They will kiss or shake hands and abruptly move in opposite directions still wearing those fresh affections unselfconsciously on their faces. A wise teacher told me it is impossible to practise one s instrument knowing that even one person is listening. That very awareness changes a practise into a performance. From that teacher s perspective it is a problem from a performer s perspective it is an enlightenment. Being good live begins with an awareness of a relationship with the audience.
Stagecraft is about controlling the relationship.
All of stagecraft s technical skills, with light and sound, colour and movement, are only meaningful inasmuch as they serve to communicate that offer to share one s experience in engagement with a song, a drama, a joke or a dance. We make the hazy assumption that the rehearsal process is the appropriate preparation for performance. Appropriate, yes sufficient, no. We can only perform what we have practised and if that didn t include getting comfortable with being watched and listened to by other people, including strangers, the sheer social stress can diminish the experience and compromise the performance. So it s extremely helpful for preparation to include some performance simulation.