Check this out

Hotel Nowhere-ian Mike Peditto just posted a great blog entry about his two years in improv

Check it out!

The Magic Circle And Professionalism

Brett Bavar posted this a little bit ago and it merits spreading around:

It's a great video from a great series (their videos on narrative are fantastic). And this one has a bunch of applications to improv.

One  aspect I want to consider, when thinking about this "magic circle" is how easily it can be broken by small technical things. Mistakes as tiny as a messed up music cue, or lights on the audience, or a show announcement that gets things wrong, or your team doesn't know who's introducing: these things all put a little tilt on the show for the audience. When the little stuff is going wrong people start to worry about the quality of... well... everything.  It cracks the circle a bit.

Will these things turn a good show into a bad one? Of course not. But they don't serve to give your show the best chance it can have.

So practice the little things that set up and close out your show: who gets the suggestion, what you're all wearing [if you have a dress code], how you go on and off stage, who talks when. Talk with your tech people. Walk through the lighting and music cues, give them a cheat sheet, have them do a dry run before the house opens.

And be sure to thank them.

Professionalism does matter. It keeps the circle strong: keeping the crowd calm and ready to enjoy the show.

Show that you care about it and they'll care about it.

Improv Advent #25

25 -

Merry Christmas everyone!

Ok great, that's done.

Now it's time for News Year's Resolutions

At least once:

• Do something creative that scares the hell out of you (Solo show? Musical? Write a book?)
• Seek out and play with people you wouldn't normally do a show with
• Watch yourself on tape, take notes as if you were your own coach
• Tell the people you love working with that you appreciate them
• Get involved in something that interests you that has nothing to do with theater
• Sit down, alone, and talk yourself through a few questions
• Why do I keep doing this?
• Who do I love watching and why?
• What makes this important?
• What would I say to someone starting out doing improv?

A few times:

• Read a book on theater. Not just improv (but do that too). Acting, directing, history. Anything.
• Go see non-improv shows
• Make yourself take a break if you're never stopping
• Make time to take a class or workshop

All the time:

• Reach out to new people
• Reach out to older people
• Spread you love and enthusiasm
• Be kind
• Be honest
• Be aware
• Commit
• Create

Also, stop going to Wendy's after 1 AM, you're going to regret it

Improv Advent #24

24 - New Languages 

To have another language is to possess a second soul.

- Charlemagne (apparently)

I'm taking this quote to encourage everyone to keep playing with new people. When you're very comfortable with another improviser, it's like you share a common dialect. You can grasp subtext and meaning from the smallest move, and you can understand far more because of you intimacy.

This comfort can breed complacency. There is something scary and refreshing about sharing the stage with someone new, especially in a format that is extremely focused like a duo. But it's in this environment that you can figure out new and interesting things about yourself and learn how to listen and play in ways you may have forgotten how to.

Take a chance. Ask a stranger to do a duo. If there's an improv jam available that lets you play with your own team, take advantage of that and make it happen. You may find your self pushed in new directions, and in that, you may find yourself growing.

Don't let you ego get in the way. Don't let you preconceptions of someone else get in your way. Reach out, be open, and you can discover something new an satisfying.

Or it can crash and burn.

But that's learning too.

Improv Advent #23

23 - Set Yourself Up For Surprises

 I had lunch with Karen today, and at one point we touched on a move that she's been doing lately that I love. Karen will start a scene by toppling a chair over on stage. The more I think about it the better this is.

It makes the chair very not chairlike  but it's still there one stage taking space, waiting to be discovered or endowed with meaning. The fact that's it weird, out-of-place, and "wrong" makes the eventual use of it all the more interesting. Is it a set of drawers? A bush?  We know what it ain't, so whatever it is is surprising and (hopefully) interesting.

In forcing a unusual choice, you can stumble out of your comfort zone and into some great scenes. It's like playing Switch in your head in a scene: occasionally just throw out the first gut reaction, and then just react some other way: maybe the opposite, maybe something completely different.. Follow your mouth, commit extra extra hard and see what happens.

It is natural to want to control as much as you can, it feels safer. But it's the moments that get out of your hands and into the space between you and your scenemate that are most magical and collaborative. Let your self have the opportunity to be off-balance, sometimes be your own spanner in the works.

Improv Advent #22

22 - No Sorry

Attention new improvisers, please stop saying you're sorry. With your mouth or with your body.

Stop saying it, stop doing it. They are poisonous.

I resolve in 2014 to yell at you for this if I'm in a position to.

You have to, have to, accept your actions as they are. Take your notes as avenues to improvements not as you being chastised. It's not personal. It's making what you do better, it's not about making you better.

If you continue to let yourself say you're sorry, you'll do it on stage. And that's breaking, and that's not commitment, and that's not support.

You did what you did, it's over, no take-backs and the intention doesn't ever matter. You have to own everything you do, you have no choice.  There's no such thing as a take two here.  You will make mistakes, that's fine. We don't care about you last scene, even when it's great, even when it's terrible , even when it's just ok. We care about the next. We always are looking for the next.

Don't say you're sorry. Listen, care, and work hard.

Improv Advent #21

21 - Short Form is Hard Work

I have no idea if that whole short-form vs long-form thing is really a thing. Maybe in our little hamlet it's not as big of a deal, given the strong history of short-form shows here.

But having just done a show with short form games, with little preparation it has reminded me:

 Doing short-form right ain't easy. 

I think the same skills that make for good long form, largely translate to short-form (agreement, engagement, commitment), but there's definitely stuff that exists exclusively in the short-form. Like...you have to work to make the game theatrically interesting... you have to really understand the constraints and how to play off them in a way that lets you do good scenework in addition to fulfilling the writ of the rules... you might just have to damn practice an idiosyncratic skill like rhyming couplets in order to even do it without looking like an idiot.... etc &c.

 Lazy short form, like lazy anything, is terrible. But when you see pros do short-form right, there's no denying that it can be really good improv.

Plus! Switching it up and playing some short-form, or even practicing it, might just stretch and strengthen the muscles you need for your long-form work.

That said.

I still hate Party Quirks. 

Improv Advent #20

20 - Sticking with your core beliefs

Don't use a character's belief system as an excuse not to change; look at these beliefs as a way to play characters with some consistency 

-From Acting On Impulse by Carol Hazenfield

The idea of consistency for a character can be very tricky in improv. You never know what kind of crazy endowment you might get from your partner. It can be incredibly stressful, if you're in your head, to try and make a call between "Am I denying?" and "I need to stay true to my character". 

Complete crazy bombs aside, things are going to go best if no matter what you keep to come core conceits of your character. They are what make you recognizable and relatable.

This is another, no-quick-fix reality of playing but it bear mentioning that staying true to what you believe you character is and not letting that go is not necessarily being selfish, it's being more honest.

Improv Advent #19

19 - Sprezzatura

Sprezzatura , noun-

studied nonchalance :  perfect conduct or performance of something (as an artistic endeavor) without apparent effort
-Also an album by Jimmy Pardo

What a great word! So much fun to do in an over-the-top Italian accent. Almost as good as "Mootz-za-rell" for mozzarella.

Anyway.

The concept of effortless for something that you're working hard on, is pretty much just what practice gets you, right? Improv has the same requirements and the same pay-off. The more work you do, the more classes and study you do the more natural you'll play. Call it what you want: muscle memory, trained instinct, sprezzatura: it comes from work.

Improv Advent #18

18 - Seventeen (Age)

From Trust Fund by Mike Krol

Mike Krol has put out two discs of great rock and roll and you should check them out. Like early Weezer, part of what makes it charming and approachable and fun is that he (they?) write the songs straight from the heart of a 17 year-old. The music is loud and distorted, and the lyrics are honest and simple. It's a really refreshing change from say, Reflektor.

Which brings me to: there's an improv saying about young children being the best improvisers because they just play, man. 

But let's hear it for the teenager.... well at least the stereotype of what a teenager is. They are emotional, overly so,  flying off the handle at the slightest provocation. They are 100% certain in what they know.They can be monomaniacal in pursuing what they want. They're terrified  a lot of the time. And they are capable of  revelatory change. They're awash in hormones, and those chemicals call the shots. They strongly define themselves by their choices. They are sometimes way too honest. Other times they are transparently full of shit. Even when acting tough, they are very vulnerable. 

Pretty good stuff for characters.

Improv Advent #17

17 - Sophistication 

It's difficult for me to explain exactly why I find this profound. I'll leave it here as a comedy koan.

Improv Advent #16

16 - Totally Free Mondays (Bear with me here)

Tonight was the last Totally Free Monday at the Steel City Improv Theater. TFM was the free Monday night show that featured the house teams of the SCIT. It was all long-form, it was always free and it had been going on for over two years.

I was on a team, The Owl Room, at the first TFM.

I was on a team, Hotel Nowhere, at the last TFM.

I made some of my best friends at TFM.

I got to do work, at this point, probably the majority of my total work at TFM

I got to learn how to coach at TFM.

I got to get inspired weekly.

I got to see people get their start, improve, and blossom into the performers that they are now.

I got to see people leave for greener pastures, and knew the cocktail of pride, excitement, and loss in that.

If it wasn't for TFM, I definitely would not be the person I am now. I would be a different, poorer person.

And now it's gone.

We will all still do work.

People will still be on their house teams performing weekly on Fridays.

People will continue to come in, break out of their shells, get on stage, and prosper.

People will continue to do hilarious, magical shows that will make us laugh long after we've all stopped doing this.

People will continue to have bad nights, but keep going, knowing that the only cure for a bad show is a good one and that that is the engine of this art.

People will continue to leave to pursue their dreams.

We will continue to love and support them, and we will continue to do what we do because we are compelled, beautifully, to do it.

But this one specific thing we had is now over.

And it's sad, but that's okay. Because it is sad because it was so great while we had it.

Thanks: Justin, Kasey, Emily, Woody, Brian, Michael C, Keara, Ayne, Fawad, Alex T (new Alex), Alex L (old Alex),  Eric,  Anna, Jocelyn, Brett B, Brett G, Umar, Dan, Jerome, Dillon, Cassie, Conner, Ben, Tessa, Nicole, Alex R, Andrea, Nathan, Matt, Justin V, Derek, Lorin, Renee, Karen, Tom, Brad, Travis Chris W, Pete, Mike, Dave, Steve, DJ, Jamison, Patricia, Tamara, Jasmine, Molly, Tami, Mary, Sara, Jamison, Ben, Graham, Remy, Ciaran, Kyle.... and the people I'm forgetting because I'm trying to do this by memory after going to the Parkhouse, my sincerest apologies.

TFM is dead, long live TFM.

Improv Advent #15

15 -  Stay Gold Ponyboy

Today I had the opportunity to play with a guy I don't play with anymore. Scott had a bunch of things come up ( a baby) that took him out of the improv game, I didn't realize how much I missed him.

Even with all of the rust playing with him today was amazing. Before his hiatus we had played for years together and there is no substitution of that kind of bond.

What I want to say is twofold: when you find someone who you have developed connection with you need to cultivate and nurture that. Don't let that work fall away.

Also, be greedy. Make a point to work with the people you want to work with. Take the time and make the effort to do shows with the people you love. You don't know how long you'll have opportunity

I miss you Adam, Jocelyn, Scott, Anna, Amy.

Edit: First edit was on my phone, typos galore.

Improv Advent #14

14 - Mistakes in improv

Flubs, trips, missed-marks, bum notes, dropped props: unfortunate things in theater. Things that an audience knows to let slide. Bumps in the road that, unless particularly grievous, are quickly forgotten by the viewers. Because we're good a figuring that out and giving leeway to those kind of accidents.

In improv, there's not script to forget, no blocking to mess up, no score to get lost in. So, then, everything that happens is exactly how it was supposed to happen.

There still are honest mistakes: a stutter, a trip, an accidental walk through a couch. These we can still just  notice but disregard.

Everything else though, is being noticed, digested, and held on to as meaningful. In your talking heads scene were you and a partner are just arguing six feet from each other in who-knows-where, the audience is starving to find out more of the meaning of what they're seeing on stage. They want to see more context, more information. Do they need it? Not always need. But they do want it, and will be delighted to discover it.

Everything you do on stage looks intentional, so even if you're not thinking about it, the audience is.

Improv Advent #13

13 - Street Fighter

from Bernard.Gif

Preface: I was not good at SF2. I would pretty much just use Chun-Li and headstomp over and over.

But stick with me.

Remember Street Fighter? In a match you couldn't turn around, you always faced your opponent. If you threw the stick backwards you'd walk backwards and go into a block. If you put the stick back and down, you'd turtle up protecting your shins. Blocking was very important. Blocking was also very boring when both players were conservative. Even then, if a player went on the attack his opponent could just keep their guard up, and unless the aggressor was good at it the match would become a boring ol'blockfest in the corner.

Action only progresses with risk. You have to open up yourself to getting hurt to have something happen. That means in your characters, they have to be able to be hurt. And that comes from being active, from accepting and giving as good as you're letting yourself get get. When people think of blocking in a scene, think of it as literally putting your hands up and preventing anything your partner is doing from landing. Think of the most boring Street Fighter fight: two Blankas, in opposite corners, cowering (or just doing that electrity thing) as the timer ticks down.

 For a fun match, especially from the POV of the audience, there has to be the back and forth. YHou try a punch, it might land, it might get countered. But something happened. You have to take open yourself up to take some licks too for it to be interesting.

HERE COMES A NEW STRAWMAN

But wait! I'm really good at Street Fighter! I know how to do unbeatble bullshit! You won't even be able to get a move off, but there will still be action!

The novelty of an unbreakable combo or glitch expires pretty much after you see it once. Similarly an untouchable character is fun for a little bit. But then we get it, and then it just gets annoying.  In fact everyone just wants you to lose. But you can't do that can you? No because you're character doesn't want to lose, so why should you?

You should because that doesn't exist in real life. You should because it's really hard to have a interesting scene with a superman. You should because playing invincible is unseemly, annoying, and bratty. You should because you've accidentally got some of your ego invested in your made-up, disposable puppet.

 You should because you'll have more fun playing when you're not afraid of getting hurt.

Improv Advent #12

12 - Cutting the obvious

What’s the trick to writing believable dialogue? Write out the scene the way you hear it in your head. Then read it and find the parts where the characters are saying exactly what you want/need them to say for the sake of narrative clarity (e.g., “I’ve secretly loved you all along, but I’ve been too afraid to tell you”). Cut that part out. See what’s left. You’re probably close.

- Andrew Bujalski  From 14 Screenwriters Writing

A slight continuation from #11. This is more of the "show don't tell" part of the equation. When you're really in sync with someone you don't need to hammer on the "things that come next". You can concentrate on the emotionally charged lines that surround the implied next action.

When you're in this kind of groove, it's just about the best feeling in the world. Next to when you actually have the dramatic reveal.

When you're comfortable and good at informing you partner in a scene, using choice specifics, emotional acting, and clear subtext.... remember that subtlety and inference are what make scene not just work, but shine.

Improv Advent #11

11 - Blowing the Surprise

If a mad tattooist is to attack you, it's a mistake to discuss the rumors about a mad tattooist, but a stranger an admire your skin, and force you to strip, because the audience still won't know what's intended.

-From Impro For Storytellers by Keith Johnstone

There is a line that's important not to cross with specificity. Too much explicit leading in a scene diminishes the surprise. It blows the joke. Too little, and you might not be communicating enough with your scenemate.

 Young improvisers tend to do this swing of the pendulum: OK I need to be specific and add information! And then everything about a premise  is made perfectly clear very early on... which means you get locked in to a trajectory. And the funny reveal has been ... well... revealed. So now you're just doing the things we expect you to now. The magical has become procedural. The tension has been dropped.

This gets easier as trust and confidence with who you're playing with increases.

 But, hell, most things get better with that, right?

Improv Advent #10

10 - Three Takes on Inevitable Funniness

Improv taught me that if you keep talking long enough, you'll say something funny

-Jeff Franklin Taken From Improv Comedy by Andy Goldberg

Take One - The Bad Take

Good point! I'll just keep talking constantly in scene! Finally, some advice that validates my motormouth style! 

Take Two - A Take I Like Better

Good point! I don't have to worry. I can just let the scene go, the funny will come out of me eventually because I'm a funny person. Just relax and go with the moment, I'll get there.

Take Three - A Take I Like Even Better Even Though It Gets Persnickety With Semantics

Good point... with some additions. Don't worry about saying something funny, something funny will happen naturally through the work. In fact, nothing that's said or done might be funny in of itself at all, but as long as everyone plays honestly what happens in the reality of the scene might be funny because life is funny sometimes. So don't sweat it and just be in the moment.

Improv Advent #9

9 - Shaking hands and kissing babies

Improv is not a big community. It's very much a niche type of theater. The disadvantage to this is that it can be difficult to explain (No, it's not like stand up. It's not always like Who's Line... uh ... it's like SNL but we don't have a script. No really, we don't know what we're going to do....),  but the advantage is that the people who are committed to it are really  committed to it.

I'm in Pittsburgh, at best a tertiary market, and I'm really lucky to be doing my work during a serious upswing in interest. What this means is it is extremely important to be supportive and open to other people who are getting into and working on their craft. We're all on the same side, and it'll do you craft and soul good to make sure that you're out there getting to know and finding the time to support you colleagues.

There are only so many hours and nights in a week, but find a way to go out and meet the local people that are passionate about improv like you are. You don't have to make it a full-time job (as exciting a prospect that is) but make an effort to keep abreast of what's going on in your backyard. You never know who could be doing things that will inspire you. You never know if you'll meet someone who you can help on their journey. And we all need to pitch in to maximize success.

Not all improvisers are extroverts, but even if you're not (I'm definitely not) go out every once in awhile. Shake hands, see what's coming down the pike, kiss babies, encourage young talent. It's easy to indulge in dismissal and negativity, I'm as guilty as anyone, but for an artform that is predicated on agreement and collaboration that kind of attitude is poison. Give a hand, guide when you can and but out when you know you should.

Rising tide lifts all ships.

At least where I am, we're not gunning for writing jobs, we're not fighting to get parts,  we're all in this for the love of it. Approach it all with that love.

I may be a Pollyanna in the worst way but that's the truth: Love all the people.

Improv Advent #8

8- 

 [What do you think an improviser absolutely needs to know...?]

Trust your partner, the audience is already on your side, and above all else ... listen.

-Randy Dixon, in The Improv Handbook by Tom Salinsky  and Deborah Frances-White

I'm pulling this quote because I was reminded of it it this weekend. I was talking with Laura Lind from The Amish Monkeys. When I asked Laura about what she's learned over her career of playing, the idea that the audience is already on your side came up similarly.

Improv, for the most part, has an audience that is ready to go with you. Unlike, say, stand-up [Derek Minto, am I way out of line here?]. There's the old high-wire act metaphor, the danger and unpredictability and... frankly... gimmick of it does get you some slack.

That's good to know, on some level, because you need to trust your audience to go along with you. To be as smart and patient as your partner on stage should be. 

 Don't just do the easy stuff to please them because you'll end up insulting their intelligence. Just like if you blew a scene for a joke and hung your teammate out to dry. 

Trust and respect them when you're performing. 

And I say this as a guy who says "Fuck the audience" before shows a lot.