Thanks for coming to the show. Both of you.

I did a show the other night where there were 6 comedians and four people in the audience. It's usually optimal, in this business, if there are more audiences members than comedians. But hey, that doesn't always happen, and because I am a professional, I went out and did a show.

But it's weird with that few people. The dynamic is definitely different. In a bigger group, more people will laugh, and then others laugh along. With such a small number, you might only make 1-2 people laugh, and that's not enough to create momentum to bring the others along. If anything, it works in reverse. There's not the same anonymity in the audience, so everyone can see what the other people find funny. People can be self-conscious about what they laugh at.

Plus, in such a small group, audience members are more likely to get, um, conversational. Sometimes I will talk to people in the audience, ask them a question-- where are you from, do you have kids, can I have some money-- you know. And in the small setting, people are far more likely to ask me questions back. Not their fault - to be fair, that's the risk you take when you ask questions. But sometimes people keep going-- they keep on asking me questions. "Where are you from? Do you have kids? Do you live in the city?" Sometimes it's a little jarring, but then the whole experience, performing for a tiny audience, is a little that way.

My gig for the high school kids was cancelled. Apparently a member of the group saw another one of my shows and decided that we (me and one of my friends) "were not a good fit for their event." And I already got the grommits in my earlobes! Oh well...