I am often asked, “How many shows do you have going on?” And my default answer is “Always at least four”…I don’t mean four different projects or clients; I mean always at least four shows in one: 1. The Show I Do for Myself; 2. The Show I Do as Part of a Team; 3. The Show I Do for my Client; and 4. The Show I Do for The Audience. Keeping these “four shows” in balance isn’t always easy, and sometimes they are downright contradictory. But getting really clear on what the “win” is for each of them and reviewing a project using that measure after the fact is really fundamental for me. I find the “four show theory” keeps my work balanced, the needs of the team I’m part of acknowledged, my clients well served and makes sure my ultimate employer, the audience, get the best show I can possibly deliver.
—John Featherstone, in “LD-at-Large,” PLSN, February 2015
