Pretending you know what you're doing is almost the same as knowing...
Pretending you know what you're doing is almost the same as knowing... - LiveJournal.com
Updated: 9 hours 56 min ago
Failing to be Fearless
Once upon a time, our hero was in an Improv show. In this show, a call went forth from the audience for "Molière" as a style for a scene. Not knowing Molière from a hole in the ground, our hero was want to not participate directly in the scene, but as no one else dove onto stage in the blackness, he did what any brave Improviser would do and said "Tell me something about Molière." The sentence he got in reply was "Rhyming couplets." So, armed with this knowledge, he dove onto stage and proceeded to do a scene (into which someone else eventually entered) that made the audience laugh even though it was more Seussian than Molière.
The problem occurs post show, when the audience was departing the theater and thanking the cast, and being thanked by the cast. Our hero's post show glow was shattered by someone saying quite bluntly that the "Molière scene" was totally wrong. Completely, totally wrong. The inadvertent tongue lashing made our hero feel pretty dumb... and while he's by no means a rocket scientist (gave that up for performing), he's not dumb. But feeling that way is a sure fire way to get him to clam up and get super-duper pissy.
Since then, however, whenever specific genres or authors are dictated for a scene, the ghost of "Completely, totally wrong" comes back and causes a total brain lockup. The cerebral cortex filter kicks into afterburner overdrive and completely shuts down all communication to the cerebellum, rendering our hero about as Improv savvy as over-buttered toast. Which is why, at tonight's rehearsal, what started out as a swimmingly fun night quickly came to a screeching over-buttered toast halt. Our hero felt dumb, and once that happens, it's all down hill.
me
L'Imposteur
The problem occurs post show, when the audience was departing the theater and thanking the cast, and being thanked by the cast. Our hero's post show glow was shattered by someone saying quite bluntly that the "Molière scene" was totally wrong. Completely, totally wrong. The inadvertent tongue lashing made our hero feel pretty dumb... and while he's by no means a rocket scientist (gave that up for performing), he's not dumb. But feeling that way is a sure fire way to get him to clam up and get super-duper pissy.
Since then, however, whenever specific genres or authors are dictated for a scene, the ghost of "Completely, totally wrong" comes back and causes a total brain lockup. The cerebral cortex filter kicks into afterburner overdrive and completely shuts down all communication to the cerebellum, rendering our hero about as Improv savvy as over-buttered toast. Which is why, at tonight's rehearsal, what started out as a swimmingly fun night quickly came to a screeching over-buttered toast halt. Our hero felt dumb, and once that happens, it's all down hill.
me
L'Imposteur
Categories: Un-Scripted Blogs
The days when it's awesome to be me...
Back in December, I went to visit the California Academy of Sciences with Lisa and Kathryn. It was a great day. I dropped the money to become a member of the Academy (that makes TWO Academys I'm a member of!) so I could go back as often as I wanted to (and bring a friend each time).
So when Un-Scripted got invited to perform at the Academy's first Nightlife event of 2010, I was crazy excited.
Tonight, we reported to the Academy after closing for a sound check, and a private tour of the facility to inspire us for tomorrow's show. I honestly can't even begin to tell you just how cool it was to be (mostly) alone in a huge, empty, Natural History & Science museum. Cat, our guide, was fantastic, and even took us behind the scenes to peek at the research library and the Docent's room, where we got to play with skulls and animal pelts that may or may not show up in tomorrow's shows.
Hopefully they'll like us enough to have us back every couple months, because seriously... the only time I ever use my Science Degree from Penn State is during Improv shows, it seems. :)
me
Science! It works, Bitches!
So when Un-Scripted got invited to perform at the Academy's first Nightlife event of 2010, I was crazy excited.
Tonight, we reported to the Academy after closing for a sound check, and a private tour of the facility to inspire us for tomorrow's show. I honestly can't even begin to tell you just how cool it was to be (mostly) alone in a huge, empty, Natural History & Science museum. Cat, our guide, was fantastic, and even took us behind the scenes to peek at the research library and the Docent's room, where we got to play with skulls and animal pelts that may or may not show up in tomorrow's shows.
Hopefully they'll like us enough to have us back every couple months, because seriously... the only time I ever use my Science Degree from Penn State is during Improv shows, it seems. :)
me
Science! It works, Bitches!
Categories: Un-Scripted Blogs
Step Back. Let Go.
I remember the first time I saw Improv done really well. It was the first show I saw at the Improv Asylum, just over 10 years ago. I had been taking classes there, but hadn't been to a show, so I finally went to watch my Level 1 instructor, Amy Roeder, do her thing.
I can't even explain how dumbstruck I was. But I knew, at that moment, with every fiber of my being, that this is what I had to do.
To this day, when I see amazing Improv, it inspires me and lifts my heart. Seriously, it feels like someone puts their hand underneath my heart and lifts upwards. Sometimes so much so that it hurts.
One of the reasons I enjoy working with Un-Scripted so much is that I see shit that does that to me on a regular basis... and sometimes I get to be right in the middle of it.
Each member of the cast tonight was given a slip of paper with two "Secret Notes" on it. The were things that the Director and AD wanted to see us work on. My two secret notes were "Play a character who overreacts to things." And "Play a character with a distinct body language/physical tick."
In one of the scenes I did, I went in totally over the top, reacting to something that had happened in the scene prior (which I wasn't a part of), and in that split second before I went on stage, someone said something that completely turned my take on what I was about to do around. Like, a complete 180. But I just ran with it, overreacted my little heart out, and stormed off.
The next scene found me on stage, continuing my overreaction as the same character, drunk on a stoop. Angry drunk. Unpleasant drunk. And Trish Tillman came out in her Sultry Seducer mode and brought the anger overreaction around so the character was sobbing against her chest while she started a song. And then we danced.
Now, I've danced for a long time. Beneath my Micheline Man exterior is the body of a dancer, and sometimes he can fight his way through the beer coozy around my six pack just enough to shine. And boy did he do that tonight. Trish and I sang and danced this sort of Tango-esque number that just... well, it felt right. I let go and just did whatever the moment called for, and it was sexy and tense and just umph-tastic. And when it was over, I noticed my heart was being shoved up into my upper chest.
Then, towards the end of rehearsal, we worked on Improvised Dance. Just dance, no singing. We went through a couple iterations, then this number started and the suggestion we got was simple "There are two groups." Of course, it started out 3 and 3, doing their own thing. Then some mimicry started, and the it became 2 and 4, and then 5 and Keck. And Keck became the one that was always one beat behind the others. So as soon as he would join us in whatever we were doing, we would move on to the next thing. It became this amazing, and heart wrenching game, until Dave decided to stick with him. At which point, without even looking at each other, we all bolted back across the stage to join them for the end of the peace. It was cute and sad, and again, one of those Improv moments that you wish you could find in every show.
Damn, I love this gig.
me
Surrounded by Inspiration
I can't even explain how dumbstruck I was. But I knew, at that moment, with every fiber of my being, that this is what I had to do.
To this day, when I see amazing Improv, it inspires me and lifts my heart. Seriously, it feels like someone puts their hand underneath my heart and lifts upwards. Sometimes so much so that it hurts.
One of the reasons I enjoy working with Un-Scripted so much is that I see shit that does that to me on a regular basis... and sometimes I get to be right in the middle of it.
Each member of the cast tonight was given a slip of paper with two "Secret Notes" on it. The were things that the Director and AD wanted to see us work on. My two secret notes were "Play a character who overreacts to things." And "Play a character with a distinct body language/physical tick."
In one of the scenes I did, I went in totally over the top, reacting to something that had happened in the scene prior (which I wasn't a part of), and in that split second before I went on stage, someone said something that completely turned my take on what I was about to do around. Like, a complete 180. But I just ran with it, overreacted my little heart out, and stormed off.
The next scene found me on stage, continuing my overreaction as the same character, drunk on a stoop. Angry drunk. Unpleasant drunk. And Trish Tillman came out in her Sultry Seducer mode and brought the anger overreaction around so the character was sobbing against her chest while she started a song. And then we danced.
Now, I've danced for a long time. Beneath my Micheline Man exterior is the body of a dancer, and sometimes he can fight his way through the beer coozy around my six pack just enough to shine. And boy did he do that tonight. Trish and I sang and danced this sort of Tango-esque number that just... well, it felt right. I let go and just did whatever the moment called for, and it was sexy and tense and just umph-tastic. And when it was over, I noticed my heart was being shoved up into my upper chest.
Then, towards the end of rehearsal, we worked on Improvised Dance. Just dance, no singing. We went through a couple iterations, then this number started and the suggestion we got was simple "There are two groups." Of course, it started out 3 and 3, doing their own thing. Then some mimicry started, and the it became 2 and 4, and then 5 and Keck. And Keck became the one that was always one beat behind the others. So as soon as he would join us in whatever we were doing, we would move on to the next thing. It became this amazing, and heart wrenching game, until Dave decided to stick with him. At which point, without even looking at each other, we all bolted back across the stage to join them for the end of the peace. It was cute and sad, and again, one of those Improv moments that you wish you could find in every show.
Damn, I love this gig.
me
Surrounded by Inspiration
Categories: Un-Scripted Blogs
Letting it snow...
It's that time... the holidays are upon us. Bloomingdale's has had Christmas trees up since Memorial Day, pretty much. The lights are on the palm trees in Union Square. And the performance schedule for Let It Snow! is out.
The show previews next week, then runs through 12/19. Here are the dates I'm performing:
11/20 (preview)
12/5 (matinee)
12/5 (evening)
12/11 (evening)
12/12 (matinee)
12/18 (evening)
12/19 (evening)
Matinee' shows generally start at 3:00, and evening shows at 8:00.
For those who don't know (or don't remember) Let It Snow is the family friendly fully improvised Holiday musical where we take an audience member's small home town and do a two hour holiday musical tribute to it.
You can find more information about the show at: http://un-scripted.com
And Alan made this BITCHIN interactive Google map, listing the show summary from every town that we've featured during the course of the last several years doing Let It Snow! http://un-scripted.com/content/let-it-snow-interactive-map
me
Missing the snow in Boston a little... :)
The show previews next week, then runs through 12/19. Here are the dates I'm performing:
11/20 (preview)
12/5 (matinee)
12/5 (evening)
12/11 (evening)
12/12 (matinee)
12/18 (evening)
12/19 (evening)
Matinee' shows generally start at 3:00, and evening shows at 8:00.
For those who don't know (or don't remember) Let It Snow is the family friendly fully improvised Holiday musical where we take an audience member's small home town and do a two hour holiday musical tribute to it.
You can find more information about the show at: http://un-scripted.com
And Alan made this BITCHIN interactive Google map, listing the show summary from every town that we've featured during the course of the last several years doing Let It Snow! http://un-scripted.com/content/let-it-snow-interactive-map
me
Missing the snow in Boston a little... :)
Categories: Un-Scripted Blogs
