this huge gaping distance between

where they're talking and where the

folks are seated.

The stage separates. It sets the performer apart as the speaker, but there is also physical distance. This distance is often greater with a raised stage. There truly was little distance between teller and audience with the old setup:

there were tables around

the people like

you're standing here talking

and there's a table like

right over here [arm’s length away]

and it can be a little bit nerve wracking at first

but ultimately it's a lot more comforting.

You didn't feel like you were on stage

you didn't feel like you were standing out in the open

and everybody's staring at you

waiting on you to do something

It is weird to have people in your personal space when you are performing, but Lance argued that ultimately it was comforting to feel like you weren’t on stage. People are waiting on you to do something. Entertain them. But the storyteller’s safety and comfort are put above the audience’s in this event and the performer doesn’t owe the audience anything. It isn’t their job to entertain them and they shouldn't feel like they are on stage.  

One element of the stage that they couldn’t get away from was the microphone. Lance said the only reason they used one “was to make sure everybody could hear.” And it did seem to make some people uncomfortable:

And, oh god

I loved watching people come and like

got the microphone on a death grip

the whole time they're talking.

Lance talked about people being genuine, but the setup, as minimal as it was, was intended to make the situation seem like it was something from what it was:

but it was anything to distract--

as dumb as it sounds

especially given

what the point of it was

anything to distract them from the fact that they are

standing in front of a whole bunch of people.

That's what we want them to get away from.

They are standing in front of a bunch of people! In a way, this setup is creating an illusion. They aren’t performing. But they are!

You're not performers

you're telling a story

you're sharing with us what happened to you

and your experiences.

Not a performance. Sharing. Social or cultural performance end of spectrum. Not aesthetic.

Lance mentioned that people occasionally showed up with their stories typed out.

We’re like, No look--

we want--

we want it to be from you.

We want it to be--

we don't want it to be something read

we want it to be genuine.

Overly performed stories don’t seem genuine and overly prepared, crafted stories do not seem genuine. Also this idea that it is supposed to be “from you” - speaking extemporaneously maybe seems more like it is for the audience that showed up. Too much planning and the story is for an imagined audience and then just delivered to the folks who show up.