The Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance

When you need to get spects physically activated, a little good-natured guilt can get them to do something without instructing them.

After the party, Meera is doing dishes and chatting with her friend Grace who is sitting idly by. She mock-scolds her friend, “Hey, lazybones. It’s my birthday. You aren’t going to make me do these dishes all by myself, are you?”

The key is to keep the tone light and playful. If you have a negative attitude or are passive-aggressive, spects are less inclined to join in. If you seem truly bothered, spects may worry that they’ve done something wrong. Done in a good-natured way, a mild bit of guilt can motivate the spect to join in an activity.