The Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance

 » Invitation to play

Invitation to play

information for the audience about how to become a participant


An invitation to play tells the audience at an interactive performance how participation works. For those who want to play, it clarifies how to volunteer. For those who don’t want to play, it lets them know they won’t be singled out to participate. And for those on the fence, it makes the prospect of volunteering less terrifying by letting them know that they can change their mind.

The invitation to play may appear in marketing materials, on a lobby poster or in the program.

Here’s an example:

YOU ARE INVITED TO PLAY!

In this show, some audience members will play characters on stage.

No one is required to participate.

Anyone, age 18 or older, is welcome to volunteer.

To volunteer to participate, scan the box below with your phone.

[ADD QR CODE HERE].

Participants will only be chosen from the people who volunteer.

If you are chosen, but change your mind, you can decline the invitation.

In this example, audience members are directed to a website where they can sign up using the Volunteer App. Other methods of volunteering can also be found in the entry, How to pick the right spect. A sample invitation to play is included as a part of the downloadable Production files

A clear invitation to play serves everyone—those who want to play, those who don’t, and those who haven’t yet made up their minds.

Updated: August 22, 2024

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Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance