A follow-up thought about greeting the performer after performing

Back on November 29th, I posted a link to a blog post urging audience members to greet performers after their performances.  A reader recently posted a comment that got my gears turning and consequently led to yet another one of my crazy ideas.  Are you ready for it? 

Sugar Vendil states, "when you're big, obviously people want to go backstage! but if you're still new i think it really helps to take the initiative to go out and talk to people."  This reader has a very good point.  And when I really think about it, expecting the audience to go out of their way to find me and to pat me on the back seems a bit, well, ostentatious especially since I am not one of thos performers that fits into the "big" category.  And these days, since going backstage doesn't seem to fit into the 21st-century audience's culture, it is just downright depressing to expect and crave it.  There is nothing sadder than standing in a green room after a performance, pumped full of adrenaline, on a performance high, waiting for someone, anyone, to come by and offer any bit of praise. 

So what can we do?  This is where my crazy idea sets in so watch out!  At the end of the performance, why do we performers have to walk off the stage?  Do we really have to do that?  What do we do have to do off-stage that is really so important?  Maybe we could give that up and instead, take our final bow and then graciously step into the audience, greet them, and thank them for coming.  After all, without them, there would be no reason for our music-making.  I suppose this might make some people a little uncomfortable, both performers and audience members alike but that's true with anything so I say what the heck,  what do we have to lose? 

Hmmm...I think I like this idea.  Now I have to just convince someone to try it with me.  Any volunteers?