Brian McGuigan at the Hugo House responded with a post where he agrees with Cienna on many issues save for two: He believes in starting shows a little late, blaming Seattle for the casual start times; and he thinks readings should start with the most inexperienced reader and then move up, skill-wise, until finally you come to the grand finale.
In this week's Constant Reader, I lay out some rules of my own, after discussing a couple of entertaining readings I attended last week:
Both readings were worth the audience's time, even though each clocked in at well over two hours (and, to be fair, compared to many other readings I've attended, they were positively breezy). But organizers of future readings should be advised that "worth the audience's time" is not the ideal goal when putting a reading together. Group readings should run no longer than one hour and 20 minutes, shooting ideally for the hour mark. It goes without saying that all the readers should have practiced their pieces to the brink of nausea in the weeks before the show, trimming material liberally all the while. And, really: no intermissions, please. After an overlong first half, your audience can be forgiven for fantasizing about fleeing the scene halfway through. The goal, as with any showbiz pursuit, should be to leave them wanting more. That way, people will be more inclined to stick around after the show and get down to what really matters: the drinking.
Here's what I think: Brian's suggestion that readings always start late seems to only apply to the Hugo House. Virtually every other venue I attend—University Book Store, Elliott Bay Book Company, Night School at the Sorrento—starts their readings right on time. It seems to be less of a cultural issue and more of an institutional one to me. And with group readings, I believe that mixing the more experienced readers with the less experienced readers makes for a better performance, although I think you should end with your best reader. Unless you feature a band, your reading is never going to be a rock show, and rock show rules shouldn't apply. At readings, the crowds are more polite—I disagree with Cienna about heckling; I think heckling has no place in a reading, unless you're at a slam—the setting is going to be quieter, and you should appreciate your audience's patience and attention, instead of challenging it.
