I've been having the issue of the Level 2 slump that apparently everyone goes through. My whole class has, I think. (Actually it is now dawning on me, hearing stories of others, that this "slump" often extends deep into Level 5... horror!) Just being stuck in my head. I am fully aware of the cause of this. Improv, especially long-form, has a bunch of "rules." These rules are not hard and fast, but are most often just a series of things that help you avoid the many many pitfalls that folks often fall into. The idea is that you learn them, make them "muscle" memory and then forget about them.
But after Level 2 and the start of Level 3 you have gathered a tons of DON'Ts. You haven't done enough scenes/Harolds to run into the same problem twice, so you are always hitting a new "wall." You are (or at least I am) still thinking about what went wrong LAST time, that you stumble over something else. I know it is all part of the process, and I am extremely passionate about it, but I am also hyper-analytical.
So what gets lost is the "fun."
But today we had a practice class. Six of us. And, with the help of our coach of the week, Ben Schwartz, I finally was able (in a small way) to just let it happen. Certainly not in every scene, but when it happened, it was so so sweet. Like an embrace. Yes, a damn embrace of sweetness. I also allowed myself to get bigger in my characters. I also started to trust my instincts more.
It is also a thrill to "perform" with someone whose work you have admired for awhile. For the last few minutes, Ben joined us in a montage. When you are with someone who just makes such fascinating moves, it is inspiring.
(If you are curious about Mr. Schwartz, check out his site RejectedJokes.com.)
Now I have to go write some sketches and drink my tea.
Russia's The Dead Hand
15 years ago
