Finding balance: a brief note to remind myself to expand this later.
Given the opportunity to create and execute a theatrical séance in the most famous haunted hotel in the world, how do i find an entertaining and ethical balance in this performance?
The goals are …
1) Have a kick-ass show. I will accept nothing less.
2) Make sure the audience (who are paying $100 a ticket for this experience) are satisfied with the value of the show.
3) The Hotel must be happy with the content. They want the deep history of the hotel well represented.
4) The client must be happy with the content. He wants a magical, mysterious show that borders on the real, but no overt ‘magic tricks’.
5) With a show like this, it can be easy for audience members to slip into a near religious belief. I’ve watched it happen and, ethically, I want to remain clean. It is far too simple to exploit this situation, so i must keep myself in constant check.
6) I want to give them something they didn’t expect, without destroying the expectations they entered the room in. They want a ‘spooky show’, so they’ll get that, but I want to feed them something substantial, too. Uplift without becoming hokey or perceived as pitching snake oil.
7) I want to earn this blessing.
Challenging, but not daunting.
h