The event I attended tonight had six out-of-state storytellers performing for a mostly Utah County audience. The performers were well aware of the predominant religion in the area. This type of setup often produces an interesting phenomenon. Here's how it works.
Out-of-state performer: Hmm. I wonder in what ways I need to tailor, or even censor my material? Will this audience understand worldly references, or do I need to just talk about jello and large families and BYU?
Utah audience: We're going to prove to this performer that we do understand worldly references! It's not like our predominant religion is weird or anything. Mitt Romney was almost the President! We can laugh at these jokes, because we get them and they're not too offensive. Heck, I lived out of state for two years when I was 19-21! We get these performers!
Out-of-state performer: OK, I said something about coffee and they didn't freak out. And I am getting a LOT of laughs. Maybe this audience is OK after all.
Utah audience: See? We're OK after all! And we laugh at your jokes. A LOT! We'll be the best audience you've ever performed for!
Out-of-state performer: OK, at first I was really into this audience, but now they're laughing after every single sentence I say, whether it's funny or not. I have to be polite and not point that out, but it's weird. Kind of creepy. Why are they doing this?
Utah audience: We can't stop laughing! Why are we still laughing? Is he even still talking? This is getting weird and kind of creepy. Why are we doing this? We can't stop laughing!
Seriously, I've witnessed this very thing every year of this festival--especially on the opening night. But next year we'll prove ourselves all over again!
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