The Blue Man Show

Yesterday I went to see the Blue Man Group.
I never really seen them performing before so I didn’t know what to expect, except that it was supposed to be very, very good. I have to admit I had a bit higher expectations for this widely acclaimed show but it was good and worth seeing.

I was stunned how simple (but clever) tricks made people laugh… The audience was going crazy seeing actors’ simple moves and gestures. I realized that you don’t need to do much to make people laugh. Simplicity is the key. The only think the actors had to do was to move funny, not to talk and not to smile… Actually not smiling and keeping their face straight made blue men look exotic and like aliens and maybe that’s why people loved it so much.?

However, I was impressed with the great actors-audience interaction. Without spoken words the blue men were able to communicate and capture the audience. They knew how to work and they made audience be part of the whole show.

For me, Blue Men were also good in creating and building anticipation. Many times during  the show I was thinking: “what are they going to do now…, are they really going to do it”…?”

While watching the show I was thinking about Charlie Chaplin and how he too was able to communicate, entertain and tell stories using only movement, gesture and sound.  I realized  that you don’t need many “ingredients” to create a powerful and thrilling show. You just need the right combination…..
It also reminded me that I often forget how important is sound to the whole experience….

Another important element of the show was getting audience to move and awakening their “touch” senses. I don’t want to give away too much and not to ruin it for people who haven’t seen it before, but I have to say that was the high point of the show… (Although it make me think about waste…. I hope they do recycle…)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RamNJn9jXk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM-mfEMssy8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqinuidaj-E

Visual Thesaurus

As you know I’m interested in words, dictionaries and contexticons….
I found this site which offers an interactive and very cool mind map/visual thesaurus. It’s easy to use and it gives many information about specific words, ect…

You can subscribe or run a free trial. It’s fun. Check it out:

http://www.visualthesaurus.com/

Manwatching

I finally started going through the pile of books I got myself for this summer. Here are some of my favorites:

Manwatching: A Field Guide to Human Behavior
by Desmond Morris

I couldn’t take my eyes of this book once I check it out of the library… I was even walking through the street looking through it!!! (it’s quite heavy but magnetic!)

It is “old” (70’s) but excellent book that easy and fun to read. I was very excited to read it and it realized that I’m very interested in psychology and sociology, which is not only necessary in my work but if everyday life.  This book clearly explains how people use various types of gesture ( I didn’t know there was so many), non verbal signals, facial expressions, body postures, symbols, etc.  to communicate or not with others.

Nonverbal Communication in Interpersonal Relations
by Virginia P. Richmond, James C. McCroskey, Steven K. Payne

I found this book also very informative and interesting. The authors gave many examples of non verbal communications techniques and stuff.  The authors look also at many social and cultural factors that influence the communication between people.

They mention a research done on time and people’s attitudes toward it…. Surprisingly to me, Boston was the place where time goes faster than in any other place in the world, even New York!!!

(I know everything goes fast here, I see myself always being “busy” and rushing from place to place. Recently, I’ve noticed I’m getting very upset when people walk slowly on the side walk and I can’t pass them by but I always thought nothing can beat New York New York)

Anyway, the researchers compared speed of people walking on the street, people having/checking their watches, time in which the mail gets delivered, orders processed, etc…. With it, according to the researches comes the highest percentage of people with heart deceases right here in Boston.

So stay cool and don’t freak out on people on the sidewalk on while driving….
Check out those books if you get a chance.

Non-verbal communication Master

Thinking about non-verbal communication I looked back at its master.

Charlie Chaplin is considered of  the best mimes and performers ever.

His acting was understood and appreciated around the world. In the  time of the silent movie era, he was able to tell explicit story using only his body, gesture and facial expressions.

This is my favorite scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0aUJHF746s

It reminds me  a little bit of my “Tell me a secret” game.