By Céleste Vanautgaerden. Céleste is studying in the 6th secondary of Steiner school The Sundial. In this school, students have a week-long internship every year, each time with two feet somewhere in the world. For a week, she actively joined Inspinazie on the job, mainly at TIM. In this blog, she shares some of her impressions and, in particular, how strikingly different she found the audiences.
A week's stay at House Inspinazie
I sat in the front row several times last week in performances of Inspinazie, where I heard people in the audience thinking, "What's that one doing here? Wow, that one is really young? Who does that belong to?" Well, I'm Céleste, and I joined this fun and sociable group of people. I watch, observe and enjoy the performances. You are probably jealous because I have had the opportunity to live in the Inspina House this week. I have seen what goes on around and around Inspinazie.
Internship in a company with ideals
At school, we were instructed to look for a place for an idealistic internship. "Find a place where they put their ideal and their vision the world, and see how they go about it." That wasn't a difficult search, because I did know a place where they have a beautiful ideal and where I might have been welcome. For five days I went out with the cozy gang of Inspinazie, traveled the country with them, only to come home with a head full of impressions and ideas. A bomb of inspiration it was, this week. I also got to follow all sides and aspects. It went from performances, to workshops, to preparations to post-performance discussions. All so interesting and so instructive.
One audience is not the other
What struck me was how different the audiences were. How big the difference is between a group of bank employees and a group of gestalt therapists, even though we are all human beings. Some audiences are so excited that they spring into action before the assignment is even explained, while others prefer to say as little as possible and crawl as far to the back of the room as possible.
Fortunately, we are dealing with improvisers* here, because they can do a thing or two, of adapting. Every audience is different, just as every assignment is different. Even if it is about the same theme, it still turns out differently, because the voice of the audience is listened to. What situation do they want to see performed, what do they find difficult and want to have staged?
As an audience, some scenes will have you laughing your ass off, as Inspinazie manages to tackle each topic in a lighthearted, yet serious way, and tailored to whoever is sitting in front of them.
Giving players and getting players
Moreover, I saw everything from two sides, from the audience, but also from the dressing room. What did the improvisers themselves think about it? What is important to them? Because audience and players need each other. They bring a strong scene, but that is only possible if the audience brings in enough. The audience laughs and is grateful, and that gives the player satisfaction. Thus the circle is then complete.
Improvisation: a way of life
An internship in which I learned so much on so many levels. I learned more about improvisation. Improvisation is more than just theater, it's a way of life, a philosophy. I learned about human behavior, about what people are afraid of, how they react to certain situations. But also about how audiences differ depending on the environment in which they work. Whether you're working with bank employees, healthcare interns, cleaning staff or therapists, you're working with people. And those groups of people differ, so it's important to make the right connection with each group.
In any case, I really enjoyed this internship, and hope Inspinazie continues to do what they do best: inspire people with the improvisation philosophy in an experiential and relaxing way.
*n.v.d.r. Until now, we have alternately called ourselves improvisers, improvisation players, improvisation actors, ... without too much enthusiasm about any of these designations. And now, during her internship, Céleste gave us a new word that we like, merci! *improvisers*
