This topic deals with giving feedback of another's show and/or performance. I am a firm believer that someone should never open their mouth about a show/performance to that individual unless it is asked for. If they don't ask for it, then and only then is a "good show" a worthy comment.
Now, as far as giving feedback goes, I don't necessary believe that giving too nice or too blunt of advice hurts the performer. Yes, there are some very fragile people out there who could get hurt if they ever knew the truth, but most of us are smart enough to know whether or not we gave a bad performance. We are our toughest critic and we know when we've done shitty work. Yes, there are people out there who are clueless to their own performances. They are the ones that are extra happy, all shiny and smiley at the bar afterwards. Why crush this poor sap's spirit? If they need to get better, then it should be their troupe that does the teaching.
What is it about feedback that gets people all riled up? I think it says a lot about the person who feels the need to give people their opinion. To tell someone that what they did is either good or bad gives a person a sense of importance, like they need to prove to others that they know their shit. Yes, we are a community and a small one at that, but if we need to go around telling everyone either how good or how bad they are, then we should all join forces and be one gigantic troupe. Because within the troupe/team/group should be where any of the constructive criticism comes from. It shouldn't come from anywhere else unless it's asked for. And then and only then can and should a person be honest.
The same goes for telling people whether or not they need to take workshops. If someone outside of your own personal troupe is shoving classes down your throat, who are they to tell you what you need? Listen to your troupe.
Like always, this is just my opinion. I've been known to be wrong on more occasions than one.
4 comments:
Like Harvey Dent proves, there's also the bad side of that coin, Jared. There's the side that also says "who are we to think that we can't or shouldn't take criticism?". Should we not listen to what our audience thinks? Ah, I love philosophical discussions.
I wasn't talking about the audience. I was talking about feedback from other improvisers.
Believe it or not, there is a difference between the two.
Are you saying that if an improviser paid to see your performance, that their opinion wouldn't count? Or that it would be less valuable to you than a non-prover?
If an improviser paid to see my performance, of course their opinion would count, if I asked for it. But honestly, I don't perform for the opinions of other improvisers.
Provers and non-provers see shows differently. Non-provers see the shows for entertainment. They'll catch a game move here and there, but I seriously doubt that non-provers sit in the audience and think about what choices they would have done differently.
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