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Solo performers had distinct and interesting responsibilities as compared with performance groups.
First, as a solo performer, they had time to shine while in the performance. They did not have to share the stage with anyone and if the show was a success it was all because of them. They were able to expand their careers easier because their success was not dependent on others. They also didn't have to share any of the profits from the show with anyone but themselves, which increased their abilities to earn and stay in business.
Being a solo performer made logistics like travel much easier to deal with. They could travel on their own schedule, it was cheaper to house them and easier to mooch if they needed to. They didn't have to worry about any one else's preferences and could go wherever they wanted to go without other considerations. That provided them with a great amount of freedom in picking their performances.
There was also a lot of protesting and negative attention from anti-theatrical groups. Being solo, they were lower on the radar from those groups because they weren't 'troupes' and could skirt any attention from them. Being able to avoid those anti-theatrical groups also allowed for higher attendance at their shows since people weren't afraid of negative repercussion from the groups that they might face by attending shows of a troupe in the groups' sights.
With those types of advantages, its a wonder that any performer worked in a group.
Gesture is always something important to consider when ever you are in new situations. I emphasize gestures in my public speaking classes to make sure my students are aware of what they are doing. It is easy to forget what you are doing and to make inappropriate gestures that undermine what you are trying to convey. Learning to control gestures was important for Renaissance writers as well.
Gesture served as a gate keeping exercise in society. It helped to distinguish between the nouveau riche and the new money. Since society required different social graces (like a courtesy) in higher settings. These gestures when performed over a lifetime were smooth and fluid, but when performed by a new comer (new money) they were jerky or awkward. So those in society could tell the difference between the two groups simply based upon their gestures.
Gestures are also an important way to train and discipline your body. That discipline shows control and dedication to an action. Free control of the body has been a deterrent factor in society for a long time and still is today. When a person shows control and discipline of the body they are showing that they are capable of that discipline in other areas of their life. It makes them more trustworthy and more capable in the eyes of another. That control can provide more opportunities.
The disciplined control of gesture also shows a deeper passion for the work being presented. The gesture represents more than simply the raw emotion that can control the performance if its not kept in check. The gesture helps to amplify the emotion within the performance and directs that emotion into a fluid and specific direction. It actually increased the purposeful emotions and the passion of the performance.
So even today, gesture is an important factor in showing control and discipline and for creating that mood of entitlement. Without proper gestures, your message can become strained and unrecognizable and could have the opposite effect on your audience.
