A scene between two characters on the television show “The Bear” that rings so true for me about managing pressure:
Chef Tina asks:
How do you get rid of it (pressure)?
Chef Luca answers:
I think you get to a point where you don’t want to.
At first, the pressure sucks. It makes you feel shitty about what you do.
And actually, that’s just the pressure getting in the way.
You learn to live with it.
And the next thing you know
you thrive on it.
And before you know it,
you can’t wait to get rocked.
You want that pressure.
You need that pressure to be able to perform.
So then the challenge actually becomes
Can you live without that pressure?
My answer:
No. I can’t live without that pressure. I thrive under pressure, too. This is precisely why I do the things I do. I place myself in challenging, uncertain positions and force myself to perform my way out of them.
Pressure. It raises the stakes. Forces me to be at my best. Spurs creativity. Fosters innovation. Demands courage.
Pressure is where I find out how good I can be.
All of this is to also say:
“Matt & Jeni Are Unprepared, the improv storytelling show that features me and my friend, Jeni Bonaldo, onstage, crafting brand new, true stories about our lives based upon audience prompts, is BACK!
Playhouse on Park in West Hartford, CT
Saturday, November 8th at 8:00 PM
Hosted, of course, by Elysha Dicks
It’s absolute pressure. No preparation. No time to craft and refine.
Receive your prompt and tell the story now. As best as you can. In front of hundreds of people.
And it’s a competition, too. After each round, the audience decides whose story is better.
Storyteller versus storyteller.
Storytelling on a tightrope. No net.
I think Chef Luca got it right.
Sometimes you need that pressure to be able to perform
So then the challenge actually becomes:
Can you live without that pressure?
I can’t.
I suspect Jeni can, but she’s brave enough, skilled enough, and brilliant enough to match me story for story, even if she despises the pressure.
I might bully her into these things, too, but she’s always happy after the fact.
I hope you’ll come and watch us eat pressure for breakfast.
And buy your tickets soon. This is our fourth time performing this show, and the last three have been sellouts, with additional seating added for some performances.
Don’t dilly dally. Feel the pressure and buy now.
And the clip from The Bear here.
