A little bit louder and a little bit more intense. Another 12 hours of improv madness straight today (actually a little longer as I started improvising at 11am and left the theatre at around midnight). The real big difference this time is I was actually improvising in workshops instead of just watching it this time.
Got a chance to take two pretty kick ass workshops from two amazing gurus (if I dare use the term) this morning. The real interesting thing was these two workshops were just about the farthest things away from each other you can get in improv (well at least on the surface).
The first workshop was all about playing from Gut reactions and lead by Kevin Mullaney. Really a very interesting workshop that I wished was about an hour longer as with the number of people we only got to scratch the surface. It was all about observing your scene partner and reacting instantly to whatever feeling you got from them and then playing off the new feelings that arose from that initial reaction. Interesting stuff.
Next was a workshop on power improv by Joe Bill. If you ever get the chance take a class/workshop/whatever with this man do it. The class really focused on starting strong and playing stronger. The basic idea behind the workshop was immediately snapping into character once your foot touched the stage. Everything in improv in funneled through your character's point of view: How you do things (How you do what you do is who you are). Some of the better improv I've done in a while and loads of talented people in the class. Also really about not dropping the shit you start out with scene - everything your partner does and offers still allows for change, but it's more about adapting what you have instead of abandoning it.
All in all both were absolutely great.
I have to say the Marathon this year has been pretty fun and watching the sheer number of shows has really crystallized for me the type of improv I enjoy watching the most (and want to end up doing).
First and foremost I love watching ensembles who seem to be literally playing with/for each other on stage. It's a hard think to describe if you haven't seen it, but basically it's the people who are clearly having a blast improvising with the other people on stage. You can tell by the smiles on the faces of the people on the back line (and sometimes even in the looks of the people in the scenes) as they are actually enjoying watching their teammates play.
Honestly this is the big thing for me right now - I can list other things - committed character, players in the moment, taking risks, crossing the line again and again and loads of other "technical" things, but honestly - if the ensemble is having a blast performing together it's hard for me not to enjoy myself. When I see a group playing just as much for themselves (not meaning inside jokes and what not) as for the audience it's awesome.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
It has Begun....
Th 9th Del Close Marathon got off to a banging start yesterday - as it always does.
The Gang's finally all here. Laura got in around 2pm and met up with us near Madison square park - where we did some improvising. We met up with an alum of our group Eric Leventhal, it was great to see him again. He's now working for a talent agent in LA, yet was sent up to the city on business (the lucky bastard).
We got to the theatre around 4pm for the tail end of the Press conference with the UCB four (well 3 as Mrs. Poehler was not in attendance). Some really great advice about improv and really pursuing this art form and overall a great way to kick off the marathon (though I miss the street ritual: hundreds of improvisers marching through Manhattan playing a giant word association game).
Some shows were absolutely amazing (Bassprov, Stepfathers, Death by Roo Roo, Satellites, ET AL) - Others not quite as great.
I actually noticed an interesting phenomena in the theatre - first off if the actors were not famous/well known (read: from out of town) they had to really earn any response from the audience (like a couple of the Chicago troupes, who rocked - got less response simply because their members aren't on comedy central, or MTV - and perform at a slightly slower pace).
Heck the way the schedule was designed some groups got terrible responses even though they were great - just because they were in between (or right after) a block of amazingly funny and fast shows.
After watching roughly 12 hours straight of different improv groups (from a lot of different theaters) I really got a chance to kind of examine the UCB theatre's style of improvisation. It's all about playing fast and finding the first funny/interesting thing and then heightening the hell out of it (it also helps that I did study there for an entire summer).
It's entertaining as hell I'll admit and leads to some really interesting scenes, however it really relies on the natural humor of the players. There seems to be an idea of finding the funniest choice (or the best choice if you will) in a scene or moment and I have some issues with that personally.
OK that's all I have time for at the moment. Now I'm off to get my ass kicked in some workshops.
The Gang's finally all here. Laura got in around 2pm and met up with us near Madison square park - where we did some improvising. We met up with an alum of our group Eric Leventhal, it was great to see him again. He's now working for a talent agent in LA, yet was sent up to the city on business (the lucky bastard).
We got to the theatre around 4pm for the tail end of the Press conference with the UCB four (well 3 as Mrs. Poehler was not in attendance). Some really great advice about improv and really pursuing this art form and overall a great way to kick off the marathon (though I miss the street ritual: hundreds of improvisers marching through Manhattan playing a giant word association game).
Some shows were absolutely amazing (Bassprov, Stepfathers, Death by Roo Roo, Satellites, ET AL) - Others not quite as great.
I actually noticed an interesting phenomena in the theatre - first off if the actors were not famous/well known (read: from out of town) they had to really earn any response from the audience (like a couple of the Chicago troupes, who rocked - got less response simply because their members aren't on comedy central, or MTV - and perform at a slightly slower pace).
Heck the way the schedule was designed some groups got terrible responses even though they were great - just because they were in between (or right after) a block of amazingly funny and fast shows.
After watching roughly 12 hours straight of different improv groups (from a lot of different theaters) I really got a chance to kind of examine the UCB theatre's style of improvisation. It's all about playing fast and finding the first funny/interesting thing and then heightening the hell out of it (it also helps that I did study there for an entire summer).
It's entertaining as hell I'll admit and leads to some really interesting scenes, however it really relies on the natural humor of the players. There seems to be an idea of finding the funniest choice (or the best choice if you will) in a scene or moment and I have some issues with that personally.
OK that's all I have time for at the moment. Now I'm off to get my ass kicked in some workshops.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Who's Got Next..... Yeah!
So I made it to New York safely and soundly - even the flight went surprisingly well (except for one moment where we dropped about 30 feet as we passed over Pennsylvania - "we hit a little speed bum back there" was the only acknowledgement the pilot gave to our near death).
Anyway about five hours after I got in Rick and Danny finally made it to the city after and epic 19 hour drive from St. Louis (during which Danny managed to sleep through all but two states and roughly 17 hours). While I was awaiting their arrival I bummed around the city a bit and managed to catch a very interesting interview with the founding members of the UCB (the group who made this whole festival possible) at the theatre.
Words of wisdom from the comedy masters include:
In regards to if you can teach some one to be funny: "Picture in your mind a bunch of thin people and a bunch of fat people telling the same joke. What group would be funnier? Fat people right? You see there are some things that all the teaching in the world can't help."
But, seriously they had some really great pieces of advice on the whole improv scene - from why improv shows struggle on TV to how while anyone can learn to improvise it takes a special type of person to master it.
Afterwards when the gang finally arrived, we headed back over to the theatre for the open cage match: Who's got next (a series of 3 - 1 minute sets where two teams would perform and the audience would vote who stays and who goes). We invented a new form at McDonald's 5 minutes before the show called bodies (we get up on stage have an audience member point and whoever is pointed out collapses - a scene then commences where the other improvisers must justify that body's presence). We finally got up there towards the end and both Rick & Danny collapsed letting me improvise a 3 minute set by myself with two comatose bodies... it naturally centered around date rape.
It was fun to be in a show with a bunch of improvisers where no one was taking themselves seriously at all. Some highlights include: Ju-Jitsu prov (2, then 4 improvisers trained in Brazilian Ju-jitsu fighting each other while trying to keep a scene going) and many more.
Anyway that's all for now I must revel in the little sleep I shall get tonight because tomorrow the marathon begins.
Anyway about five hours after I got in Rick and Danny finally made it to the city after and epic 19 hour drive from St. Louis (during which Danny managed to sleep through all but two states and roughly 17 hours). While I was awaiting their arrival I bummed around the city a bit and managed to catch a very interesting interview with the founding members of the UCB (the group who made this whole festival possible) at the theatre.
Words of wisdom from the comedy masters include:
In regards to if you can teach some one to be funny: "Picture in your mind a bunch of thin people and a bunch of fat people telling the same joke. What group would be funnier? Fat people right? You see there are some things that all the teaching in the world can't help."
But, seriously they had some really great pieces of advice on the whole improv scene - from why improv shows struggle on TV to how while anyone can learn to improvise it takes a special type of person to master it.
Afterwards when the gang finally arrived, we headed back over to the theatre for the open cage match: Who's got next (a series of 3 - 1 minute sets where two teams would perform and the audience would vote who stays and who goes). We invented a new form at McDonald's 5 minutes before the show called bodies (we get up on stage have an audience member point and whoever is pointed out collapses - a scene then commences where the other improvisers must justify that body's presence). We finally got up there towards the end and both Rick & Danny collapsed letting me improvise a 3 minute set by myself with two comatose bodies... it naturally centered around date rape.
It was fun to be in a show with a bunch of improvisers where no one was taking themselves seriously at all. Some highlights include: Ju-Jitsu prov (2, then 4 improvisers trained in Brazilian Ju-jitsu fighting each other while trying to keep a scene going) and many more.
Anyway that's all for now I must revel in the little sleep I shall get tonight because tomorrow the marathon begins.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
I’m trying to slit my wrists…what are you doing?
Earlier today (if you can call 8pm early) I had an improv show down at a local comedy club with my long form troupe (the second to last show I will have with the group before my big move to Chicago). However, we were not performing long form improv. No, instead we were involved in a comedy battle of sorts (two teams enter, one team leaves…victorious – the other leaves a loser) where we did short form games.
Now contrary to a large portion of the long form improv community I do not despise short form – I feel it has its place and can be entertaining (both performing and watching) if done correctly. Tonight though really reminded me of what I don’t like about the genre. Now both groups were very entertaining and the audience definitely enjoyed itself, but I left the venue not being as pleased as I should've been.
Tonight the exploitive nature of short form was expressed to its fullest. Now as I said before, I enjoy good short form (either performing or watching), but the problem is that it often turns shitty because the players are focused too heavily on getting a laugh from the audience (sometimes at the expense of the scene or their scene partner). This typically happens when people get too focused on the rules of the game being played, or the gimmick of the scene.
And that’s just what happened tonight: some of the players seemed a little more focused on playing the gimmick (and getting that all powerful laugh) rather than creating a scene.
The first game, a short form classic, was Party Quirks – a guessing game where one member has to guess the characters being played by the others. It started out well but became all about the gimmick – there wasn’t really a scene going on by the end, it was just the performers dropping witty (and some not so witty) hints as one player guessed. The next game they played got the largest response from the audience of the night (which is sad for so many reasons): it was helping hands (three players put their hands in their pockets and three people stood behind them reaching around their bodies & replacing their hands/arms with their own). The whole scene (I can't even call it that really) was about the arms getting the other players in trouble (making messes, forcing disgusting things in the players mouths, and inappropriate gestures). The audience loved it – biggest response of the night as I said, but nothing really happened in the course of the game. There was no scene – just people making a fool of themselves for the audience while milking the gimmick.
This is the kind of thing I can’t stand about short form (or shitty long form for that matter) when it becomes all about the gimmick and the laugh. All of these games are just gimmicks – and they are supposed to be superimposed upon an improvised scene. If you’re not creating a scene, working with the other players on stage to create something – then you're just up there masturbating for the pleasure of the crowd. Now there are some games where that is the whole point (a masturbatory experience for both the performer & audience with the laugh as the orgasm if you will): joke rounds (like the tie breaker Bar Talk: you get a suggestion then must come up with a one line joke using the suggestion & starting with: I like my women/men like I like my_____), but outside of those rare games you should always be striving to create a scene.
Ok, that’s enough of a rant for now – I have to pack for my trip to New York this weekend (I'm leaving in less than 12 hours). I’ll be performing in the 9th annual Del Close Improv Marathon. I’m sure I’ll return with a lot of very interesting experiences. Sorry for the length of this one, but I had a lot to get off my chest.
Now contrary to a large portion of the long form improv community I do not despise short form – I feel it has its place and can be entertaining (both performing and watching) if done correctly. Tonight though really reminded me of what I don’t like about the genre. Now both groups were very entertaining and the audience definitely enjoyed itself, but I left the venue not being as pleased as I should've been.
Tonight the exploitive nature of short form was expressed to its fullest. Now as I said before, I enjoy good short form (either performing or watching), but the problem is that it often turns shitty because the players are focused too heavily on getting a laugh from the audience (sometimes at the expense of the scene or their scene partner). This typically happens when people get too focused on the rules of the game being played, or the gimmick of the scene.
And that’s just what happened tonight: some of the players seemed a little more focused on playing the gimmick (and getting that all powerful laugh) rather than creating a scene.
The first game, a short form classic, was Party Quirks – a guessing game where one member has to guess the characters being played by the others. It started out well but became all about the gimmick – there wasn’t really a scene going on by the end, it was just the performers dropping witty (and some not so witty) hints as one player guessed. The next game they played got the largest response from the audience of the night (which is sad for so many reasons): it was helping hands (three players put their hands in their pockets and three people stood behind them reaching around their bodies & replacing their hands/arms with their own). The whole scene (I can't even call it that really) was about the arms getting the other players in trouble (making messes, forcing disgusting things in the players mouths, and inappropriate gestures). The audience loved it – biggest response of the night as I said, but nothing really happened in the course of the game. There was no scene – just people making a fool of themselves for the audience while milking the gimmick.
This is the kind of thing I can’t stand about short form (or shitty long form for that matter) when it becomes all about the gimmick and the laugh. All of these games are just gimmicks – and they are supposed to be superimposed upon an improvised scene. If you’re not creating a scene, working with the other players on stage to create something – then you're just up there masturbating for the pleasure of the crowd. Now there are some games where that is the whole point (a masturbatory experience for both the performer & audience with the laugh as the orgasm if you will): joke rounds (like the tie breaker Bar Talk: you get a suggestion then must come up with a one line joke using the suggestion & starting with: I like my women/men like I like my_____), but outside of those rare games you should always be striving to create a scene.
Ok, that’s enough of a rant for now – I have to pack for my trip to New York this weekend (I'm leaving in less than 12 hours). I’ll be performing in the 9th annual Del Close Improv Marathon. I’m sure I’ll return with a lot of very interesting experiences. Sorry for the length of this one, but I had a lot to get off my chest.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
You know it has been a good night...
When you can't really recall everything that happened (or at the very least you tell yourself that until you find out exactly what bridges you burned and how much excelerent you used).
So in case you haven't already guessed I woke up this "morning" (ha) with a few blank spots in my memory about the activities of the night before. However, with a little detective work I have begun to put together the pieces.
I found the clothes I wore yesterday crumpled up on the floor and smelled them, they reeked of cigarettes & beer - no baby powder, thank god (I don't smoke, and only have one friend up here who does - so bam part of the puzzle solved).
I then rifled through my pockets & wallet for any clues as to where we had been. Bingo: receipt for a bowling alley and a print out of my game: we were bowling.
Now I know some of you right now are wondering how the hell you get that tanked at a bowling alley - well the bowling alley we frequent is actually a very well stocked bar, that's open till 3am every night, with 8 lanes of bowling in the back. It's hell on weekends but during the week, it's just regulars (and random alcoholics). We also get great service as we know all the bartenders by name.
I even can trace where the night went wrong from the time stamps on my print out. The first three games all was well as I was having a good night averaging 120. At the fourth game things clearly started going down hill and by the 2:30am mark I was bowling a 56.
So since I can't really entertain you with the story of my shenanigans at the alley last night. I will relate, something that happened to me a couple of weeks ago while I was there.
It's around 1am and I'm a little hammered and at the jukebox, wondering why the hell they don't have any Beatles songs and only one album of Parliament Funkadelic. When out of nowhere this blonde haired woman sitting right beside the jukebox turns to me and asks, real seriously: "Do you listen to your heart, or to your head."
Now in case the picture over the the right doesn't give you an adequate idea, I'm a big guy with a propensity for Hawaiian shirts, who at that moment had clearly been drinking and was singing "Make my funk the p-funk..." under my breath. So this question is a bit surprising.
Now if I remember correctly I responded something along the lines of: "it depends on the situation. For example my heart doesn't know shit about investing, so I'm not going to let it tell me how to spend my money" (oh I'm so witty when I'm drinking).
So she giggles and then proceeds to get serious again and ask me about relationships - and if it's more important to follow your head or your heart. I believe my conclusion was there's probably a reason your head is in charge, so don't completely ignore it, but chances are it's more of a pussy than your heart and you should keep that in mind and not let fear get in your way.
She thanks me profusely, telling me how she will follow her heart, and runs to join her male friend who is paying at the bar. I finish at the jukebox (and realize that she distracted me so much I put in Prince's Raspberry Beret twice somehow) and then return to my seat at the lane - feeling proud for just having done my good deed for the week, when suddenly an idea hits me.
What if I just sent this crazy drunk girl back to an abusive boyfriend? I mean she was asking things like: what if you know it's a mistake, but you still love someone - and - I'm afraid to be with him, but I'm also afraid to be without him - and my friends tell me I'm crazy. I mean it could be a possibility - she is definitely not a good judge of character if she's asking relationship advice off a drunk stranger in a bowling alley. I might have just talked this woman into staying with someone who beats her unconscious every other night.
Then I think - holy shit what if she's in a cult where everyone has to marry the leader? I might have been her one ticket out, and my drunk ass sent her right back on her way to the Koolaid social planned for later that morning.
A million of these scenarios start flying around in my mind - maybe the guy is a serial killer and likes her to watch - or perhaps he has a sexual fetish that involves reenacting scenes from Schindler's List - or a LARP'er for god's sake.
Then, just as I stand and am about to go drunkenly search the bar for her to rescind my words and beg her to follow her head, I see her walking to the door smiling arm in arm with a handsome young black male.
And I think to myself "Aha! Mystery solved: her friends and her are just a bit racist" and begin to sit back down.
When suddenly the "logical" part of my brain jumps in (please keep in mind - I'm really drunk though all of these thoughts) and I leap to my feet realizing that I was the one being a bit racist and he could still be a part of any of the millions of scenarios running through my mind and she might still be on her way to a poisoned Koolaid social, or to get the crap knocked out of her if dinner is a little cold, (though the serial killer one is out statistically speaking), etc, etc.
But it's too late - they're already gone into the night and I missed my chance.
The moral of this tale I suppose is, as the Musical Avenue Q states, Everyone's a little bit racist sometimes.
And perhaps only slightly less important: don't ask a strange drunk guy in a Hawaiian shirt hanging out in a bowling alley at 1am about love.
So in case you haven't already guessed I woke up this "morning" (ha) with a few blank spots in my memory about the activities of the night before. However, with a little detective work I have begun to put together the pieces.
I found the clothes I wore yesterday crumpled up on the floor and smelled them, they reeked of cigarettes & beer - no baby powder, thank god (I don't smoke, and only have one friend up here who does - so bam part of the puzzle solved).
I then rifled through my pockets & wallet for any clues as to where we had been. Bingo: receipt for a bowling alley and a print out of my game: we were bowling.
Now I know some of you right now are wondering how the hell you get that tanked at a bowling alley - well the bowling alley we frequent is actually a very well stocked bar, that's open till 3am every night, with 8 lanes of bowling in the back. It's hell on weekends but during the week, it's just regulars (and random alcoholics). We also get great service as we know all the bartenders by name.
I even can trace where the night went wrong from the time stamps on my print out. The first three games all was well as I was having a good night averaging 120. At the fourth game things clearly started going down hill and by the 2:30am mark I was bowling a 56.
So since I can't really entertain you with the story of my shenanigans at the alley last night. I will relate, something that happened to me a couple of weeks ago while I was there.
It's around 1am and I'm a little hammered and at the jukebox, wondering why the hell they don't have any Beatles songs and only one album of Parliament Funkadelic. When out of nowhere this blonde haired woman sitting right beside the jukebox turns to me and asks, real seriously: "Do you listen to your heart, or to your head."
Now in case the picture over the the right doesn't give you an adequate idea, I'm a big guy with a propensity for Hawaiian shirts, who at that moment had clearly been drinking and was singing "Make my funk the p-funk..." under my breath. So this question is a bit surprising.
Now if I remember correctly I responded something along the lines of: "it depends on the situation. For example my heart doesn't know shit about investing, so I'm not going to let it tell me how to spend my money" (oh I'm so witty when I'm drinking).
So she giggles and then proceeds to get serious again and ask me about relationships - and if it's more important to follow your head or your heart. I believe my conclusion was there's probably a reason your head is in charge, so don't completely ignore it, but chances are it's more of a pussy than your heart and you should keep that in mind and not let fear get in your way.
She thanks me profusely, telling me how she will follow her heart, and runs to join her male friend who is paying at the bar. I finish at the jukebox (and realize that she distracted me so much I put in Prince's Raspberry Beret twice somehow) and then return to my seat at the lane - feeling proud for just having done my good deed for the week, when suddenly an idea hits me.
What if I just sent this crazy drunk girl back to an abusive boyfriend? I mean she was asking things like: what if you know it's a mistake, but you still love someone - and - I'm afraid to be with him, but I'm also afraid to be without him - and my friends tell me I'm crazy. I mean it could be a possibility - she is definitely not a good judge of character if she's asking relationship advice off a drunk stranger in a bowling alley. I might have just talked this woman into staying with someone who beats her unconscious every other night.
Then I think - holy shit what if she's in a cult where everyone has to marry the leader? I might have been her one ticket out, and my drunk ass sent her right back on her way to the Koolaid social planned for later that morning.
A million of these scenarios start flying around in my mind - maybe the guy is a serial killer and likes her to watch - or perhaps he has a sexual fetish that involves reenacting scenes from Schindler's List - or a LARP'er for god's sake.
Then, just as I stand and am about to go drunkenly search the bar for her to rescind my words and beg her to follow her head, I see her walking to the door smiling arm in arm with a handsome young black male.
And I think to myself "Aha! Mystery solved: her friends and her are just a bit racist" and begin to sit back down.
When suddenly the "logical" part of my brain jumps in (please keep in mind - I'm really drunk though all of these thoughts) and I leap to my feet realizing that I was the one being a bit racist and he could still be a part of any of the millions of scenarios running through my mind and she might still be on her way to a poisoned Koolaid social, or to get the crap knocked out of her if dinner is a little cold, (though the serial killer one is out statistically speaking), etc, etc.
But it's too late - they're already gone into the night and I missed my chance.
The moral of this tale I suppose is, as the Musical Avenue Q states, Everyone's a little bit racist sometimes.
And perhaps only slightly less important: don't ask a strange drunk guy in a Hawaiian shirt hanging out in a bowling alley at 1am about love.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Your first time is typically the worst....
So I figured I'd pop a Viagra and give it a second go right away - you know get a rhythm going and a feel for this whole blogging thing (hopefully this time I'll post for a good 5 minutes).
Anyway, this past weekend I lead two classes in improvisation. The first on was an Intro to Improv class (3 hours of the fundamentals - woot), and then the second was an intensive on scene work. Overall I'm extremely pleased with how both workshops turned out - the intro class was seven people strong and went absolutely beautifully, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and seemed to take a lot away from it. The scene work intensive ended up with 14 people (lucky number I know) and went pretty well - we ended up running out of time toward the end a little bit and had to skip or rush through a few key points I wanted to get out there (it was my own fault for letting some of the open scenes run so long), but eh shit happens..
To give all you stalkers a heads up - I've been improvising "seriously" (I put that in quotes for oh so many reasons) for the past 4 years - while in college. During this time I helped start and served as the Director for the best (read: first and only) long form improv troupe at my Alma Mater and (through festivals, and my own initiative tracking down workshops and classes) I've worked with some amazing people in the improv world. Does this make me an expert (or say even journeyman level) on the subject - hell no, not even close - sadly though, in my neck of the woods, this does qualify me more than most (though thank god that is slowly changing).
Regardless it was wonderful to be teaching again. There is nothing quite like watching either people completely new to improvisation as they come out of their shell a little bit and actually start having fun and really start playing (some of the most interesting offers I've ever heard have come from non-improvisers in workshops) or seeing performers with a little experience under their belt learning something new, experimenting with it, and enjoying where it takes them.
I liken it it in my own head to a previously unnoticed door opening (it happens to me every time I've taken a workshop with a really talented teacher) in a house you've been exploring. You thought you had the lay out pretty well mapped out, then suddenly you hear this creak and there is a door you missed swinging open. You go through and it leads to the basement, or upstairs, or a new wing.
Eventually I think you realize that you are actually exploring the Winchester Mystery House back in its heyday, and that there's always another door, or staircase, or window, or room to explore.
Part of me is very saddened by the idea that this town, despite its size and proximity to the mecca of improvisation, has a community where, although there is an interest in improv classes, at the moment (due to some people being overtly busy, others being out of town, some being unemployed, and others being....well I won't go into that in this post) there really aren't many outlets for that interest. I mean we seem to be right on the cusp of an upswing for improv opportunities however, after living here for only five years I've noticed that for some reason our community is such that these come in waves (we are currently in a pretty freaking low dip right now) where there will be some great improv going on (ok maybe not great): a club opens and people perform or offer classes, then something goes wrong (stand up is found to be more lucrative, management screws up, or something as such) and it shuts down. The problem is when these few places shut down (up till now) it seems like the improvisers go into hiding and then there are a few sporadic performances by random groups but nothing regular (and consequently rarely anything to write home about).
Ah well, I'm sure I shall rant about this subject again - but even I'm planning to jump ship soon, so I can't really blame people (if you're serious about improvisation, there's a much bigger market a few hundred miles north - that drive/move is a lot easier than trying to lay down roots here).
Ok, wow - definitely lasted longer than the first time (was it good for you?) - hell if I blog for too much longer I'm going to be over the 4 hour limit and have to see a doctor. In the future I think I'll try and break these "epic" posts up a bit.
Final thought of the day - if the city you're in has an improv (or any sort of theatre really) community, please go support it.
Anyway, this past weekend I lead two classes in improvisation. The first on was an Intro to Improv class (3 hours of the fundamentals - woot), and then the second was an intensive on scene work. Overall I'm extremely pleased with how both workshops turned out - the intro class was seven people strong and went absolutely beautifully, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and seemed to take a lot away from it. The scene work intensive ended up with 14 people (lucky number I know) and went pretty well - we ended up running out of time toward the end a little bit and had to skip or rush through a few key points I wanted to get out there (it was my own fault for letting some of the open scenes run so long), but eh shit happens..
To give all you stalkers a heads up - I've been improvising "seriously" (I put that in quotes for oh so many reasons) for the past 4 years - while in college. During this time I helped start and served as the Director for the best (read: first and only) long form improv troupe at my Alma Mater and (through festivals, and my own initiative tracking down workshops and classes) I've worked with some amazing people in the improv world. Does this make me an expert (or say even journeyman level) on the subject - hell no, not even close - sadly though, in my neck of the woods, this does qualify me more than most (though thank god that is slowly changing).
Regardless it was wonderful to be teaching again. There is nothing quite like watching either people completely new to improvisation as they come out of their shell a little bit and actually start having fun and really start playing (some of the most interesting offers I've ever heard have come from non-improvisers in workshops) or seeing performers with a little experience under their belt learning something new, experimenting with it, and enjoying where it takes them.
I liken it it in my own head to a previously unnoticed door opening (it happens to me every time I've taken a workshop with a really talented teacher) in a house you've been exploring. You thought you had the lay out pretty well mapped out, then suddenly you hear this creak and there is a door you missed swinging open. You go through and it leads to the basement, or upstairs, or a new wing.
Eventually I think you realize that you are actually exploring the Winchester Mystery House back in its heyday, and that there's always another door, or staircase, or window, or room to explore.
Part of me is very saddened by the idea that this town, despite its size and proximity to the mecca of improvisation, has a community where, although there is an interest in improv classes, at the moment (due to some people being overtly busy, others being out of town, some being unemployed, and others being....well I won't go into that in this post) there really aren't many outlets for that interest. I mean we seem to be right on the cusp of an upswing for improv opportunities however, after living here for only five years I've noticed that for some reason our community is such that these come in waves (we are currently in a pretty freaking low dip right now) where there will be some great improv going on (ok maybe not great): a club opens and people perform or offer classes, then something goes wrong (stand up is found to be more lucrative, management screws up, or something as such) and it shuts down. The problem is when these few places shut down (up till now) it seems like the improvisers go into hiding and then there are a few sporadic performances by random groups but nothing regular (and consequently rarely anything to write home about).
Ah well, I'm sure I shall rant about this subject again - but even I'm planning to jump ship soon, so I can't really blame people (if you're serious about improvisation, there's a much bigger market a few hundred miles north - that drive/move is a lot easier than trying to lay down roots here).
Ok, wow - definitely lasted longer than the first time (was it good for you?) - hell if I blog for too much longer I'm going to be over the 4 hour limit and have to see a doctor. In the future I think I'll try and break these "epic" posts up a bit.
Final thought of the day - if the city you're in has an improv (or any sort of theatre really) community, please go support it.
Thus it begins...
Sigh, well I suppose I've finally succumbed to the masses and joined the rampant (and often rabid) blogger community.
I haven't felt this ashamed since I once found myself at a 24 hour diner at 4am smelling like stripper (smoke, baby powder, & sorrow) and tapping my knife and fork in order to summon my 3/3 "Big Basic" platter
(if you got the tapping reference, stop feeling proud of yourself now. If you immediately recognized the establishment from the name of the meal I got there, bravo - you probably should get your cholesterol checked asap).
Anyway if I can manage to remember I guess this is where I will begin delving into the twisted inner workings of my mind, expose the dark secrets of my soul, and keep tabs on how often I embarrass myself or others.
To give all of you (obviously very busy & popular) people who stumble across this a heads up, chances are my rants will primarily consist of drunk musings, discussions about improvisation (and my forays into that seedy world), film, explanations as to why my cat is a "bad kitty," apologies about not posting all that often, and whatever random crap pops into my head.
So if nothing else you can't say I never warned you.
I haven't felt this ashamed since I once found myself at a 24 hour diner at 4am smelling like stripper (smoke, baby powder, & sorrow) and tapping my knife and fork in order to summon my 3/3 "Big Basic" platter
(if you got the tapping reference, stop feeling proud of yourself now. If you immediately recognized the establishment from the name of the meal I got there, bravo - you probably should get your cholesterol checked asap).
Anyway if I can manage to remember I guess this is where I will begin delving into the twisted inner workings of my mind, expose the dark secrets of my soul, and keep tabs on how often I embarrass myself or others.
To give all of you (obviously very busy & popular) people who stumble across this a heads up, chances are my rants will primarily consist of drunk musings, discussions about improvisation (and my forays into that seedy world), film, explanations as to why my cat is a "bad kitty," apologies about not posting all that often, and whatever random crap pops into my head.
So if nothing else you can't say I never warned you.
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