★★★★
In the middle of Nicole’s opening monologue an audience member walks in. She immediately met their gaze and gracefully said “it’s all good baby, come on in!” What can be a distracting moment for performers was a moment for Nicole to let them know what she already made her audience feel, warmly welcomed.
Nicole’s warmth sets the stage for leading the audience through a show of interaction and mutual creation.
The audience is asked to write down their fears or a ‘truth or dare’ onto post-its. If the idea is too daunting for some, although it is anonymous, Nicole offers a third option of what to write, which I wont spoil for you, you’ll have to see the show to find out!
It may sound like an intimidating task, but Exposure Therapy masterfully orchestrates the room in a way that allows the vulnerability to flow.
I was lucky enough to have a seat with a view of three women in the front row, who I couldn’t help but notice their warm smiles, as if they were basking in the glow of someone who made them feel less alone.
For Nicole’s response to the first post-it about someone fearful their family will forget them, she shared a story about her relationship to her father. The words were said in a way that one may have thought it was scripted, but that’s what makes Nicole so good – because it wasn’t.
