Unresponsive Volunteers

**Scot Free** · Oct-01-2002, 06:24 PM

i have found that an old-school cattle-prod works great. It gives off a smaller discharge than a newer stun-gun, which i found to be too much as it would actually knock 'em down to the ground and send 'em into fetal spasims.

**Mark Wessels** · Oct-01-2002, 07:58 PM

this has happened to me a few times in my limited experience and what has worked for me has been to fire them before they quit. Make it funny make it a joke. Cast them dirty looks while you give the new volunteer directions. OR have the audience help win them over by cheering for them. "do you want (volunteers name) to do it?" "YEAH!" and mope until they agree. To struggle with your crowd and then win together gets them on your side. and thats what it's all about isn't it. make it funny.

mark

**Rev** · Oct-01-2002, 08:07 PM

What are they doing? Are they just standing there, or are they trying to run away and do their own show? What sorts of things are you asking them to do? I more have problems getting volunteers to step forward than I do getting them to do as I ask.

**Stormy Knight** · Oct-05-2002, 09:20 PM

Mostly it's lackluster energy. Or having them do something simple (like get into a karate stance) and they balk. But I'm finding that it's easier to work on audience warm-ups to get their energy up first. Fight the disease, not the symptoms, right?

Only have one more week of shows anyway. Then it's back to the states for the winter. I need a recharge. But this has been an eye opening experience. After 3 months of touring the show, I'm looking at what might just be my new career. Next year will tell.

And mom wanted me to go into computers....

Silas Knight

em · Oct-06-2002, 06:06 AM

and what do you do when a computer is unresponsive? throw the bastard thing out of the window...sorry just had my hard drive wiped...mmm...
i think the real issue is to look at why they are unresponsive...because that should prevent further problems...can they feel your insecurity? (always a killer)...are you humiliating them?...asking them to do to much?..got them up there a long time?...or its simply one of those volunteers!! we have to remember that most of the time they don't want to be there and when they do they want to upstage! if you have ever been called out yourself as a volunteer you may have felt that crippling fear and sickness to the stomach, i hate it, even now having worked on the street for 10 years, if someone drags me out my heart goes a clamouring, but when i am doing my own show i am hardly timid!
picking a volunteer is a temporamental skill, you gotta have an instinctive sense, but sometimes that doesn't work...
i think most of all we can't blame them...after all why should they do what we ask?!! I found that the best way is to get them to do something that they can achieve, give them the gift of success, especially if you have been taking the piss out of them for a while, they go away not looking useless...oh i have to go now and eat some toast...

**Evan Young** · Oct-06-2002, 11:10 PM

you need to make your volounteer look good. They should be the hero, especially if they are a child. Be playfull, give them a round of applause when you bring them out, make them feel like you like them and that everyone else likes them.
During the begining of my show I'm looking out for people that look like they would be fun. Generally I pick young (late teens/early twenties) guys that look like they have a lot of confidence and are laughing at my jokes. I've noticed that a lot of these guys are watching my show with their really hot girlfriend of somthing. I used to pick cute girls and hit on them, but it made me look like a creep at times so I changed it.

**stickman** · Oct-09-2002, 04:44 PM

For me the trick has always been to make them feel great about themselves no matter how stupid it seems to them at the time. I like them to know that they are essential to the show, and "deserve" the respect of the audience. Of course this works best if the audience gives them applause and support "I" feel they deserve. I expect some of volunteers to attempt to upstage me, in fact some of my routines demand it to really work well. My current show uses 10-15+ volunteers from the audience. 5 to start the show, and 5 for the finale. My current challenge is trying to get my German volunteers and audience to understand what I actually want them to do. Mostly mimed at the moment. So far it's been fun, and definitly a comedy of errors. Truthfully this can be my favorite type of show, since you are constantly learning from it. Who knows I might even learn the language if I keep it up long enough.

Stickman

weeble.org

http://www.weeble.org

**scot** · Oct-10-2002, 08:30 PM

DK,
To get people to do things,
It has to benifit them and they need to recieve a reward for every risk they take.

If you want someone in a karate stance, play "do as I do". You don't even have to give them commands. You do something simple like put your arm at your waste then stare at them until they follow suit. Take a bow. They take a bow. The audience cheers. Put one foot forward... etc.

++++

Have you ever seen non-hot chicks, ethan?

Scot

Unresponsive Volunteers

Unresponsive Volunteers

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