I had the remarkable opportunity this past week to go to Vegas for the BEA/NAB convention as a part of a panel discussion on the ethics of social media. Our Fielding team discussed aspects of social media tied to engagement and use, as well as how ethical issues and opportunities are changing the way that we use technology to construct meaning.
One evening, my wife and I were able to slip away from the conference and attend the Cirque de Solie show O'. It was riviting. It was non-stop. It was unpredictable. It was amazing. It was an hour and a half of non-stop narrative that included multiple stories -- some developed, some not, against the backdrop of a stage and theatre crafted specifically for the show. And then to have a live music and voices to add depth and character. The experience was overwhelming.
As I walked away from the show with my wife that night, I began to think through what caused me to think so differently, and become so engaged in this show. Below are a few thoughts that rose to the surface.
1. My presupposition was set based on the variety of material that I have been subject to, both through promotions and through word-of-mouth. Could the show really be that good? Could my expectations be met?
A. Ten minutes before the show began, two clowns, one with a duckie, and one with a rubber water raft wondered out into the crowd, and began interacting with them. They would take things, and redistribute them. They would have people stand up, then sit down, then stand up, then sit down. Occasionally they would squirt water at certain members. It was funny, and began to reset my expectations. The activities brought the audience together, and let us quickly reframe our mind and spirit so that we were cleared of the daily baggage and clutter.
At five minutes prior, a single clown made his way to the front of the stage and began to encourage clapping -- first fast, then slow, then loud and then soft. As this was going on, several other Cirque members appeared, walking toward the lower middle section. A young Japanese man was heading to his seat when he was approached by a group of Cirque members. They took his drink and popcorn, and then handed him a red scarf. He tried to push back, but they insisted that he follow them to the stage. A bit concerned, and obviously nervous -- he tentatively wandered up to the stage, in front of the giant red curtain. The clown disappeared and the young audience member was standing in the middle of the stage, wondering what was next. A certain level of uneasyness was felt throughout the audience when an arm, reached out and began motioning for this person to come close to the center break in the curtain. The scarf, and then audience member was grabbed and pulled behind the curtain and then reappeared with a clown now standing next to him. He was holding a piece of paper. A cordless mic was handed to him, and he began to read a number of statements -- "Welcome to this performance by Cirque de Solei of "O." Please refrain from smoking. . . . and so forth and so on." In addition to helping the audience get rid of our stuff, I was a bit uneasy and vulnerable as the past ten minutes included a much higher level of audience participation that I perceived. Nonetheless, I was fully engaged and ready for the unexpected.
2. The theatre, and it's arrangement was set for the best possible audience experience, from any place in the theatre. It was clearly designed with two things in mind, first an important experience for the audience and second, the opportunity for the cast to use every aspect of the theatre to present their story, and show. Again, this was very unique to the way in which we've been accustomed to watching movies, shows, and other experiences.
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