Detroit Day #1

Woody, Brian and I rolled into Detroit at around six and I was genuinely surprised how big this city was. It was huge, flat and sprawling. With none of the hills in the background I am used to.

Our rental house in scenic Virginia Park, Detroit, spitting distance from a liquor store (convenient!) It's operated by a group called Detroit Loves You, and they're doing a great job with it.

We went to the opening night festivities and saw a high school group open up the festival. The group was from the Detroit Creativity Project, and they did a selection of short form games. Very enjoyable, and it was great to see such young kids doing the work. I'd love it if Pittsburgh had similar programs.

After them was a group called Celebrity Soapbox, a monologue deconstruction Armando type show, with local celebrity, Pulitzer Prize winner and Howe Gelb simulacrum, Charlie LeDuff. Mr. LeDuff did a no-holds-barred performance. His monologues were amazing. I wish I had the opportunity to play with his stories. That said, some of the younger people in the audience are going to have uncomfortable questions for their parents after the show.

Then Woody and I went out to Go! Comedy to check out their bar and meet up with some people Woods knew from LA. Technical difficulties with the point-of-sale system at the bar aside, we had a great time watching the Fresh Sauce improv jam. It's been a long time since I've been to a good ol'fashioned short-form jam. There were new games that are unique to Go! Comedy that were really interesting.

My favorite game was one based on eye contact and musical cues. You played a scene not allowed to make eye contact until there was a piece of background music brought up, at which point you had to maintain eye contact. It was instructive how much the scene felt flat without eye contact and how much things took off with that connection and an emotional perspective (foisted on them by the music).  The two players did a great job with the game too, a ton of fun.

After the show, Woody and I came back home to drink, talk and listen to distant gun fire. A fantastic first night, no kidding. I'm really excited for the rest of the fest and to get up and do some shows.

Detroit Style "Four Corner" Pizza... apparently
Enjoy it, Well Known Strangers!