Last month, I had the pleasure of hosting (and performing in) at Oh Snap! A The 404s improv comedy show. The term 'pleasure' is used with a bit of irony, as the last scene of the show involved myself and co-performer Dylan Hillyer (a very talented actor, musician, etc...check out his Youtube page for some songs) performing blindfolded and barefoot in a stage littered with over 50 live mousetraps.
Instead of worry and fear about getting hurt - and hurt I did, for days - I felt quite giddy and excited instead, both leading up to and during this scene. You can tell by my grin throughout (I really need to work on my poker face - though I like to think I'm a decent-to-good improvisor, I readily admit I'm a horrible actor!). Full disclosure: I do not have masochistic tendencies! I am in fact a pretty big sissy when it comes to pain. Here, watch:
As you can see in the video, I let out some genuine yelps of pain. I ended up with several welts on my arms and legs that I felt for a few days after. Many fans have asked me after shows if I'm really hurt and 'how painful is it?'. The answer is yes, I'm a bit hurt...but it's not too bad and it will pass. I would compare the pain component (both during and after) to getting hit by a paintball, so long as the mousetraps don't clamp on your toes or fingers in a weird spot. But there are two main differences:
Instead of worry and fear about getting hurt - and hurt I did, for days - I felt quite giddy and excited instead, both leading up to and during this scene. You can tell by my grin throughout (I really need to work on my poker face - though I like to think I'm a decent-to-good improvisor, I readily admit I'm a horrible actor!). Full disclosure: I do not have masochistic tendencies! I am in fact a pretty big sissy when it comes to pain. Here, watch:
As you can see in the video, I let out some genuine yelps of pain. I ended up with several welts on my arms and legs that I felt for a few days after. Many fans have asked me after shows if I'm really hurt and 'how painful is it?'. The answer is yes, I'm a bit hurt...but it's not too bad and it will pass. I would compare the pain component (both during and after) to getting hit by a paintball, so long as the mousetraps don't clamp on your toes or fingers in a weird spot. But there are two main differences:
- In paintball, you never know when you might get hit, whether you move or not. The blindfolds create a situation of both knowing that you are very likely to experience pain if you take a step, as well as a tinge of uncertainty and hope that you might miss one. Pain is always dependent upon your action.
- In paintball, you are actively trying to avoid getting hit, and therefore, trying to avoid pain. This is a natural human instinct, and meshes with how the human brain works. In this sense, the mousetrap game messes with your brain. SNAP! An immediate instinct tells you to stop moving, to take off your blindfold, to walk away. Instead you take another step forward, verbally trying to justify the loud yelp you had just let out within the scene. SNAP! You have no choice but to continue. In fact, get snapped in as many ways as possible enhances the 'painful creativity' of the scene. Time to reach down to 'pick a strawberry' or whatever else the cruel suggestion called for. SNAP SNAP SNAP!
So it's a scarier experience than playing paintball, despite the similarity in the type of pain experienced, and the much shorter duration of the activity.
But in those moments, the audience's surreal mixture of shock, joy, and maybe a little bit of awe, just overtook my senses. You feed off of their energy, and nothing else matters. It's my favourite part of performing: giving an audience pleasure by creating a shared experience. Few things feel more satisfying, and if I were offered a financially viable job where I could perform every evening, I would jump on that without hesitation. Until then I'm happy to keep doing this part-time, for love, welts, and pennies.
