To Be or Not to Be Awkward

Today the holidays come to an end. The children go back to school while the adults go back to work. Life sheds the festive glitter and lights; returning to normal.

In the planetarium, this means a dramatic drop in attendance during the weekdays. Although, in the coming weeks, the school groups will begin to filter in, slowly gaining in abundance until the spring is filled with screaming children and careless chaperons staring at their cell phones. But, that is a story for a different day.

With the decrease in attendance, there comes more chances for canceled shows or shows with very few guests. Sometimes a show will simply have either an amorous couple out on a weekday date or a single family playing hooky from school. This can make for either a really amazing or really awkward show.

One would think that a planetarium filled to the brim with enthusiastic learners of science would make the best shows to give for a presenter. While large shows are usually always fun, and the excitement of the audience helps to fuel my energy as a presenter, these shows lack the intimacy of a smaller audience.

Smaller shows are a double-edged sword. When less than 50 people fill the 210-seat planetarium, a show can be really great..... when the audience participates. Sometimes, no matter what you do to try and engage the guests in actively participating, you end up merely giving the show to yourself. Suffice to say, this can be awkward.

Now, I don't blame the audience for this. Personally, I am the type of person that likes to sit in the back of class and not talk or participate other than quietly absorbing the information and taking whatever notes I need. Some audiences are like that. These audiences just want to sit and enjoy the presentation without answering or asking any questions. That's fine. I mean, I always talk to myself anyway.

Conversely to this possible awkwardness, small shows can also be some of the best and most fun shows to give. The smaller audience allows me to take the time to answer more questions or to individually talk to people. Usually, inquisitive kids make these shows great. Kids either want to ask every question in the world or they want to tell you all about everything they know. The energy from the kids can also help encourage the adults to get involved as well. When the show turns into a large discussion instead of merely a presentation....priceless.

The most intimate shows are the ones with just a single family with kids. For these shows, I can sit or kneel near them, and we can go wherever they want in the universe. Kids also love when they get to press the buttons on the iPad I use to control the universe. These kinds of shows are the most rewarding and always remind me why I do what I do.

So, with the holidays ending, I both dread the unavoidable awkwardness and anticipate the engaging intimacy of the ensuing smaller shows.

Either way, I get to talk about space stuff. All is good.