A Performance

I had an interesting improv class last night. I must remind myself to distinguish between improv class and improv practice. There is my team, which has practice on Saturdays. I chose to be with each of those people on a team, and I chose to learn from our coach. What I had last night was class. It is not up to me who goes and who teaches us. I do choose to remain a part of it, because it's great. It does have drawbacks.

Last night had the good and the bad. There were relatively few opportunities to perform since we have been joined with the next lowest level. Still, as I think I've said, I do like many of those people. Sometimes we get to perform with them. Last night we did not much.  We in "The Barrel" did our own long form. I entered the first scene, and it was dicey for me. My scene partner was giving good stuff, and I was not returning it well.

First Responder

You still learn things as long as you remain committed to the process. I've been doing improv for a few years, and there's a lot left to know. I have some natural obstacles to deal with, so maybe it's a longer road for me than for others. I know the fundamentals, but executing some things that go against my personality flaws is a real challenge. Becoming a better improviser will, necessarily, make me a better, happier and more successful person.

I picked up something in improv class a couple days ago that was interesting. I am an all or nothing person in some ways. I do well with things that I do every day. I struggle with things that I do not do that regularly. I suspect that it's an obsessive-compulsive thing. Sometimes that can work for you. I obsessively write for this blog to ensure that a post goes out every day. I write a minimum of seven tweets for every day, spacing them two hours apart from 10am to 10pm. That is set in stone.

"I Better Write That Down"

You will have noticed that no new material appeared here on the day of Thursday, May 12th. A persistent technical glitch from this blog's host resulted in no post being published. It seems worth noting that it was the first such day since March 9th of last year. I consider it to have been a remarkable feat that I managed to publish every day for one year, two months and three days (and was thwarted in my intentions to go on in that way indefinitely only by some manner of outside error). I am more proud still of the fact that some of those pieces were good. I shall now embark upon an effort to improve upon that streak.

In addition to today's previously scheduled (and already published) post, please enjoy now yesterday's planned offering as apology and consolation for the void unfilled by my words.

Do You Know The Way To Sherman Oaks?

I have reported here previously the news that I shall be moving from my apartment, and have shared my feelings about it and the resulting search for new quarters. That being the case, it's both a coincidence and overkill that my beloved improv class has itself changed to a new practice space. The place we have left deserves description, as do both the new place and the reasons for going from one to the other. The nature of a practice space is such that you are really putting yourself out there as a performer: unlike in an actual performance venue, you're doing things you're not incredibly confident about, and so you absolutely must have a place to do them in which is, as Ashford and Simpson said, solid as a rock. There's more to the list of requirements, but that is paramount.

The old place, which we called "The Barn" for its relative resemblance, had more of the 'more' than it had the security. It was an intimate place of endless character. To be there was to put you in a certain state of mind, wherefrom very potent development of craft came. It was the very antithesis of a sterile, antiseptic place. It was a lived-in one; a used place in the very good sense which applies to a baseball mitt or an Alaskan prospector's sourdough pan. There was a lovely piano, old furniture and shelves of old books. It was kind of like an attic kept up by old people- a simile helped out by the riding mechanism which helped the infirm ascend its staircase. Obviously I'm sentimental about the place. Maybe I'm delusional, but there really was a kind of romantic quality about it, which may have even been because of the discomforts particular to it.

You Go Yogurt

I may have mentioned in the past how after improv events we often go out. Once upon a time, when I was in the beginning level class, we went to lots of different places, and it really wasn't entirely sure that we were going out at all. At that time, the burden of making it happen was taken willingly by a particular friend of mine. It really comes down to who cares the most and shouts the loudest, in a manner of speaking. That is as true now that I am in the second level as it was then. For a time, there was no tradition of going out in the level two class nearest to me. Once the makeup of the class changed, the tradition more or less migrated.

There was one change, however. It's different people who have the most influence over where we go. Unless all of several people are absent, it's a frozen yogurt place not terribly far away. Of course, there's a different frozen yogurt place  few hundred yard away from where the class is held, but the power brokers in the class don't care for that place. It must surely be a coincidence that the place we do go is right near where most of the power brokers live. It's a perfectly good place, I must say, but not without its idiosyncrasies.

Artifact From An Improv Show

An amazing guy drew the below sketch of me during the show tonight (as he did for others, I gather). I didn't necessarily feel great about my performance, but this really felt nice to get, although I suppose it's not an incredibly flattering likeness. It feels good that someone cared to do it.

Slumming It In Improv

With the new year, there has been much tumult in my beloved community of improv comedy. I had been in it not much more than a year, and there had been plenty of changes during that time, but there seem to have been about as many more during the last month and a half. Teachers have been transferred, some classes added, and others moved in time and location. I think that it is in the service of good ultimately, though discomfort in the short term is unpleasant.

It's a little like my grandfather (a painter, tenured college professor and administrator) said in a local radio interview once about the nature of an education in the arts. As a degree is unnecessary to be an artist, the way to go is to seek out one's education from all manner of sources, many of which may involve no formal teacher or classroom at all. That's obviously not the way to go in order to practice medicine.

The Humbling Times and the Salve

This week, we got back to the Armando style of long form improvisation in class. It depends upon a monologist driving and inspiring the scenes. It's a fun and distinct form, and yet does not seem to have in it anything to be wary of when one returns to it after a break. It was surprising, then, that most of us fell victim to it in some fashion. Sometimes the fundamentals fall by the wayside as one tries to master the larger and more lofty elements. Perhaps that's it, or perhaps improv is not like a bicycle. In any case, it was as fun as ever regardless of momentarily prominent shortcomings.

Class was followed by another little party. They're multiplying, and may soon crowd out those endeavors that pay for them. It was fun anyway. My attempts at Pictionary drawings seem to be more fun than the competition itself. The night was capped by a triumphant viewing of a tv show on which a comrade had a silent but winning appearance. Good night.

A Little Something

Not much energy to say all there is to be said, but it was a good, full day of high triumph, great anxiety, fun and friendship.

I soldiered through exhaustion and the stress of misplacing a dvd due back to the library to deliver my 10th Toastmasters speech, which makes me a Competent Communicator. When you do that, you get something like what is pictured below.

Class

Last night at improv class we had the final week of our musical block, and it was as fun as ever. I still have some trouble, but feel considerably better about doing it than I did at the start. Mostly my difficulties lie in the ordinary challenges of improv, although I could stand to develop a better singing voice. After my scene, the teacher compared us to Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.

In that scene, our suggestion was cruise ship (an old college friend of the teacher had come to town for a show aboard a cruise ship, and was in attendance). I initiated by establishing that we were at a buffet-style restaurant aboard a cruise ship, praising the macaroni salad. My partner then developed an allergic reaction as I looked on unsympathetically. He then went on to reveal committing a murder on a previous cruise and expressed great anxiety.

Since Friday

I was going to expand on the outing of last Friday, but I've moved well past that already. On to the following day: There were at least two parties to which I could consider going. One was a costume party in Los Feliz for the tv show Mad Men, which I love. The other was a costume birthday party for the wife of an acquaintance downtown. Initially I was torn, because while each sounded fun, they had their downsides and commitments which made them a little less appealing (the worst of all being the obligation to make a costume).

I eventually opted to go to the Beatles party, and made a quick costume based on the song 'Eight Days A Week'. My costume was a cardboard sign worn around the neck which depicted an eight day week calendar. Sadly, I did not win the contest, but did enjoy the company of many friends, not to mention a Beatles puzzle and Beatles Rock Band.

Update Petite

It was a pretty good day Thursday. I had Toastmasters, and won Best Evaluator for my critique on a fellow member's "news editorial". This broke a losing streak I had been on for a number of weeks, and so was most welcome.

In the evening, I had another phenomenal improv class with some of the best performers I've yet seen. It really is an incredible pleasure just to be a part of the class, and I can't wait for our next shot at a live audience. Having worked together more or less as a cohesive group since the last time, I have great confidence in our ability to really wow them.

Of course, following that it was time for a celebratory six dollar pizza. With that digesting in my system, NBC's Thursday night lineup closes out the day for me.

How Class Went

Last night was the first class since a series of new directives have been handed down concerning the location at which we meet. Now it's 7:30 to 9:30, although the important thing really is just that we're all the way out of there by 10pm.

Since we didn't have any musicians, the last week of our musical improv block has been pushed back to next week. Today, we did a few things, with the bigger part of it being the "Slacker". First, however, we did a movie trailer game. In that game, three people act out a movie trailer while two others take turns providing narration that guides the action. We did two of those. In the first, a hard-boiled female detective struggles to hard boil eggs. In the second, a battle between nerds and jocks raged in a school while a plucky youngster tries to raise the money needed to keep the school open.

A Song In My Heart

As I said I would, I went to improv class last night, and it was great indeed. I found out upon revival (but ought to have realized beforehand) that we would have a pair of substitute teachers in the absence of our usual teacher. These two are members of the improv program's musical improv group. This was good, as we are in the midst of studying that very thing.

I can't quite recall all of what was done, but we had some good stuff. There was Doo Run Run, wherein participants improvise new lyrics to the tune of the Ronettes song 'Da Doo Run Run'. We've done that a number of times, and it's always fun. There was also Limerick, which is just a group of several people quickly improvising a limerick. There were others as well, but the big thing was doing the musical scenes. You start out a two person scene as normal, leaping into song midway.

Quick Hit

Might not get a chance to write later tonight, so here's something very brief:

Movie night was one of the best ever. We watched Tropic Thunder on Blu-Ray and had rousing rounds of trivia and discussion.

Toastmasters was good. Big, busy meeting, with me taking notes for the recap as well as in the capacity of ah counter. Beforehand I helped the club president with another table topics warmup before she takes part in the next round of the contest.

Just about to leave for improv class, where we have the third week of musical improv. Should be fun, and I hope to improve on my showing last week. It wasn't bad for a first try, but I have a lot of improving to do. I'll be sure to report on that some time thereafter.

Aventuras En Comedia Improvisational

As part of my current series of long posts on the ins and outs of my social activities, I thought I would touch on improv. I have written one lengthy recap of an improv show I was in as well as scores of brief notes about classes and things, but have not exactly written a big picture posting, so here we are: According to my records, I seem to have gone to my first improv class sometime in the month or so before February of this year. I did not make a point of going regularly for some time, but do think that my regular attendance may have begun some time in the spring. Just about at that time, the teacher who had been doing the class left for a lengthy trip, making way for the current teacher of the class. There has been a difference, but not one of quality.

I'm Back In The Saddle Again

Since my last writing, a considerable amount has happened. There was another movie night recently (with a third to come tonight).

On the Toastmasters front, I have continued my development, and am currently preparing a 'Tall Tale' for a contest on Thursday. I believe that I may be gaining responsibility within that organization, and expect to have more to say on that before long.

Improv has been great. I'm getting better at long form on Thursdays, while enjoying the performances and company of my friends on Mondays. Seeing the top level teams, as I did last Friday, is inspiring and educational.

catch-up

Lot of activity over the last few days. Thursday I had a speech at Toastmasters. I did a speech on how my previous speech didn't go very well. It seemed to be well received, as I won best speaker. Friday I toiled as a digitizer for a cable tv show. Saturday I was at a Toastmasters training event all day. Sunday was just church. Today I had to go and return the tape deck I used Friday, then I had improv. It was a great class, and then I found out that I was bumped up to the second level in the program, of which there are three before one can be put in one of the big groups. After that, we went to a bar in the arts district near my apartment. It was a good night, and a good weekend. Tomorrow night is my movie night group's first event. That will be followed by a string of additional significant events, to be reviewed at a later date.

Improv

Monday, of course, was improv night. This week we were working on emotions, and I'd say I had partial success in that at least. As always, class was very crowded, and there was only enough time for each person to get on stage three times. Even so, there was good energy and good performances. I've come to enjoy the company of the other regulars very much, and always look forward to seeing them. Apart from the pleasure I get out of the experience, I have a feeling that my participation may yield very big things.

After the workshop, many of us headed to a nearby bar, where the good times continued. I mainly just drank soda, and this was for two reasons. Firstly, I'm not often willing to pay what they charge, and secondly, I'm fearful of acting stupid and incoherent. Anyway, it was really wonderful to be with those people for a while longer. Can't wait for the next time.

Improv & Baseball

Yesterday was improv class, and it was a good one. The size of the group was unusually large, but we managed. Our teacher was a sub from one of the advanced classes, due to our usual teacher being tied up with a movie. I think I acquitted myself well. I got a good response on my performances, as well as on my suggestions for other people's scenes.

After class a number of us went to a bar nearby. I only do that at the suggestion of others, but it was a good time.

Tonight the dodgers started a series at home against Oakland, and I was there. Dodgers win it on the last at bat in the bottom of the tenth. Probably I'll be there for the others as well.
I will be giving a speech at Toastmasters thursday. Report to follow.