It has been too long since I last did improv (December, but too long) so today was glorious. My 201 class started today at 6:30 PM and re-entering the 30th street classroom area was pretty much a 2007 highlight (the Beast lost a pinky toe today). It was like old times; my former classmate Matt Mayer was there along with my former and current classmates, Jessi-ka-ka and Healy-Wu. We all caught up and had a nice chat. Ari, the old prof himself, saw us and talked with us a bit. It was fun.Class with Shannon O'Neill is going to be great. She's different from Ari, mainly because she isn't as fast a talker and uses profanity less. I enjoy both teaching style thoroughly. But she is relaxing and gives great advice, so good stuff. I volunteered to do the first scene which was with a guy I've never met before. The suggestion was driveway, he was raking something, I commented on how I love to watch him rake, and he told me to go away. Remembering Ari's advice ("If someone yells at you or disagrees with you in a scene, just be even nicer"), I replied with "I love it when you scold me!" It went on from there, good times. I also did a second date at an Applebee's with a really touchy feely girl and me as the guy who enthusiastically agrees to everything.
201 is all about game, finding the quirky moments in a scene and then coming up with new ideas in the same vein to flesh out the characters and situation and take the scene in different directions. If this, then what else. I had a problem with this in 101 and, after one class, I can kinda feel myself picking up on it. I made a really stupid move and picked nausea when Shannon told us to pick an emotion. I think I thought "uneasy" and that just went to nausea...or screw it, I just had a brain fart.
Things went well. This is what I needed. The connections I'm making at work coupled with the connections, skills and experience I'm getting at class are a great combo. Makes me happy.
And I have a student ID again so free shows, here I come. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
2 comments:
I rememebr doing short form improv in college when we toured different high schools with the improv show. One time, when asked for an emotion from the audience as a suggestion, one jock dude yelled out 'GAY'.
"Gay is not an emotion, but stupid is", was my reply.
Congrats on the classes. I'm totally jealous and totally hope you get to perform yourself soon...I'll be in the audience!
Post a Comment