Reactions and Competition

I took really good notes on audience reactions to Ray’s stories at the 2022 National Storytelling Festival. Go me! If he got a reaction, like people were grossed out, he might lean into it and make the description more gross. Other times, I could tell people didn’t get what was going on (because I am more familiar with Ray and his stories). Is that because of how Ray told it, or their assumptions coming in? Did they later have a moment when they realized they had misunderstood where the story was going? 

 

The moment when I was told “don’t talk to the judges” before the slam. I very briefly said “hi” to another storyteller I knew outside of the festival, who happened to be a judge at that slam. The competition created an artificial distance between performers and some of their audience members.  

 

I put a lot of preparation into my appearance and comfort, wearing clothes that were both cute and appropriate for the weather. I could have done a better job feeding myself before I put on lipstick. (After which, I had limited snacking options if I wanted to keep the lipstick.) Being comfortable while performing is partly the responsibility of the performer.  

 

I’m noticing how pervasive the notion of competition was during the slam. Sheila, the host, had mini competitions for the door prizes she was giving out between tellers. When the train came by, she joked that the judges were judging the train for taking too long.