Wednesday, November 18, 2009
I’m very much in love with Badman right now. The last two shows we have done have really pushed us in a new direction. Yes, mistakes were made, and the improvisation itself wasn’t MIND ALTERING, but the shows were fun and absolutely fearless.
Last night our suggestion was Star Wars. Probably the nerd fantasy of every improviser in the audience. What I loved about this show was the insane amount of support there was for every move. Right or wrong, there was no onstage judgment. D’Arcy being honest and showing that she doesn’t know sci fi? Awesome! We used it. Oh, you don’t know Friends specifics? Awesome! Use it! BSG? WHAT? Use it. Themes, meta moves, game play. So much fun. Now if we can make the cake stronger we can support all that frosting.
It was pure excitement and energy that moved the show forward. There was real honesty in the meta part of the show (sitting in the chair when we lacked knowledge), which was a game on top of the entire show. The show contained an ongoing theme and really felt like a Star Wars Harold.
I’m excited because I know the theater doesn’t want teams to become stagnant, and to always be pushing ourselves to try new things and become better. I’ve felt the last two shows have really hit that note hard. And I know both shows had some major problems with them, but we kept pushing and pushing and didn’t let the “rules” bog us down.
If we can reel it back in I have a feeling we will be doing some mind blowing work soon.
Last night our suggestion was Star Wars. Probably the nerd fantasy of every improviser in the audience. What I loved about this show was the insane amount of support there was for every move. Right or wrong, there was no onstage judgment. D’Arcy being honest and showing that she doesn’t know sci fi? Awesome! We used it. Oh, you don’t know Friends specifics? Awesome! Use it! BSG? WHAT? Use it. Themes, meta moves, game play. So much fun. Now if we can make the cake stronger we can support all that frosting.
It was pure excitement and energy that moved the show forward. There was real honesty in the meta part of the show (sitting in the chair when we lacked knowledge), which was a game on top of the entire show. The show contained an ongoing theme and really felt like a Star Wars Harold.
I’m excited because I know the theater doesn’t want teams to become stagnant, and to always be pushing ourselves to try new things and become better. I’ve felt the last two shows have really hit that note hard. And I know both shows had some major problems with them, but we kept pushing and pushing and didn’t let the “rules” bog us down.
If we can reel it back in I have a feeling we will be doing some mind blowing work soon.
Monday, November 16, 2009
If you missed Spo’s show on Friday, consider yourself a very unlucky person. In a world of artsy fartsy jokey shitty stuff, Spo gave a middle finger to all of that and showed how a simple idea with brilliant ideas can overshadow all of that. My jaw dropped every time she returned to the stage as another brilliantly bizarre character. What made it so great to me was it wasn’t just a show to show how crazy Spo can be; it was a show that was a lesson in comedy.
It isn’t about saying funny things, it is about showing the world what you think is funny. This show was just that.
What I absolutely loved about this show was that a ton of performers came to see it. A 6:30 spank on a Friday! The “performers corner” was a cavalcade of my favorite people. Just proving publically how many people love Spo.
Following her was Code Duello. Good show.
It isn’t about saying funny things, it is about showing the world what you think is funny. This show was just that.
What I absolutely loved about this show was that a ton of performers came to see it. A 6:30 spank on a Friday! The “performers corner” was a cavalcade of my favorite people. Just proving publically how many people love Spo.
Following her was Code Duello. Good show.
Friday, November 06, 2009
One thing I get jazzed about with improvisation, is how it seeps into your real life, and how real life seeps into your improvisation. Due to my obsession with Top Chef, in a scene last night I was preparing Foie gras, instead of SOME FOOD. Something I have no idea how to make. I don’t even know what ingredients are used. It made me chuckle afterwards though. Stuff like that just really excites me! The more I stretch myself in real life, the more ammo I have to use in scenes.
Why enter a gun fight with a six shooter when you could have a 10 shooter?
I wish Gethard was at Harold night on Tuesday though. I really let go and had a blast. It got a little bit out of hand, but at least the attempt was there
Why enter a gun fight with a six shooter when you could have a 10 shooter?
I wish Gethard was at Harold night on Tuesday though. I really let go and had a blast. It got a little bit out of hand, but at least the attempt was there
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Just finished up Gethard’s 4 week special class.
Overall I feel that this class was a deconstruction of what we have already learned in improv classes. It challenged everything we have learned up to this point, forced us to look at it from a different angel then do everything we already do with those new glasses on. In such a strange way, it felt like loosening of a belt. Pretty freeing and scary.
I went into class last night fully focused on just letting the crazy exist and not trying to “fix” things. Where as I have become really good at making sense of things, I have to become just as willing to let them exist. I know I can justify, so why force myself to justify things before they become fun?
So last night was pretty fun for me. Very out of my comfort zone at times, and optimistic and excited during others. I don’t know if it is my preferred style of play, but it is something I need to be aware of and willing to accept in shows.
Yes and everything
Justify when needed
Exist in the world
Now onto the GAME and Yes AND workshops next week.
Overall I feel that this class was a deconstruction of what we have already learned in improv classes. It challenged everything we have learned up to this point, forced us to look at it from a different angel then do everything we already do with those new glasses on. In such a strange way, it felt like loosening of a belt. Pretty freeing and scary.
I went into class last night fully focused on just letting the crazy exist and not trying to “fix” things. Where as I have become really good at making sense of things, I have to become just as willing to let them exist. I know I can justify, so why force myself to justify things before they become fun?
So last night was pretty fun for me. Very out of my comfort zone at times, and optimistic and excited during others. I don’t know if it is my preferred style of play, but it is something I need to be aware of and willing to accept in shows.
Yes and everything
Justify when needed
Exist in the world
Now onto the GAME and Yes AND workshops next week.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Since I didn't have class yesterday, I still want to put something up improv related.
I see a lot of student shows. My favorite part is watching the teachers host the shows. Here is a ranking for them.
1 being super awkward – 10 being super awesome (this should not be taken seriously)
Kevin Hines -25
Porter Mason 10
Shannon O’neill 100
Anthony King 10
Brandon Gardner 10
Gavin Spieller .05
Chelsea Clarke -0
Silvija Ozols 6
Curtis Gwinn 10
Chris Gethard +/-5
Will Hines 2
Zach Woods 10
Michael Delaney 10
Doug Moe 10
Jeff Hiller 10
Lennon Parham 10
Kate Spencer 10
Betsy Stover 10
Ari Voukydis 10
I see a lot of student shows. My favorite part is watching the teachers host the shows. Here is a ranking for them.
1 being super awkward – 10 being super awesome (this should not be taken seriously)
Kevin Hines -25
Porter Mason 10
Shannon O’neill 100
Anthony King 10
Brandon Gardner 10
Gavin Spieller .05
Chelsea Clarke -0
Silvija Ozols 6
Curtis Gwinn 10
Chris Gethard +/-5
Will Hines 2
Zach Woods 10
Michael Delaney 10
Doug Moe 10
Jeff Hiller 10
Lennon Parham 10
Kate Spencer 10
Betsy Stover 10
Ari Voukydis 10
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
So last night I figured something out. My life, improv plus everything else, is diluted by my need to control it. What I found odd about this discovery, mostly because I didn’t realize I was doing this, is that I find ways to control things very subtly.
Last night, in class, Gethard had us doing an exercise where there were no rules. At one point he pulled me aside and told me to stop leading and to just live in it. Afterwards I realized that I was freaking out in my head, and had started trying to make rules without people noticing. If A happens then B must follow. At the time, in my head, I felt like my moves were supportive and saying yes to other people’s moves, but in a larger scope it was locking us into rules which was defeating the purpose of the exercise. In a sense, amongst the chaos, I was trying to quell the hurricane so I could stand in the eye.
I then jumped into my backlog of scenes that I store in my head, to see if this is a pattern with me. I discovered that it is. Where as Shannon noticed that I had trouble being vulnerable in scenes, I think this discovery is the source of that problem. I absolutely love being out of control, but subconsciously I try to control every situation I am in. I create a framework of expectations, that when they are disrupted I freak out. Probably why I get really anxious when I am running late and it isn’t my fault.
I am going to have to think about this a lot and see if I can stop myself from doing this. I think this makes me a semi predictable improviser, and person in life.
I don’t want to get too personal here, but these thoughts lead me to look for places where I try to control other things as well. This issue of mine….literally….is the biggest problem in my life, and I never noticed it until yesterday.
Everything! Love/relationships/work/friends/myself It all stems from distancing myself emotionally, because I hate when my emotions are not controllable.
I’m seeing such a big pattern now. Fuck! Now, how the hell do I fix it without controlling it? What a vicious circle.
I didn't even cry at my mother's funeral.
Last night, in class, Gethard had us doing an exercise where there were no rules. At one point he pulled me aside and told me to stop leading and to just live in it. Afterwards I realized that I was freaking out in my head, and had started trying to make rules without people noticing. If A happens then B must follow. At the time, in my head, I felt like my moves were supportive and saying yes to other people’s moves, but in a larger scope it was locking us into rules which was defeating the purpose of the exercise. In a sense, amongst the chaos, I was trying to quell the hurricane so I could stand in the eye.
I then jumped into my backlog of scenes that I store in my head, to see if this is a pattern with me. I discovered that it is. Where as Shannon noticed that I had trouble being vulnerable in scenes, I think this discovery is the source of that problem. I absolutely love being out of control, but subconsciously I try to control every situation I am in. I create a framework of expectations, that when they are disrupted I freak out. Probably why I get really anxious when I am running late and it isn’t my fault.
I am going to have to think about this a lot and see if I can stop myself from doing this. I think this makes me a semi predictable improviser, and person in life.
I don’t want to get too personal here, but these thoughts lead me to look for places where I try to control other things as well. This issue of mine….literally….is the biggest problem in my life, and I never noticed it until yesterday.
Everything! Love/relationships/work/friends/myself It all stems from distancing myself emotionally, because I hate when my emotions are not controllable.
I’m seeing such a big pattern now. Fuck! Now, how the hell do I fix it without controlling it? What a vicious circle.
I didn't even cry at my mother's funeral.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Some exciting things are happening! UCB is starting to offer a lot more single day workshops. This is absolutely perfect for me because it hits skills that I directly need to be working on, and it is hard for me to find 8 weeks in a row to take a class.
So I’ve signed up for Zach Wood’s GAME workshop and Anthony King’s yes-anding workshop. Awesome.
Day 2 of Gethard’s class was really fun. I was in a really weird place mentally before class started, which made me play a little bit different than I normally do. Chris is really pushing us to make each Harold our own and to not just settle for doing the cookie cutter version of Harold. I think it is tough to do with people you are just starting to get to know, but I think the class is talented enough to do it.
At the end of the day, Chris had us doing an opening by ourselves that were about ourselves. I went first, which I am very happy I got to do, because I couldn’t preplan it and think of hilarious things to say.
With that being said, I have some daemons that I wasn’t aware of! Woo!
So I’ve signed up for Zach Wood’s GAME workshop and Anthony King’s yes-anding workshop. Awesome.
Day 2 of Gethard’s class was really fun. I was in a really weird place mentally before class started, which made me play a little bit different than I normally do. Chris is really pushing us to make each Harold our own and to not just settle for doing the cookie cutter version of Harold. I think it is tough to do with people you are just starting to get to know, but I think the class is talented enough to do it.
At the end of the day, Chris had us doing an opening by ourselves that were about ourselves. I went first, which I am very happy I got to do, because I couldn’t preplan it and think of hilarious things to say.
With that being said, I have some daemons that I wasn’t aware of! Woo!