Martin Short is quite possibly the funniest person on earth. I recently attended his one-man show, and he kept the audience in stitches for 90 minutes.
But not everything went according to plan. A video that was supposed to cover one of his costume changes failed to play, and his piano player's monitor went out during a comedic duet causing an abrupt end to the routine.
Beyond that, I learned something from this veteran performer about how to respond when technical glitches happen during a live presentation, as they inevitably do. In both cases, he incorporated the events into his act, distracting attention from the annoying interruption and redirecting it back to comedy.
I have seen (and sometimes made) these unhelpful responses to technical snafus. Whatever you do, don't—
- Comment on every little glitch. If you don't call attention to a minor problem, few people will notice. Most of the time you can ignore it and keep moving.
- Ignore conditions that make your audience uncomfortable. When the A/C goes out and they're fanning themselves with business cards, you need to let the audience know you're aware of the problem. Let the audience know you're aware of conditions that affect your performance and their enjoyment.
- Stop speaking and glare at the sound guy. Blame doesn't help people perform under pressure. Cast your comments in first person, and people will be forgiving. ("I'm sorry that happened. We're working on it.") Take responsibility for the overall quality of your presentation.
- Pause too long for a solution. Standing around waiting for the engineers only makes you look less competent. Forget the video, grab another mic, and keep moving.
What is the worst tech problem you've faced, and how did you handle it?
