Why the End of the World

Approximately 74% of the people reading this already know the answer but I am going to chat about it anyway.   I am recently started a class at the Upright Citizens Brigade: The End of the World.   It is performing an improv form using the genre of the, well, end of the world. Apocalypses and post-apocalypses.  Alien invasions, viruses, zombies, doomsday weapons, time travel, distopias, reality altering drugs, clones, robots, Revelations, meteors, earthquakes, global warming, the sun dying, nuclear war, 2012, genetically altered animals, mutants, the Antichrist, and on and on.

If you know me at all, you know why I felt like this class was something I needed to participate in. Hell, I toyed with the idea of asking if I could be unpaid TA if I didn't get in the class.  The whole concept fascinates me.  It is both epic and personal, and usually slapped with a great big moral message. What also fascinates me is our (has a human race) fascination in it.  We just love  (and apparently always) be unable to not think about the end of it all.  How will we, has a race, meet our final demise?  With a bang or a whimper?  Usually it is our on hubris, especially since the start of the 20th century.  And that alone is a testament to our own hubris: We are very convinced  that our own ability to play god will be our own destruction.

Also it is just damn fun to do.  Seriously.  It is like an excuse to initiate all the crap that usually occurs to me.  Crazy scenarios, themes that hit you like a 2x4, the type of broad characters that I am nervous to break out in any other impov form.  I am like a kid in a candy shop.

Anywhozits, that is why I am using it to write short stories.  Apologies to Douglas Adams and the original conception of what eventually became Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  I will probably run out of steam at some point (heck, I am behind now).  If you have any suggestion, challenges, ideas, whatevers... feel free (read: I beg you) to post them in the comments.  I will do my best.

This is why

Sometimes I wonder why I do improv.  It is so ephemeral, so fleeting.  You can't practice so much that you are guaranteed good shows and certainly not great shows.  At some point, you can end up having good show after good show and yet they can seem empty.  Because the bar keeps moving.  It is performance, so you do care about what others think.  But we all know that a decent show still means people come up and say, "Good show."  Those really good or great shows are sometimes few and far between and sometimes it is hard to judge what is what... and sometimes it is hard to detect the exclamation point in "Good show!"

We desire people we respect to give us positive feedback.  Because we are human.  There are so few things in the improv world that are tangible positive reinforcement... and they come in the form of people we respect saying, "We like you and specifically you.  And we want you ABOVE others."  That is rare.  We wish it could come to all of our friends that we love and think are talented and skilled... but of course it can't.  The very nature of that sort of reinforcement is that it puts one above another.  Not that they are better people, or even more skilled.  But that is the nature of the beast.

We all (or almost all) say that is not why we do improv.  And I believe that.  But then why do it?

Because of shows like last night.

Thank You, Robot had a really good show last night.  The sort of show that reminds me of the magic of improv.  Where it doesn't become work.  Where you are all on stage as a unit, giving and taking and feeding off each other.  Where the whole is so much greater than the sum of the parts.

Here are reasons I liked last night's show:

• TYR is a bit proud of our openings.  Not many folks do organic openings.  Hell, many indie teams don't do openings at all.  Our openings are fun and entertaining and not alienating (we hope).  However, sometimes they become disconnected from the actual show.  We'll have a fun opening that we don't draw from.  But last night, that was not the case.  We played with the suggestion and (for the most part) kept it moving.  There was variation and characters.  We started to touch on themes.  And when we got to the actual set, we drew from it well.  "Used the whole buffalo."  Okay, maybe a few parts can't left aside but not much.  

• While we jumped around on game a bit, things weren't thrown away.  There was layering of game.  Sometimes he'd hit a game and move on from it, but it wasn't a desperate grasping for something fun.  It was a progression.  In the past, TYR would "follow what is fun" so hard that we'd jump quickly on the crazy train and just end up in madness.  Last night we all listened and added and shared.

• Our support was strong and helpful and never took over the scene from what was already established.

• I am particularly proud of a support move/fill out the scene move I made and what it became. It was just object work, off to the side.  I said one word (which actually wasn't needed).  I am happy I was able to add to the scene and support the moves everyone else was making without speaking.  (And it was nice to get praise for my object work.  It's a small thing but people seemed to enjoy it.)

• Laughing.  My team makes me laugh a lot.  I know breaking on stage isn't great, but when you crack up a teammate and they crack you up (and you don't let it take over the set), it feels awesome.  Thank you, JR.

• We had moments of slight confusion that turned great.  Two initiations made at the same time that then join into one thing, that was then supported and justified by everyone else.

• I love moments of group mind where I think of a big move and someone one the team does exactly that move before I do.  It is so rewarding to just be on the same page.

• But there was also surprise.  People did and said stuff that just wowed me at them being unexpected.  And I surprise myself.  I often think to much, plan too much.  Last night I acted on instinct and it felt perfect (and was immediately supported by everyone).  [Thank you, Nick Ross.]

Anyway, that is why I do this.  I am glad I am reminded.  I think I had forgotten.

(I am also super-excited for a new class that starts on Monday.  If there was a class or project that my life has been building do since the day I was the movie 1984 back in 1984, it is this class.  It might end up being a mess but I don't care because it is something I so want to do.)

Totally useless crush

I never get celebraty crushes.  Just too remote.

But:

(1) I really love reality shows.

(2) I really love food.

(3) My bacon fascination is well-documented.

(4) And I obviously have a foundness for improv.

I honestly have no feelings towards Hardee's.

(via So Good)

A few photos from the anniversary show

From misoserious.com's Flickr set.

I look so intense here.  I love it and this has become my standard profile picture.  It is also why I like my hair.

Intense in a very differnt way.

Matt is actually being caring in this moment but it looks like he's about to choke me.

My favorite picture. And it's not improv.  It's from our introduction of the 5 Dude's set.  But, seriously, is anything more awesome than Jeremy flinging a cobra at the audience? 

2.0 Thank You Robot Second Anniversary Show

In case you didn't know (which is highly doubtful if you actually know me), my improv group Thank You, Robot is celebrating 2 years of performing on Friday Feb. 20th at midnight (by that I mean late Friday night and not super early Saturday morning... midnight shows can be very confusing that way).  We're pretty darn thrilled.

(1) Two years in improv years is weirdly a lot.

(2) It is at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (307 W 26th St, NY, NY).

(3) The amazing team 5 Dudes is performing two.  (When I say amazing, I mean AMAZING.)

It costs $5.  You should try to come.

Anywhozits, here are some promo vids.

Against All Odds

A month ago or so, I finally managed to put together a two person team.  (It was in part an excuse to lock the phenomenal Nicole Drespel onto a team.)  And so Against All Odds: An Improvised Breakup.  (Note to hosts: You can just call it Against All Odds.) 

The concept is pretty simple – a breakup.  I like it for a bunch of reasons.  While it is restrictive and sets our relationship before the set even starts, there is a wealth of material in that setup.  Their are  infinite types of couples and infniite types of breakups.  Two people allows people to focus on character and relationship (especially in this case) and to takle things slow.  And it is a bit of an excuse to go emotional, which I sometimes avoid because I worry it will take over a scene.  In this case, that IS much of the scene.

I could go on and on, but I am trying to not deconstruct the whole thing too much. 

We've only performed twice and both times felt very good.  Effortless and honest.  Not forced.  I couldn't be happier about it.

Against All Odds is available for bookings.  Our next show is on Feb. 13th (just before the dreaded Valentine's Day) at 10pm at The Creek.

Against All Odds: An Improvised Breakup

Last night was a last minute whipped together System Error show at the Parkside Lounge.  I still had tons of fun (big props to JR and LBizzy).

Since it was basically un-attended (thanks Bozarth for coming out... and LBizzy and LBizzy's friend who wasn't wasted like the Bizz-master), Nikki D. and I decided to try something we had talked about earlier in the week.

When I say "earlier in the week," let me be clear.  On Wednesday night I had an idea of a two-person improv form I wanted to try with Nikki.  On Thursday, I IMed her about it.  I believe our entire discussion about it was about 60 gChat lines from 10:30am to noon.  That was it.

So 80 hours later, without talking about it anymore than those 60 lines (besides saying "This seems like a good idea"), we were up on stage doing it.

And it was fun.  And I think it was funny.  And ripe with potential.  It's not a wholly original form or anything.  But it allows me (1) to do two-person improv which I've wanted to do for awhile, (2) do slower improv, (3) focus tightly on the relationship in a scene, (4) walk closer to that edge of sad and emotional and funny which is a space I enjoy, and (5) work with Nikki D. who I makes me happy, both as an improviser and a person.

It's very nice when things work out so well.

Anywhozits, Against All Odds: An Improvised Breakup is available for bookings.

The Weekend

This will probably be yet another long weekend.
Tonight drinks and dinner with the 'rents and then birthday drinks (not my birthday, silly).
Tomorrow there is brunch and errands. And then at 10pm I'll be in Bad Data's Bad Date IV: The Book of Shadows at The Creek & The Cave (10-93 Jackson Ave Long Island City). I'll be in Buffy-prov playing The Host/Lorne. There will also be Law & Order-prov and X-Force-prov. It's free.
Sunday is yet another day o' improv. There is a System Error show at The Parkside Lounge with Thank You, Robot and LD & The Scientist and Ghostfight at 8pm on Sunday. It's also free. You should go. I can't because I'll be in class.
So very little posting will happen.

Deconstructing (pt. 2): Better To Give Than Receive (actually, both are great)

(Continuing from pt 1.)

One of the liberating things about this opening (and the form that follows) is that it is a free pass at endowing yourself and everyone else with stuff to play.

Normally, openings tend to interpreted pretty loosely. This is by design. You want to surprise the audience and yourself. You take bits and pieces and themes from the opening and then explore, riff, whatever off them. Part of the magic of improv is the discoveries that happen during a show. It is something that the audience and performers get to share at the same time. They aren't sure who you're going to use the opening and neither are you.

This form, because you are drawing so directly from the opening, makes that harder. Everything is played much closer. (I'm going to discuss the difficulty and freedom this causes in a later post.) But because things are played closer it does allow you to do something which is semi-frowned on in most improv... but can also be so so fun.

Pimping. (In improv, for those few readers who don't know, pimping is that act of forcing your scene partner to do something. The classic example is handing them a 'book' and saying, "Read this poem out loud." You have now forced your partner into making up a poem on the spot.)

Now, this is true pimping. It is more endowing. Because you know that if you mention a one legged French ballet dancer who sells knifes door to door in the opening someone on the backline is going to play the one legged French ballet dancer who sells knifes door to door, it can be quite fun. Once I realized this, it took some of the pressure off the opening for me. I knew whatever I said was going to be something for someone else to put on. Of course this heightens the fact that you don't want to explore anything to deeply in the opening. If you paint to main details about something/someone in the opening, it gives them nothing to explore later. If you describe the whole 'game' of a character in the opening, there will be nothing to be discovered when we finally see that character. (And if you spend too much time on one thing, you'll not have enough time to get out other things for other people to play.) Again it is such a gentle balance.

Not unique to this form but perhaps heightened by it, is the "I Want That!" syndrome. When on the backline during the opening, you hear something that appeals to you strongly, you suddenly think "Oh god. I want to play that!" You of course have to keep listening but you jam it into your back pocket. Now in most openings, I jam a handful of things into my pockets and am all set to bring it up whenever I need to. But because the ideas from The Gossip opening can be so strong I find myself being, well, selfish. I want to jump out with the one thing that most appeals to me as quickly as I can... before anyone else can. This is good (because you are excited about the gifts that are being given to you) but so dangerous. Besides it just being greedy and not so supportive, it can also screw the pacing of the whole piece. If there is one idea that is clearly so fun and so good, you probably want to save it for a few scenes in. The audience probably keyed in on that idea too. It is probably strongest in their mind right after the opening and they want and expect to see it. If you go straight to it, you are just giving them exactly what they expect. But if you wait, it leaves the from of the audience's mind and becomes exciting when it finally does show up. One of those keys to comedy is to get the audience to expect and anticipate something and then not give it to them until they don't expect it. Giving them that moment of "Oh yes! I remember that!" is so much better than "Oh yes. I knew that was next."

But something else I realized is that you need to take care of yourself. Because the characters in the opening end up (just by the nature of it all) being the center of the world (although they might not be the focus), they will (most likely) come back in the body of the piece. And if you don't give yourself something you want to play, you are screwing yourself. This is hard because you are trying to NOT play game in the opening, a character game might not get developed at all. So, especially early in the opening, giving you something strong to grab on to is just watching out for yourself. But of course, you don't want to play it strongly during the opening. You want to leave something to explore later on. An example from my previous post is the touching thing. It gave me a strong character trait. When I was called off the backline and put into a flash back scene of having my boss/lover over for dinner with my wife, I immediately started touching both of them. I knew exactly who I was and what I was thinking and what I was doing.

I tend to be pretty shy about endowing myself. I'm more comfortable supporting others with moves. Heck,one of my problems is playing game so hard and straight that there is too little discovery. I think I'm getting better. With this form (especially the opening, either in it or on the backline) I feel like I am being set free.

Deconstructing (pt. 1): Create More, Explore Less

This post will be rambling and probably insanely boring to non-impov people. (Chances are that it will be boring to improv people too.) This is at least me third attempt at it but each thought leads to a new thought and by the time I get three paragraphs in and I end up contradicting myself. But I do love thinking about this stuff and my brain has been pretty fixated on this topic for the last two weeks. Writing/discussing about it helps me process my thoughts which actually helps me get out of my head when I am actually performing. Anywhozits, enough with the qualifications. I should just get on with it.

(Off topic, the radio just mentioned that Disneyland was closed last night for Miley Ray Cirus's birthday. Yes, I wish I was her. Just this once.)

Background: Right after I finished my last 501 class (which was one of the great classes of my short improv life), I started a 600 class. 600 classes are kind of the master classes at UCB. They focus on a specific thing or form, often something new the teacher wants to create or explore. It is the same teacher as my last 501 (who I adore because I think she "gets me"). The 600 is filled with great performers, most of whom I have know of for a long time but never have had a chance to play with.

I went into the class not having very clear idea what the form was going to be. (I had a guess that was completely wrong.) It is a form of deconstruction... sort of. It is almost a reconstruction. No, that's not the right word either. One of the big problems with discussing improv (as is the problem with discussing most art) is that the vocabulary is so slippery. Very little is concrete form person to person, place to place, time to time. Hell. I don't want to get too deep into what it is because that might spoil some of the fun for those who see it. But I want to talk about some of the ideas behind it.

One of the cool/difficult things about the way we are doing this form is that it involves breaking a lot of the "rules" that have been drilled into our heads. Of course there are no rules in improv. There is often structure (which can also be broken).

(A lot of 600s are about learning new tools and skill sets but don't actively break any of the previous rules. Forms like The Documentary or The Movie are different forms that give you different styles and editing tools with which to play (and does brake the "avoid plot/narrative"). Other 600s like the phenomenal Raw Harold was about really removing all the rules. This 600 has moments that remove some rules and tweaking others but staying very true to others. We are being given a lot of freedom with which to play... which means you have to be so more diligent about certain other things.)

But there are things that are trained into you that are make it easier and smoother. For example, "Don't talk about things not in the scene." You want to make the scene about the present. Simple enough. Who wants to watch people talk about what the crazy night they had last night or what they are going to do tomorrow or that weird guy done the street. You want to see those things on stage. Of course, you can have very funny/engaging scenes with people talking about other things... it is just a lot harder to do well.

The opening of this form is specifically breaking that rule. You want to talk a lot about other people and things. You want not get stuck on playing the game of the scene because that will stop you from getting information out for the rest of the piece. I took a workshop with Matt Walsh during the Del Close Marathon this year. The best thing I took away from it was a simple sentence, "Create less, explore more." Basically, find that information and stuff in those first few lines and explore those. Don't keep adding new vaguely related stuff. But here we have to do a five minute scene, layering more and more info, never delving to deeply into anyone thing. It goes against one of the base instincts we have had imprinted into our brains. In someways it become the reverse of that rule: "Create more, explore less."

While difficult to shift gears, I am finding this aspect so rewarding. In my head I am creating new little rules in my head, new ways to think about the doing the opening scene. The idea is to paint the world around the people in the scene. Step one (like any scene), is to establish where you are and who you are to each other. The where is important. Not just "we are in our living room" but where that living room is. Is it in a New York apartment? A suburbs? A farmhouse? Those are all questions you should be asking in any scene but here it is even more important. And once you know who you and your scene partner(s) are, just start painting that world around you. Who would these people know? Who would be important to them? Who would intrigue them? The teacher calls the opening the Gossip and for good reason. Who would they talk about and why would they talk about them?

Normally, it is important to me to figure out my view point through specific emotions and actions. But this becomes some what secondary. But I am finding that is okay. Given five minutes (which is actually a life time in an improv scene), you can take your time and figure out who you are through who you talk about. I like having that time and discovering things indirectly. Once I realized that, it suddenly became easier to think about. (I'm not saying I'm doing it well yet but I think I am starting to get it in my head.)

I've established a bit of a pattern in my head. Establish where we are by environmental work and who we are to each other. (I still need to get better at naming people... I am bad at that.) As soon as we are done with that, start talking about other people. Right away. Don't worry about finding something important about us in the scene. That will come. Once someone has been mention, give two or three things about them. Just yes-and. If your scene partner mentions the new pet shop down the street, immediately think about pet shops I know or what pet shops make me think of. "Oh, yes. I walked in there yesterday. Jenkins, the owner, sure seems to specialize in exotic reptiles." Doesn't matter what it is. Yes-and once or twice then move on. That is hard to relearn but I'm starting to get my brain to do it "two, three facts and drop it." From there it is to A to C off of who we are, where we are, or what what has already been mentioned. For whatever reason, I think pet shop, I picture a barbershop next to it. "I so need to get my haircut but I swear that my barber is trying to cheat me." Or when I think "reptiles," I think of people who are scared of them. "Speaking of snakes, my sister still hasn't recovered from that time she got lost in the Reptile House at the zoo." Or go to the environment we're in. Maybe my scene partner has gone to the fridge. "Oh, by the way, I gave the last of our eggs to the neighbors. You know how hard it has been on the Dickersons since Fredrick lost his job at the paper mill."

The hard part for me has definitely been to not play any game that has popped up. It is so ingrained in me that if I see a way to play something already established to not come back to it. For example, last night I was doing a scene where we quickly discovered we were a married couple and I had recently told my wife that I had always been gay. We had a few mini-games very early including the fact that I was touching her gingerly but a lot. It was so difficult to get away from (1) that very loaded and emotional relationship and (2) that mini-game. We had, in any other case, everything you needed for an easy and fun scene to just play. But we needed to give info for the body of the set. We (well, mostly my great scene partner) would quickly add more things/people in the world, but almost everything was presenting a way to play the game we'd established. I actively had to keep steering myself away from it.

One lesson I took from that scene, is that you can play those mini-side games (like the touching) but you can never fixate on them. They can help ground you and give you something to do but you can't comment on them more than once. And you can save any game you find for the scene for later. When you feel you are getting closer to that five minute mark and feel you have laid down a lot of stuff for everyone else to play with, it can give you something nice to give the backline something to edit you on. For example, last night I realized that has the scene went on I was becoming more comfortable being gay around my wife and I just said, "Wow. I am become more gay by the minute." (Yes, not the greatest game. Just an example.) And we were edited.

Okay, this is already too long and I haven't come close to everything I want to say/am thinking about. So I added a "pt. 1" to the title. Later (when I get time) I will discuss...
• In the opening, endowing yourself with something strong. • Pimping the entire backline, or why it is better to give than receive. • Playing specifics but not plot. • Laying game, playing game, discovering game. • The easiest from of connections ever: Mix and matching characters.

Pulp

I've be looking through this fascinating collection of "pulp" magazine covers. Hundreds of covers. This stuff is gorgeous. The colors and composition. "Evocative" is the word. Each cover immediately sends you into a world. Here are just a few that stood out to me.

Oh, jesus! A giant flying buzz saw of death!
I believe this one is pretty famous. This is what aliens look like in my nightmares (except without the weird duck feet).
Why are albino gorillas so freaky? Even ones that look to fat to stand up and can only throw rocks?
Temptress of Planet Delight! Or is it Deliyht? Or Deliyhj? Either way, I love the composition. The flowing of her yellow dress like flames balanced by the harsh orange-yellows of the explosion below.
I have no idea what to even say about this one except you can see why Congress was worried about the effect it was having on the nation's youth.
Okay, not great art. But art to not post.

It occurs to me that this all has the making of yet another improv project I probably won't get around to: Randomly select any of the covers from this collection and use that as the suggestion. After that it pretty much works its own magic.

(via Papa Scott)

Collection of thoughts that shouldn't be in the same post

I am fascinated by the semantics of things. Right now my issue is with improv. There is a pile of vocabulary that we use to discuss improv but everything is poorly defined. Or at least diversely defined. This is a problem with with discussing most art (like trying to define the word "art"). For example, there is a concept of "game." The simplest definition is "what is funny in a scene," but that of course opens a whole other can of worms. Often the nuances of what made a line or situation "funny" is ambiguous. Or it can be for me at least. There was line said by my scene partner in my class show yesterday that killed. It was one of those audience can't stop laughing moments. I had bite the inside of my cheeks to keep from laughing. And I am not 100% sure why.

There are tons of words in improv that everyone has there own definition for. "Relationship." "Pattern." Some words are things that supposedly mean a very specific thing. For example, there is an exercises/warm-ups called Categories. Actually there are three separate games I have heard called Categories. And I have seen each of those games played many different ways.

The worst, I think most would agree, is the term "Organic." This can either refer to a type of opening to an improv set or to an entire set style. I have NEVER had two teachers describe it the same way. It has weird connotations in a lot of students heads. This is partly due to the fact that when you are first learning about it it is similar to an exercise call Follow the Follower (which some of us refer to as Woosh-Woosh) but as you go along you add more layers and options to it. In my mind, an organic opening (or an organic styled show) is about accepting everything you are given by everyone but it is also about making choices. Choices inform choices. It is about not judging yourself or others and letting the whole lead your impulse... but it also means allowing those impulses to come out. Thank You, Robot mostly does "Organic" openings but we have started calling it the "Anything" opening, which is more accurate.

Anywhozits, how people communicate with a flawed or ill-established vocabulary fascinates me.

I may have very well used "semantics" incorrectly here.


David Foster Wallace hung himself on Friday. As stated before, I had just started to reread Infinite Jest last week. Saturday night on the subway I was reading a chapter dealing with a woman talking about how depression made her feel and the difference between attempting suicide to hurt oneself and attempting suicide to end oneself. When I got home I found out he was dead. It hit me harder than I would have expected.

I don't know if I have more to say about it.


I bought the video game Star Wars The Force Unleashed. As someone pointed out, it is a ridiculous title. I've only had a chance to play for half an hour. Hack, slash. Good fun. I am sure I will have more to say on it when I have played more.


Someone farted on the subway a few days ago and it smelled like waffles with maple syrup.


I've been re-watching the tv series Angel lately. Such good goofy fun. Season four is all over the map. I really liked season five. For a show that ended on a picture perfect note, I wish it would come back. And not as a movie. I liked it because it was a series.

I actually thought I was going to write more about Angel but now I realize I don't want to.


Thank You, Robot has a show on Friday at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place). 10:30. You should come to it (especially if you didn't come to be class show yesterday). It's only $6 and the other teams are Old Enough (which I believe is made up of all improvisers over 40) and Bangs (which is an UCB house team that I am really enjoying watch grow).

If you came to my class show, thank you. I know at least three of my readers were actually in it so they don't get actual thanks for showing up. They do get thanks for being awesome.


I am more excited to see the Presidential (and Vice Presidential) debates than I have been... well, ever. And I am pretty sure I will be disappointed all around. Much like watching sports, they are only interesting when things get crazy or just go horribly wrong.


I have a new favorite brand of athletic socks.

Upcoming Shows

Both VEAL and THANK YOU, ROBOT have shows this weekend. Actually both are on Sunday.

VEAL will be at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place) at 7pm. KAPE is opening. Costs $7.

TYR is in another System Error show at The Parkside Lounge (317 E Houston St). BAD DATA and HUMERUS (which is made up of all med students) are also performing. 8pm. It's free but we encourage you to buy a drink or four.

I will not be at either show. I have my last 501 class until the 600 class starts (which is a week later). Speaking of my 501 class, we have a class show on Tuesday at 6:30pm at The Upright Citizens Brigade. As far as pure talents, this class is pretty mind blowing. I hardly ever push my class shows any more but this one will be worth it. $5.

And then next Friday THANK YOU, ROBOT has another Summer Fridays show at Under St. Marks. The other teams are OLD ENOUGH and UCB house team BANGS. The Summer Fridays have been pretty damn great so far. This one should be super special.

There are some other shows in the works for October. Some pretty exciting stuff (at least to us). Stay tuned.

Issues of Blogging

This is a somewhat pointless post since it is about not posting.

There are a handful of things that I would like to write about but can't. Well, I can but they are personal. Hell, I have no problem sharing things about myself but these are things that, one way or another, involve other people.

This is one eason I don't write 95% of my thoughts on improv. I have TONS of thoughts on shows I done and scene and on classes I'm taking and and on being on teams and on the improv scene in general... but they aren't all positive. In my brain they are interesting thoughts/observations/questions, but other people connected to them could very well fell, well, annoyed. Besides it feels icky to very publicly crap on people who are doing something for zero to negative money but are doing it for just the love of it. Not that I think my thoughts are "crapping on." I just like analyzing things. I like to think about why things work and why they don't.

But the fact is there is no point to blog about them just to hear myself pontificate. (Buy me a drink or two and I share my views pretty openly.)

Then there are juicy topics of sex and relationships and all that steamy jazz. These were easy to blog about when I'm not involved. Heck, there are plenty of times that I have hidden "super secret messages" (to quote Alan K.) in these posts. Messages to women I've had crushes on (from "mild fleeting crushes" to "why can't I get them out of my head crushes"). I try, when I can, to get away from the specifics of any particular situation and post about my feeling on a broader issues. But that's not always possible. For example... actually I can't give a good example with out revealing too much.

So I am stuck with wanting to rant about Sarah Palin... until I remember that I wasn't going to vote Republican anyway and she is just the VP candidate.

A couple of days ago I mentioned a class I wanted to take. Well, I was accepted. It's not a huge deal, but I had a weird hang up since I was rejected from taking the last three advanced classes to which I applied. I am excited though. I'm excited about learning something new and working hard with new people to create something specific. So "yay" for me.

What I've Been Thinking About Lately

After it kept coming up in conversations, I decided to re-read Infinite Jest. It's been about ten years. After just three chapters it's back at the top of my favorite books. I can't quite put my finger on it. The characters – Hal's in the opening scene...his disconnect to what is going on around him and even what is going out of his mouth... "We witnessed something only marginally mammalian in there, sir"... heartbreaking and hilarious. The themes – addiction, family, consumerism, entertainment. The straight up love of words. And it is dense and unforgiving to the reader but in such a way that is so rewarding in the end. It's not a book I am going to devour this time. I plan on savoring it this go around.

•••

My back started to peal on Thursday and hasn't stopped. Yes, it is disgusting. And it itches like hell. The sslowly flaking front line has finally reached the small of my back to the small injury I received during my 201 Musical Improv show. I have no idea why that tiny injury refused to heal right. Yet another silly minor scar with a silly story. (To go with (1) "That was from a vacuum cleaner while playing Ed Norton in a separatist-feminist version of Alcestis," (2) "That was from making clockwork awning for a theater," and (3) "That was when I cut myself with a bagel... no, not while cutting a bagel... I cut myself WITH a bagel.")

•••

Related confession: I really enjoy and am fascinated by the process of pealing long sheets of skin off my arms and legs.

•••

The complexity of age has crossed my mind lately. It's a hard thing to talk about. Age is relative but there are aspects of it that do affect you. You go through stages. They aren't clear cut but they are there. It's not about maturity. It's just about "stuff that happens." For example, before you turn thirty you might scoff at the idea of crossing that artificial mile marker. (I know I did.) "It means nothing. There is no greater difference between 29 and 30 than there is between 28 and 29 or 30 and 31." But when you are in it, late at night, reflecting back at life's pile of failure and regrets and looking forward at the diminishing amount of future available to you... it affects you. That is just one example. Explaining to someone what having a seven year relationship end in failure (even if you know that the relationship made you into the you you are now and you like that you and are glad you are that you and not another different you) will never quite be understood if they haven't experienced something similar. Empathy only goes so far. But it is hard to explain to people why age makes a difference without coming across as condescending.

•••

When asked my favorite part of the U.S. Constitution, I usually go with good ol' Amendment numero uno. I think there is a reason it was first. I don't hate the media and the press. Sure, they make me angry at times but I firmly believe that they are MASSIVELY important in this day and age. So my hackles were certainly raised by charges that the "left-wing biased media" were asking "unfair and mean" questions and Gov. Palin's past and record. You know what? You pick a basically unknown to be your candidate for Vice President a few scant days before your national convention (which, lets be fair, is just a four day commercial), it is the media's job to ask fucking questions. You didn't give them a whole lot of time to figure out what questions to start asking so they had to ask any ones that came up. Half the questions they asked were "So, how do Republicans at the convention feel about this thing?" And the answer they got was "We love it!" So, hey, Republicans? You got some mighty fine coverage last week. Enjoy it. You came out looking good... except when you were whining like little bitches that the media was attacking you. You make an off-the-wall "maverick" choice, well, guess the fuck what? People are going to try to figure out the whys, whats and whos. (I normally refrain from swearing here but sometimes it's called for.)

Also go listen to On The Media this week. I heart Brooke Gladstone and Bob Garfield so much.

•••

I do love good dramatic exit lines. I really appreciate people who want to make their lives like a movie, especially a smart movie. I do it all the time. I once gave the greatest speech of my life as an exit line. After she told me that we couldn't continue (or even get past the opening moments of) our starting relationship because in the past she always hurt people she loved and she could tell she was falling for me hard and she didn't want to hurt me, I just stood up, put on my shows and walk to the door... not saying a word. My had rested on the doorknob for three long breaths. I turned back to her. She was sitting on her couch, clutching a throw pillow to her chest. And I began to laugh slightly.

"You," I began, "are stupid. Not a stupid person because you are one of the smartest people I know. You are smart, funny, kind, entertaining, talented almost beyond measure... and, well, extremely sexy and beautiful. But, right now, at this moment, you are stupid. I couldn't care less about what you did in the past. I don't want to be with who you were in the past. I want to date the you right here in this room. And I'm not any of the men you have dated in the past. I am me. And we have something. You just said so. There is something between us that could be something incredibly special. But you want to run and hide behind your pillow because you are scared of the past and the future. Yes, you might hurt me. I might hurt you because god knows I've done that too. Yes, it may all end badly. Let's be fair. Most relationships do. But to not even try because you like me too much? That, [her name], is just plane stupid."*

And I smiled, opened the door, and walked out.

Great moment. But of course life isn't a movie. She didn't throw open her window and yell at me to come back. That's the problem with most well-crafted exit lines in the real world: the other person hasn't learned their part.

*As true as this event is, I am sure time and my ability to romanticize just about anything has tweaked some of the details in my memories.

•••

I made a milkshake today that was so super-delicious that I am filled with bliss.

•••

It is possible to be super jealous of someone and super happy for them at the same time. These are the times I think to myself, "Why am I giving them advice on this? Why don't I take my own advice sometimes and place myself in that position?"

•••

There is an up coming class that I really hope I get into. It's with a teacher I really want to continue with, working on a form I think I'd be really good at and that I'd learn tons from. I also have this issue/anxiety about advanced classes since I keep not getting to them. I don't seek out praise or confirmation but I'd like a shot at least. Again, if I don't get in, I will be super-jealous and super-happy for those that do.

Del Close Marathon - Thank You, Robot!

More pictures of me. The full set can be seen here along with tons of great photos from Del Far. 35 shows worth. Monsterous!

My monologue during the opening. A touching moment. See, Jeremy is mocking me with fake tears in the back.

I think I may be chastising John Robert for making his attacking baby masturbate. Love those neck vanes.

All of my detectives smoke Sherlock Holmes-style pipes.

Me and my Christian sock puppet. I can't tel if Del Close is looking approvingly or thinking "Oh god. All my work led to this?" Matt looks amused at least.

Del Close Marathon - Veal!

I have tons of thoughts which will filter out in posts over the next few weeks. I'm still processing.

But until then pictures of me performing with Veal. There are too many good photos by Del Far over on Flickr to post them all. (Thank you so much, Del Far. You rock my socks.) Go look at your conveince. Right now here are some of my favorites of me.

Me trying to decide whether or not to get it on with the dangerous hot girl.

I swear it looks like we're doing Grease here.

I am convinced we are doing Grease.

From our group game. Andy is such a joy to match. Also Ashley loks like an angel on the left and on the right we have Frank. Man, I love Frank.

Me realizing sex is messy and icky. Not my best move ever. Kristen is so fun to play with because I know she's on board for anything. And her characters crack me up.

See? Sex is icky.

Doug and I re-enact Apollo 13. I bet I would work in an Apollo 13 reference in every show I did if I could.

This photo is actually out of order. It was from our opening. This is improv to me. Support, trust, surprise.

And it makes me feel like Jesus Christ Superstar.

Purely for keyword potential

This post is slightly pathetic. But I figure someone out there might search for Seth Lind with This American Life. They might add in Fear of Sleep or Thank You Robot or even The Shining.

If you did and ended up here... hi! You can see Seth and his "comedy troupe" this Friday at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, New York, NY) at 10:30pm. He'll be doing some long-form improv. So will the teams Jurassic Park and Iron Ruckus. Talk to Seth afterwards about This American Life and sleepless nights. Only $6.

(Yes, this is a plug.)

If you were looking for something else, I apologize. I'm off to eat sushi so yell at me later.

DCM Body Count. Day 5...6...7...

Note: My notes are horrible and were written while drunk or sleep deprived or just while laughing really hard. And there were the times I just didn't take notes. And I think I lost half of my notes. So this is also by my (faulty) memory. Don't hate me if I miss some or get them wrong. Just correct me.

8/8
MySpace - body count: 3
Pedestrians snipered by the Mayor of Austin - 3
Police Chief Rumble - body count: 15 (approx.)
Assorted, especially by sniper at scene ends - 15 (approx.)
Baby Wants Candy - body count: 7 (?)
Bureaucrat dies - 1
Dog shot to become ghost so bureaucrat won't be lonely - 1
Everyone else shot - 5 (?)
The Satellites - body count: 2
Double suicide by cop and criminal during hostage situation - 2
Death By Roo Roo - body count: 2
(note: I only caught the tail end and could see or hear well so this may be very wrong)
Crazy man with retard strength by some sort of suicide - 1
Estranged father of UFC fighter shot repeatedly by diner owner - 1
Revolver - body count: 1
Neck broken by ninja master - 1

Total for Friday, Aug 8th: 30
DCM Total to Date: 63

8/9
Wicked Fuckin' Queeyah - body count: 3
Woman killed in McDonald's (I forget how she died) - 1
Mantzoukas, on backline, scene painted as "dropping dead" - 1
Improv Verité - body count: 3
Double homicide by gun - 2
Suicide by gun - 1
Thank You, Robot - body count: 5
Man nummed by babyies (O.S.) - 1
Suicide by gun so would not have to get nummed by babies - 1
Nummed by babies after they got into house - 2
Suicide by tampon loaded into a gun (O.S.) - 1
Bad Data - body count: 2
Teacher died of tuberculous and/or STD - 1
Grampa Pirate fell out of boat - 1
The Wilhelm - body count: 1
Suicide of janitor at law firm (gun) - 1
The Stamp and Coin Club - body count: 2
Boy with ball hit with car twice, dosed in oil, crush by R/C airplane - 1
Runway worker hit by airplane and/or bus - 1
Veal - body count: 1
Woman sucked out of airlock - 1
Scherer, Schiffmann & Schick - body count: 2
Deaths of Mae West and Mae East - 2
Improvised Shakespeare Company - body count: 10
By executioner (axe) - 2
By suicide INSTEAD of by executioner - 3
Faeries by disbelief - 3
Witch (I some how forget how) - 1
King beheaded by daughter/father of unborn child - 1
DeCoster - body count: 1
Disintegrated by robot - 1
Code Duello: Hamilton & Burr - body count: 2
Fake sabertooth taker by neck snap - 1
By duel - 1

Total for Wednesday, Aug 9th: 32
DCM Total to Date: 95

8/10
Ragnarock - body count: 5
Double suicide pact carried out by hanging while an a capella group sang "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" - 2
Run through with sword by bride for interrupting wedding - 3
Bedtime Stories for Kidnapped Children - body count: 3
Husband shot by wife - 1
Woman cut into tiny bits by husband after third party cuts off and steals her fake breasts - 1
Superficial high school girl gassed - 1
Beauty Love Truth - body count: 2
Stabbed with wooden stakes by alien - 2
Rogue Elephant - body count: 18 (aprox.)
Assorted murders in bad part of town - 18 (approx.)
Monkeydick - body count: 1
Rocco died at some point but I forget why or how - 1
5 Dudes - body count: 2
The boy who cried fire in Duane Reade shot during chess/bingo/Life/etc game - 1
Ironing board/Zach Woods - 1

Total for Friday, Aug 10th: 38
DCM Total to Date: 126

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more

The Del Close Marathon begins in earnest today but I have been doing it in spirit since Monday (as is clear by the DCM Body Counts). Last year I planed poorly and, while I saw a lot, I saw not nearly as much a I wanted to. So this year I am embracing it more, attempting to see things I don't get a chance to normally. Diving in and breathing deep.

Monday started with The Improvised Shakespeare Company (ISC) (more on that later), followed by Baby Wants Candy (which I follow with great interest because (1) some of my favorite performers are on it... although sadly one of my favorites was not performing on Monday), (2) of VEAL and studying the musical improv form(s) and (3) they are just darn fun). I capped Monday with Couples Skate. I've been really enjoying Couples Skate for the last few months, seeing improvisers doing things I don't normally get to see them do. I am finding that, seeing them in new contexts, allows me to see their individual talents better. That sounds horrible. I suppose I mean that it is easier to zero in on what makes specific performers so good and am able to say to myself, "Ah! I want to try that and I want to get better at that!" It sounds cold and analytical (which I certainly can get). It is also just a joy. On Monday Billy Merritt and Ellie Kemper did a set. I've missed seeing both of them.

Tuesday was basically a repeat of Monday. I had become entranced by ISC and wanted to see it again (I told you! More on that later!). It is rare that I yell out suggestions. I always feel a weird responsibility for the show when I do. If the show (for whatever reason) goes poorly I (irrationally) worry that my suggestion contributed to the failure. But I did get mine in for ISC on Tuesday (they ask for the name of the play they are to perform): The Three Laws of Asimov. Yeah, I'm kind of proud of that. That was followed by BWC again – for which I also gave the suggestion, although I pre-planned it a bit: H.G.Wells' Vegas! Vegas! Vegas! I have to say, I love that title. The night ended with Jammin' With Ralph which, to be honest, was a lot more enjoyable that most Ralphs I've been to. (I was brain dead and not much help in any of my scenes but I certainly enjoyed watching.)

Wednesday I had workshops from 3pm to 11pm. They were good. One reminded me how I want to open more doors and possibilities in my improv (and should be worrying less about dong it "right"), and the other helped me zero in on some very simple things make myself better. The night ended with karaoke. I got there so late so never got a song, but I had two very nice gin and tonics, danced with friends, and basically blew off some steam/energy that had been building up from sitting in chairs listening to others awe me.

Thursday started out with Sheer/McBrayer. As expected, it was brilliant. In particular their classroom during a sex ed class. No less than eleven characters performed by two actors. Just a wonderful example of how much you can get with simple character games. Then, I am slightly embarrassed to say, I saw ISC again. My plan to see as much new stuff as possible was being tossed out the window by my new found love. (Hold that thought.) The night end with I Got Next! which was just goofy and silly. I don't want him to get a swelled head and all, but David Bluvband showed me yet again what a powerhouse improviser he is. So good, so present in his scenes and in his characters. If nothing else, I am so glad to being doing improv right now so that I can watch him grow as a performer.

(Okay, I've gotten to my actual point now.)

Shakespeare obviously has me in its spell. I went to see it the first time because I love improv and I love Shakespeare, but I was half expecting something very gimmicky. "Oh, look! They are making for of Shakespeare plays. Ah, they found away to do a balcony scene between two lovers... but they are hip-hop kids. How clever." (Clever is a bit of an insult in improv circles.) But it is not that. It is certainly in the style of Shakespeare and poke fun at the conventions of it, but it is more in honor of it. Mad and crazy, sure... but also grounded in character first and foremost. Bawdy, physical, thoughtful, sweet, violent, heartbreaking, funny, sad, shocking... all the things that make Shakespeare great. And so smart... while being, well, silly and stupid.

After watching it three times, I am just starting to grasp some of the structure and "tricks." Suggestions of a play title followed by an introductory character soliloquy. It is there that we are given themes and broad setting. The broad structure is a narrative so nothing too complicated. At least three scenes of different characters and setting up of plot and then plowing a head to they end. On Monday they had a wonderful wonderful aside scene that related little to the plot but helped paint a bigger picture of the world.

The biggest thing that amazes is the language. First, they ease at which it pours from their mouths. Much of that must be practice. But it would be easy to make fun of the language. Certainly, humor does come up from it but rarely is it just a joke about the language. The humor comes from the wordplay... like god damn Shakespeare. Well, I love a good pun but they kill normal improv scenes (being "clever"). With Shakespeare it is beyond puns. It is metaphor. And that, I realize, is such a key. Every setting, object, action can be metaphor... and should be. If a character starts a scene as a maiden milking her cow, her hands are described as "milky white." If someone is throwing their zephyr into a river in preparation of taking their own life, they can wax about how a river is like a string of music, the zephyr notes floating away into nothingness... and this then becomes a metaphor for life itself. Setting inspires metaphor which inspires character which inspires plot which inspires action which inspires metaphor (or any combination). And in that, beautiful (and hilarious) language can form from seemingly nothing. It is not something you can get away with in most improv. A couple at the breakfast table in 2008 will rarely compare their children to eggs and bacon. And if they did, THAT becomes the game of the scene. In Shakespeare, metaphor is just part of the style that can inspire the game of the scene. (Of course, this does happen in normal improv... it is just often happening in the performers' heads. A breakfast of bacon and eggs is very different from oatmeal or from poptarts. Each informs/inspires the world of the characters and what types of people they are. But to do it blatantly and to let it fully inspire larger themes and ideas... oh, magic. I've been trying it around the house today... both easier and harder than one might think.)

Anywhozits, I must get ready for the long evening ahead. Long shower, back provisions, a bit of food shopping. It has begun to rain which is no fun at all considering my $5 umbrella is on its last legs, a poor protector from the elements. On this eve of revelry, the gods cry and thunder. In defiance of man's hubris of creation? For is that not what the improvised play does upon the stage? To form from the void of nothing new lives that live and die. And we as an audience sit and laugh at these divine like acts. Perhaps the goods are weeping tears of joy at the magic of their creations. For they created us and we in turn create ourselves. But that is neither here nor there. My wilting structure of portable shelter will do little to keep me dry of their tears. And I will enter the theater soaked to the very bone in their wet, be that wet of anger, sorrow or joy.

Yeah. I like it. I am taking a workshop in it tomorrow at noon. I am all atwitter.