When Should You Walk Out On a Show?

Last week I walked out on a show for the first time in my 20+ year career.

I’ll never forget the phone call from my wife which led to my decision. I really had no choice but to leave.

I explained the situation to my client as best as I could and raced out of the library.

This issue highlights a very difficult topic in our business. Is there ever a time when it’s okay to walk out on a show?

In the past, I’d come close a few times, but last week was my first.

My dog Sophie collapsed at my wife’s feet as she was getting ready for work. When she called me, she was hysterical. Hearing the news that Sophie had died suddenly, I knew there was no way I could get through my performance.

To be fair, my clients were more than understanding. They even sent me a sympathy card a couple of days ago.

So, a family emergency like I just described is surely cause for leaving a show.

But are there other times?

I can’t answer that for you. It really depends on the situation and how important your career is to you.

Another performer whom I deeply respect once told me of a time when he was performing at a library for teens. The group was incredibly disrespectful to him. It reached a point where he decided to pack it in.

“It seems you’re not enjoying this show,” he said before simply packing up and leaving.

I’ve had a few performances like that in the past. I never threw in the towel but came close a few times.

What’s your breaking point? How disrespectful would the audience have to be before you called it quits?

I recall a time in Newark, NJ when I came close. The school had booked me for a show the previous month that had gone reasonably well. They booked me again the following month and the difference was night and day.

The kids were openly ignoring me. Every technique I tried fell to deaf ears. I couldn’t explain it. It was demoralizing.

Afterward, the counselor who had hired me explained that at my last show, the principal had been present. She ruled with an iron fist and the kids knew how to behave. During the following visit, the principal had been out sick, and the kids knew. The difference was incredible.

I stuck that one out too.

What about a complete disregard for what you need to perform your show?

Another school had me perform in a hockey rink. The principal originally wanted to have the audience in the stands watching the show from above. I was incredulous.

“My shows are highly interactive,” I explained. “How am I going to get kids down to help during the show?”

Eventually they placed about half the audience on the floor with me. I stuck that one out too.

What about situations when your equipment gets damaged?

A friend of mine once related a story to me involving a student on the spectrum.

During the show, this student charged up onstage, grabbed my friend’s prop, and tore it apart to “see how it worked.”

Not a single adult helped my friend. Since he has a child on the spectrum, he’s a little more understanding than most. My friend stuck it out and finished the gig as best he could.

Everyone reading this is going to have a different opinion on when it may be appropriate to end a show or completely walk out on a gig. It is a deeply personal thing that each of us must decide for ourselves.

My objective with this issue of the newsletter is not to establish a policy for anyone else reading this. I only intend to provoke thought and discussion.

Ultimately, it’s a decision every performer has to make for themselves.

Before last week, I had considered what would have to happen in order for me to walk out on a gig. My advice? Take a little time for yourself to ponder this question for yourself.

It just might make that fateful day, if it ever happens, a little easier.

Have a great week!

--Cris

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