[NoHo Arts District, CA] – In this month’s Soaring Solo blog, Jessica Lynn Johnson talks about the “The Beauty of BINGING Solo Theatre.”
“Better immersion than to live untouched.” – Tillie Olsen
Binging a bunch of solo theatre is a crucial part of preparing to create a one-person show.
Yet, I have heard solo artists come up with some pretty entertaining excuses for why they will not heed my advice when I instruct them to go watch a ton of solo productions.
- “I don’t want to accidentally steal someone else’s idea, so I think it’s better not to watch other people’s shows.”
- “I’m worried that I am going to get jealous and intimidated by seeing other people’s solo shows, so I’m just going to focus on my own writing.”
- “I don’t want to be influenced by what other people are doing. I want to create my own unique show, so I’m going to avoid seeing other people’s art.”
Pardon my French, but every single one of those reasons is wholly, utterly and totally bullcrap.
Would you run onto the basketball court to play in a basketball game, having never watched a single basketball game?
Would you perform in a ballet recital, having never seen a professional ballet?
Would you attempt to play in a violin concerto without ever having witnessed a professional musician play their violin?
Hell no, you wouldn’t! And the same absurdity is true for stepping on stage to perform your solo show without first immersing yourself in the genre.
Even if you have gone to solo theatre classes or read a slew of books on how to write and perform a solo show, if you are not actually walking into theatres, sitting your butt down for multiple solo shows, and truly witnessing solo artists sharing their work on stage over and over again, then your own solo expression will gravely suffer.
Here are four reasons why you must make it your business to binge solo theatre in order to write and perform a successful solo show.
You will be inspired by other solo artists.
It’s nearly impossible to witness a solo artist bravely sharing their story on stage without becoming inspired. Regardless of if they are an amateur or a professional, the mere fact that they have found the courage within themselves to stand alone on stage and tackle one of the hardest styles of performance out there is truly an impressive feat.
Seeing someone believe that they are worthy of taking up space sends the message to everyone in the audience that they, too, have something of value to say. Hearing the highs and lows of a person’s life as they vulnerably tell their truth ignites a desire in the recipient to also want to express themselves and be seen by others.
I remember seeing a solo artist get so nervous during the first 15 minutes of his one-man show that he could not recall his lines and started to apologize to the audience. He nearly walked off stage, ready to quit. Suddenly, everyone started yelling for him to pick up his script and just read his story. We were all so captivated by what he had already said that we did not care if his performance jitters thwarted his memorization skills. We just wanted to hear more.
He picked up his script and started to read his lines. As he began to feel the encouragement of the audience, his confidence grew, and he was able to set his script back down. For the remainder of the show, he recalled the rest of his lines and delivered an incredible performance.
After the show ended, there were lines of people waiting to talk to him one-on-one simply to tell him how deeply impacted they were by his story and his fortitude to keep going in spite of the initial mistakes.
I am sure none of us in the audience that day has forgotten how inspiring that performance was, despite the imperfect nature of it. In fact, I would argue that what made it so inspiring was the imperfection of the performer. It was his humanity and his resilience that were so inspiring.
Of course, I have also been blessed to see countless flawless solo shows that are executed at such a high level of professionalism, I’m left picking my jaw up off the ground after it’s over and doused from head to toe in inspiration.
So, please do yourself a favor and indulge in as many solo shows as you possibly can. Whether you are seeing professional solo artists exemplify mastery of the craft or the work of a novice who persisted imperfectly, either way, you will likely be inspired by some aspect of each production.
You might get swept up in the storytelling. The technical elements might spark your imagination. The humanity of the person standing in front of you might touch your heart profoundly. Whatever it is that resonates with you will help to provide the inspiration that you will need to be a solo artist yourself.
You will discover what pulls you in and takes you out of a solo show.
All of our attention spans are pretty pathetic these days. So, as a solo artist, you want to give yourself the best odds for holding your audience’s attention.
Unless you have experienced being a devastatingly bored or utterly enthralled audience member yourself, it will be hard for you to assess what your own audience will be feeling as they watch you perform your own solo show. This is why you must do the homework of seeing a wide range of solo shows.
Pay attention to the moments that took you out. Were you confused? Did they go on too long, belaboring a point they’d sufficiently made five minutes ago? Equally note what drew you in. Did they possess a charismatic stage presence that you could not take your eyes off of? Were there interesting moments of silence filled with emotional expression? Was the writing witty and thought provoking?
As you watch the show, look around at other audience members. Are they secretly checking the score of the game on their iPhones? Are tears welling up in their eyes as they empathize with what the performer is saying? Did they “have to go put money in the meter” and never come back?
The more shows you see, the better you will be at determining what qualities magnetize or ostracize an audience. You can then apply this knowledge to your own solo show creation and performance.
You will be able to network and gather resources at a solo show production.
Many people transform the playbill into a functional fan to cool themselves off if the theatre is hot and muggy, or they may use it as a convenient place to stash the gum they forgot to spit out before waltzing into the black box.
However, I encourage you to read the playbill cover to cover every time you go to a solo show.
This theatrical program typically contains the names of the creative team. Not only will this give you some potential professional contacts to reach out to for your own one-person show endeavors, but it will also educate you on the various roles needed to complete your creative team and get a solo show off the ground.
Rather than trying to rush out of the theatre after the performer takes their bow, stick around and have a conversation with them. Tell them what you related to in their piece. Use it as an opportunity to expand your creative community and support system. Make sure that they know that you were there supporting their solo art. Let them know you are also a solo artist, and be sure to exchange contact information so that hopefully one day they will be in the audience of your one-person show.
Next, ask yourself if the venue is a space that you would be interested in performing your show. If so, try to introduce yourself to the venue manager or anyone else who works at the theatre. Is the director of the solo show a person you might consider hiring to be at the helm of your creative team? If the answer is yes, then walk up to the director and shake their hand. Tell them what you enjoyed about their direction and that you’ll be in touch about potential collaboration in the future.
Even if you hated everything about the production from start to finish, you at least know who and what to avoid when it comes time to mount your own show.
So, every time you attend a solo show, be sure to pay attention to the entire experience and all of the people who helped bring the project to fruition. Your mind will become a Rolodex of names, places, companies and other resources for your own solo theatre journey.
You will learn about the unique genre of solo theatre.
Last, but certainly not least, by attending back-to-back solo shows, you will begin to learn more and more about the genre of solo theatre, which is incredibly unique.
Not having the support of an entire ensemble cast makes their way on and off stage throughout the production, breeds its own need for distinct technique in both the writing and in the performance.
Properly introducing and distinguishing characters is of dire importance when there is one actor portraying the entire cast.
Holding an audience’s attention for an hour or more when it is just one person delivering every single line requires a large dose of intriguing stage presence that is only born out of the self-assuredness that comes from knowing the tools and techniques of solo theatre.
As you watch solo artists transform into dynamic characters, you will witness what it looks like to see the performer disappear and a new person to emerge in front of you.
When you experience colorful lighting design, thoughtful music placement, powerful story structure, polished writing, motivated blocking and interesting set choices, you will become aware of the many elements needed to properly convey a solo story on stage.
Essentially, the more solo shows you attend, the more you will understand why this genre of performance is unlike any other and the more capable you will be of mastering it in a way that is authentic to you.
I could certainly go on and on about all of the reasons why it is absolutely vital to binge a bunch of solo theatre if you wish to create a compelling one-person show, but hopefully the four reasons listed above are enough to motivate you to toss out any remaining excuses and get yourself to the theatre!
As always, remember that solo theatre may not be easy, but it is so worth it!
Jessica Lynn Johnson
Founder & CEO of Soaring Solo LLC
SoaringSoloArtist@gmail.com
www.SoaringSoloStudios.com
Enjoy these Solo Theatre Resources to Further Guide You on Your Solo Journey!
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Award-winning director and developer Jessica Lynn Johnson hosts a slew of powerful solo show script readings and full staged productions addressing various impactful and inspiring topics.
This enticing lineup can be found by CLICKING HERE FOR MORE INFO.
Start Writing Your Own Solo Show One Freewrite at a Time With “FREEWrite Friday”!
Join BEST NATIONAL SOLO ARTIST WINNER Jessica Lynn Johnson for FREEWrite Friday!
Utilizing thought-provoking writing prompts, Jessica will lead you in writing exercises that are sure to assist you in the development of your solo show.
A one-person play is not typically written in one fell swoop. Rather, the Soaring Solo Methodology teaches that the creation of solo art is much like that of creating a Mosaic…one beautiful piece at a time.
All that is required to attend this inspiring event is a willingness to explore, having a pen, paper, or some other means of capturing your thoughts, the ability to access Zoom, and signing up on this page as your official RSVP.
We look forward to having you join the Soaring Solo Community in this event because your story matters!
CLICK HERE TO RSVP and obtain the Zoom link and password.
Attend the Soaring Solo FREE One-Person Play Development Class ONLINE!
No matter where you are in the creation of your solo show, idea phase, curiosity phase, full draft written, touring the festival and college market, BEST NATIONAL SOLO ARTIST and founder of Soaring Solo, Jessica Lynn Johnson, will meet you where you are at and take you to the next level! All that is required to attend is a willingness to explore, a pen, and some paper. No previous writing or performance experience necessary, and no need to have written anything to bring to class. Each week Jessica will guide you in exercises to help generate and stage NEW material! So come and meet other creatives in a supportive space for expression and exploration! The class is ongoing and so you may pop in and out as you please as long as you RSVP BY CLICKING HERE for this FREE ONE-PERSON PLAY CLASS.
Schedule an Online Coaching Consultation
Schedule an Online Coaching Consultation with Jessica Lynn Johnson to discuss the possibilities for your solo show!
Jessica brings her 15+ years of solo theatre expertise to work privately with solo artists from all over the world on an as needed basis.
A 1 on 1 Consultation is for you if…
-You are curious about creating a solo show, but you need writing prompts to help you generate material.
– You are tossing around ideas for your solo show, but you need some accountability and encouragement to commit those ideas to the page.
-You have already written some material, but you need expert feedback on editing, story structure and play formatting.
-You have a great first draft, but need guidance on how to utilize multimedia and solo theatre technique in order to make your show a dynamic piece of solo theatre.
-You already premiered your solo show and now you want some tips on how to tour colleges and festivals, and garner accolades and great reviews!
-You have heard great things about Jessica’s work and you’re curious about hiring her as a Director & Developer for your solo show, but first, you want to feel her out and see if she is the right fit for you and your project.
Wherever you may find yourself on your solo journey, Jessica will help you overcome whatever immediate obstacle stands between you and your solo success.
If you resonate with many of the things on this list, then take the next step by emailing SoaringSoloArtist@gmail.com for more information.
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