the Way of the Showman

What if imagination isn't just fantasy, but the very faculty that brings our world into existence? In this philosophical deep dive, we explore the fifth and final criteria of play: that it is imaginative and improvisational.Unlike previous episodes in this series, I'm not arguing that imagination benefits performers—that connection is self-evident. Instead, we're examining imagination as the arena where showmanship unfolds. From the initial creative impulse to the finished performance, imagination pulls things into existence, transforming fleeting ideas into tangible reality. Whether I'm developing a kung-fu card routine or connecting with fellow artists like Ben Hart, imagination is both the process and the destination.Drawing on Samuel Taylor Coleridge's profound distinction between "fancy" (mere recombination of existing elements) and true "imagination" (the fundamental creation of reality), we discover how performers participate in something approaching the sacred. When Coleridge describes imagination as "a repetition in the finite mind of the eternal act of creation," he's elevating our creative work beyond entertainment into genuine co-creation with reality itself.The space where imagination thrives best is what poet David Whyte calls "just beyond yourself"—that frontier between inner and outer worlds where we momentarily forget ourselves and are restored by what we meet. Here, in this conversational intercourse with reality, true freedom emerges. Through improvisation, we learn to trust our impulses, revealing ourselves to ourselves through the choices we make.What distinguishes a shopping mall clown wearing a plastic wig from a transcendent artist like Slava Polunin? One remains a shallow collage of clown elements; the other creates a living entity that reveals deeper truths. Intelligence—from the Latin "inter" (between) and "legere" (to choose)—means choosing wisely between options, the very heart of improvisation and imagination.As we conclude this exploration of play and showmanship, remember that we play "because it's fun, because we want to do it for its own sake and our own sake, and because we love to explore the rules of all possible ways of relating." In play, we find our fullest expression as human beings.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

The delicate dance between performer and audience reveals itself as we explore the self-motivated, voluntary nature of play in this deep dive into showmanship. Drawing from personal experiences during the pandemic and inspired by observing children at play, Captain Frodo uncovers how true connection emerges when audience members move from passive viewing to active participation.At first glance, the power imbalance between showman and audience might appear problematic. The performer directs while the audience receives—but this apparent asymmetry holds surprising depth. When handled skillfully, this relationship transforms into something beautiful and reciprocal. The audience's voluntary attendance and attention become gifts, while the performer offers their crafted experience in return.The magical moment occurs when audience members "lean in"—transitioning from mere attention to genuine interest. This pivotal shift marks when they become co-creators rather than spectators. The performer's initial promise hooks their attention, but only when they eagerly anticipate what happens next does the true connection form.Every performance operates within a framework of rules that provide structure while allowing for creative freedom. The establishment of these rules—and their strategic breaking—creates the foundation for comedy, surprise, and meaningful engagement. Understanding these rules allows meaning to emerge not as something delivered by the performer, but as something that happens dynamically in the shared space between performer and audience.The ultimate goal extends beyond entertainment. When audiences fully participate in this dance of showmanship, they carry the experience with them, potentially transforming how they view the world long after the show ends. This is the true power of showmanship—creating moments that resonate far beyond the confines of the performance space.Ready to deepen your understanding of performance and play? Subscribe now and join us as we continue exploring the transformative way of the showman.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

What happens when we lose touch with play, friendship, and authentic human connection? This episode dives into the surprising links between playfulness, friendliness, and showmanship – revealing how these seemingly "purposeless" activities might be the very foundation of what makes us human.I explore Belyaev's groundbreaking fox experiment, which demonstrated something remarkable: when researchers bred foxes solely for friendliness, playfulness emerged spontaneously without being selected for. This suggests these traits may be facets of the same evolutionary adaptation – our innate drive to connect meaningfully with others.The conversation takes a sobering turn as we examine the concept of "play deficit" – the documented decline in children's free play since the 1960s that correlates disturbingly with skyrocketing rates of anxiety, depression, and even suicide among young people. Could our efficiency-obsessed culture be robbing children of something essential to their development?This leads us to consider a parallel concept: "show deficiency." Using the COVID pandemic as a natural experiment, we look at what happened when humans couldn't gather for performances, cultural events, and community celebrations. The resulting 25% increase in mental health struggles suggests these seemingly frivolous activities might be as necessary as food and shelter.Throughout the episode, I challenge the capitalist notion that values only productivity and efficiency. What if Hobbes was wrong about human nature? What if we're not naturally selfish and cruel, but instead born to learn, bond, and play? Our cultural expressions – from singing around campfires to magic shows – might not be diversions from "real life" but expressions of our deepest nature.Join me as we reimagine what truly matters and discover how embracing the apparently purposeless might be the key to living fully human lives.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

There's a profound paradox at the heart of play – we're told it's "apparently purposeless," yet this very quality might reveal its deepest value. This episode dives into the second criteria of play and examines how it mirrors the essence of showmanship in fascinating ways.When we attend a circus show, comedy performance, or music festival, we don't go primarily to learn something or accomplish a task. We go to have a good time – to experience life fully in the moment. Yet society has conditioned us to view such experiences as frivolous, less valuable than "productive" activities. The Protestant work ethic and educational systems have trained us to be suspicious of enjoyment, to dismiss it as "mere entertainment" without serious purpose.This dismissal of pleasure as a worthy purpose is precisely what creates the illusion that play is purposeless. When we recognize that experiencing joy is itself a profound purpose, the apparent purposelessness dissolves. As Tolkien's Gandalf wisely notes, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time given us." Filling our limited time with experiences that make existence enjoyable seems not just reasonable but essential.George Saunders' epiphany about Kurt Vonnegut's work provides a perfect parallel – he discovered that profound truths could be communicated through humor and accessibility, challenging his assumption that "great writing was hard reading." Vonnegut's toilet-plunger aliens conveyed more about the absurdity of war than many serious treatises. Similarly, JF Martel's distinction between art that astonishes versus didactic art designed to teach specific lessons shows how the most transformative experiences often appear to lack obvious purpose.When performers focus primarily on delivering messages rather than creating authentic shared experiences, audiences sense this ulterior motive. Captain Frodo shares a personal example of his own show being rejected by educators but chosen by students, demonstrating how authentic playfulness creates experiences that resonate deeply even when – or perhaps because – they appear purposeless.Ready to bring more playfulness into your life and performances? Subscribe to The Way of the Showman and explore how embracing the "purposeless" quality of play might unlock your most meaningful creative expressions and life experiences.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

Have you ever wondered why some performances captivate you completely while others leave you checking your watch? The secret might lie in the ancient art of play.In this expansive exploration of showmanship through metaphor, Captain Frodo delves into the profound connection between performance and play. Drawing on both philosophical underpinnings from Aristotle to modern cognitive scientists like Lakoff and Johnson, this episode reveals how metaphorical thinking shapes our reality—not just in language, but in thought and action.At the heart of this discussion is a powerful insight: successful showmanship transforms audiences from experiencing clock time (Kronos) to being fully present in experiential time (Kairos). When performers approach their craft playfully—keeping their audience's experience central, making presentations gripping rather than boring, and inviting participation rather than merely demonstrating skills—they create those magical moments when everyone stops and thinks, "Oh my god, this is it, I get it."The episode unpacks the first of five criteria of play—that it's fun, enjoyable, and something we don't want to end—demonstrating how this maps perfectly onto the performer-audience relationship. Both audience and performer enter a sacred space where ordinary objects and actions take on extraordinary significance, creating a shared experience that benefits everyone involved.Whether you're a performer seeking deeper connections with your audience or simply fascinated by the psychology behind captivating experiences, this episode offers fresh insights into how metaphorical thinking transforms our understanding of performance arts. These aren't abstract musings but practical approaches that can elevate any presentation from merely impressive to genuinely transformative.Subscribe to The Way of the Showman to continue this journey through the metaphorical landscape of performance and discover how embracing play might be the most serious thing a performer can do.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

What if embracing play could transform not only our perception of reality but also the world we live in? Join me, Captain Frodo, as we embark on a whimsical exploration of the intrinsic connection between play and showmanship. Together, we’ll question whether play unearths pre-existing truths or crafts entirely new perspectives. Drawing inspiration from cultural phenomena like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and thinkers such as Huitzinger, we’ll investigate how play might be the cornerstone of human constructs like law, art, and philosophy. This episode is an invitation to broaden your understanding of play as a key to unlocking human creativity, growth, and cultural evolution.Next, we journey into the vibrant and surreal world of carnivals, inspired by Bruce Caron's book, "Inside the Live Reptile Tent." Imagine a realm where laughter and play serve as tools to conquer fear, much like an emotional boot camp. The mythopoetic nature of carnivals offers us a unique blend of reality and imagination, transforming them into metaphors for our own playful yet profound journeys. We'll reflect on the allure and deception of sideshows, questioning their authenticity and exploring how they encapsulate our deepest desires and dreams. Through the lens of both popular culture and personal experience, we'll unravel the carnival as a living testament to the power of imagination.To wrap things up, we delve into the raw and sometimes controversial power of carnival attractions, reflecting on my personal experiences in uncovering the delicate balance between reality and performance. The intimate nature of sideshows provides a profound connection with audiences, challenging societal norms and inviting us to engage with the world in new and meaningful ways. I’ll share why staying "alive on the inside" through curiosity and social interaction is crucial for any performer and how embracing play can fuel creativity and authenticity. By connecting deeply with our craft, we redefine showmanship, unlocking new dimensions of joy and creativity in both our performances and our lives.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

What if the most profound aspects of human experience—from religious ritual to artistic expression—have their roots in play? In this thought-provoking exploration of serious play, Captain Frodo challenges the false dichotomy between seriousness and importance, revealing how playful engagement offers access to deeper realities than solemn endeavors often can.Drawing on Plato's assertion that "life must be lived as play," we explore how imaginal play allows us to embody different identities and perspectives, transforming how we experience the world. When a child becomes Zorro or a martial artist imagines standing in flowing water, they're not merely pretending—they're accessing genuine transformative experiences that reveal aspects of reality otherwise hidden.The connections between play, ritual, and religion run deeper than most realize. Scholars like Johan Huizinga have shown how ritual creates a "magic circle" where different rules apply—much like the stage creates a space of possibility for performers. This understanding elevates performance art from "mere entertainment" to a profound human activity that creates shared realities and offers new ways of being.For performers, this perspective transforms how we approach our craft. Rather than apologizing for being "just entertainers," we can confidently assert that art forms the axis around which human culture revolves. By taking play seriously—recognizing its power to transform perspectives and access deeper truths—we honor the profound importance of what we do and strengthen our connection with audiences.Whether you're a performer seeking deeper meaning in your work or simply curious about the hidden importance of play in human experience, this episode offers transformative insights that will change how you see both playfulness and purpose.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

What if our capacity for play is not just a quirk of evolution but a fundamental way we grasp reality? Much like sight reveals color and hearing reveals sound, could play be a sense that unveils essential dimensions of existence otherwise hidden from us?Captain Frodo challenges us to reconsider the nature and value of play beyond its utilitarian functions. While science often explains play through its evolutionary benefits—practice for hunting, social bonding, developing cognitive flexibility—these explanations miss something crucial: the joy of play itself. When we watch a crow repeatedly sliding down a snowy roof on a plastic lid, flying back up only to slide down again, we witness something more than adaptive behavior. We glimpse a consciousness experiencing pleasure in the moment.The episode draws heavily from Johan Huizinga's groundbreaking work "Homo Ludens," exploring how play predates human culture and may well be the foundation from which our entire civilization emerged. Law, war, philosophy, art, religion—all these domains of human achievement might have their roots in playful behavior. If so, dismissing play as unimportant or merely instrumental severely limits our understanding of what makes us human.This perspective reframes our relationship with reality itself. The playful approach to the world isn't an escape from what's real but an engagement with a different facet of it. When we play, we're not just entertaining ourselves—we're accessing a dimension of reality that our purely logical or utilitarian approaches cannot reach. This has profound implications for how we teach, learn, and solve problems.As this episode marks the conclusion of an extended exploration of play, Captain Frodo invites us to recognize ourselves—especially artists, performers, and "misfits"—as the embodiments of homo ludens, the playful human. In our play, we're not just having fun; we're revealing essential truths about reality itself.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

What makes something "serious" and why do we automatically equate seriousness with importance? In this thought-provoking journey through linguistic history, educational systems, and cultural hierarchies, Captain Frodo reveals how the very concept of seriousness has been weaponized as a tool for social control.Diving into Alan White's groundbreaking essay "The Dismal Sacred Word," we discover how the first dictionaries deliberately created distinctions between "high" and "low" language, with lasting consequences for how we value different forms of expression. The exploration continues through the Protestant-influenced school systems that physically separated "serious" indoor learning from "unimportant" outdoor play—a division that continues to shape our understanding of value today.From the marginalization of play to the struggles of artists seeking legitimacy, this episode exposes how arbitrary yet powerful these distinctions really are. Why did the Impressionists have to fight so hard to be taken seriously? Why do circus performers and magicians still battle for cultural recognition? The answer lies in understanding that "there is no intrinsic link at all" between solemn seriousness and genuine importance.For anyone who has felt their passions dismissed as trivial or unimportant, this episode offers both validation and liberation. By recognizing how seriousness has been socially constructed, we can begin questioning these false hierarchies and reclaiming the profound value of play, joy, and creative expression. What if the most important things in life aren't serious at all?Listen now to challenge everything you thought you knew about what really matters, and discover why play might be the most serious business of all.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

What if your work felt like play? What if that seemingly childish question—"What would you do if money was no object?"—actually held the key to living without regret?Captain Frodo takes us on a profound journey through the false separation between play and work that dominates adult life. Drawing wisdom from philosophers Johann Huizinga and John Dewey alongside mystical thinker Alan Watts, this episode challenges our cultural assumptions about what constitutes "serious" pursuits.The exploration reveals how children's play—far from frivolous—represents deep, meaningful engagement with the world. This "serious play" serves as their work, their way of understanding themselves and their place in society. Meanwhile, adults often abandon play for "work" defined by external rewards rather than intrinsic satisfaction, creating lives split between obligation and enjoyment.Most poignantly, we confront the five most common regrets of the dying, with the top regret being failing to live authentically rather than meeting others' expectations. This reveals the potential consequences of abandoning our playful nature for socially prescribed paths.Through evolutionary perspectives showing childhood's increasing importance in human development and philosophical insights about integrating play and work, Captain Frodo offers a compelling vision: work permeated with the play attitude becomes art—and potentially, the foundation of a life without regret.Ready to reconsider the role of play in your life and work? This episode might change how you view what truly matters. Follow @thewayoftheshowman on Instagram and share this episode with someone searching for more meaning in their daily pursuits.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo