LIST #5
Ensembles I've Directed or Subcoached:
Drag Kings
Kids With Feelings
Mess Hall
MISSfits
Plinko
Radar-7
Red Hot Hi-Tops
The Riot!
Sanford
Wing Night
plus a couple of student groups
anda Harold team whose name eludes me
Well, there you go
First day of work, March 5th
Last day of work, March 14th
Fired.
Of course it was cloudy and raining and cold when I left the office.
In fact, when another job kicked me to the curb, it was cloudy and raining and cold.
I really gotta start paying attention to the weather reports.
(Ironically, I scored a sub-coaching gig right before I got fired. Some day I'll appreciate the coincidence.)
As time goes by...
Monday night, Sarah couldn't do Sarah & Sammy due to a conflict, so
Kara Moore from Kids With Feelings and
Drag Kings stepped in. It was one of those fun shows where when the lights are pulled, you can't believe any time passed at all. Fun times indeed.
(Kara will be sitting in until the end of March and Sarah will return pending on how Ole Miss does in the improv March Madness)Mark Sutton once said it took him about 7 or 8 years to get totally comfortable and confident on stage. I think I'm reaching that point. I honestly could show up for a gig and be fine whether I knew who I was playing with or not, whether the house was big or small or whether if I understood the form at all or not. Right now, I feel I can go and put on a solid show no matter what the circumstances and be happy with the results.
And to be honest, I'm most comfortable committing to a single-scene 20/25/30+ minute character piece than an 18 minute bitfest. I guess it's a satisfaction thing. As a performer, I love the depth and discovery of a character-driven piece more than the fast and frenetic riot of haha...although riotous haha is most definitely good for you improv soul once in a while.
Now I'm just wondering how long it will take to become comfortable as director. I've only been doing that side of things for 2 1/2 years, so I'm still evaluating everything I do; figuring out what's working, what's not and what I still need to do to become a better director. And trust, as insecure as some folks are about their improv, that's the way I feel sometimes about my directing. Maybe I'll have that all figured out in 5 1/2 years...
LIST #4
From classes to teams, workshops to shows...
DIRECTORS, TEACHERS & SUBCOACHES
I'VE STOLEN LEARNED FROMLiz Allen
Bill Arnett
Dan Bakkedahl
Joe Bill
Craig Cackowski
Joe Canale
Jim Carlson
Jimmy Carrane
Bumper Carroll
Bob Dassie
Kyle Dolan
Mike Enriquez
Kevin Fleming
Lilly Francis
Angela Forfia
Christina Gausas
Sue Gillan
Shelly Gossman
Karen Graci
Jeff Griggs
Paul Grondy
Peter Gwinn
Noah Gregoroupolous
Charna Halpern
TJ Jagadowski
Megan Kellie
Spike Kunetz
Matt Larsen
John Lutz
Rob Mello
Susan Messing
Mick Napier
Dave Razowski
Pat Shay
Abby Sher
Miles Stroth
Mark Sutton
Rich Tallarico
Dan Telfer
Jean Villepique
Ross White
Warm ups
I don't like warming up for small-group shows.
Just give me some good conversation. Maybe some bits.
How's your week been? Whatcha been up to? Want a beer?
Then I'll find a little time for myself to loosen up or internally do some focus exercises.
That's all I need. Really.
But when it comes time to do a medium-to-large sized group show, I'll dive headfirst into the all the gayballs warmups people want to do. I hate it, but I commit heart and soul. For me, it's a little thing to get the blood moving and to overtly show, "hey, I'm here for you!" ...and then I'll find a little time for myself to loosen up or internally do some focus exercises.
No one's too good for warm ups (as in "I'm so awesome warming up is a waste of my time"), but not everyone gets the same things from warm ups. I think that takes a while to learn, to not automatically judge someone who doesn't like warm ups.
After awhile of doing this improv thing, you start to find what works for you in general. Just as importantly, you learn when to backburner your own thing to help others warm up and get ready to rock out a show.
I'm sure the irony is that as a director, I pretty much mandate a warm up for all my groups.
Go figure ;)
One day I'll figure out how to balance the individual needs and the group needs...one day...
LIST #3
FORMS I'VE LEARNED & PERFORMED:Armando
Bat
Cat's Cradle
Celtic Shame Circle
Close Quarters
Deconstruction
Demon (DEconstructed MONologue)
Dinner for Six
Documentary
Documentary South
Eight Foot Tick
Evente
Green Harold
Harold
Jazz Freddy
JTS Brown
La Ronde
Living Room
Montage (in all their infinite variations)
Mosaic
Movie
Organic Improv*
One Scene**
Our Town (aka a Houseboat or a Mamet)
Quartet
Road Trip
Scary Mary
Slacker
Walkabout
* not so much a form as a style** not so much a form as a restriction
...and probably a dozen or so others I'm forgetting.
LIST #2
PLACES I'VE HAD IMPROV REHEARSAL:Basements (commercial and residential)
Break room of an office
Chase Park
Dining room
Gill Park (Every room, including the third floor gym)
Goose Island
Hamlin Park
IO Annex
Living rooms (beyond number)
Rooftop
Shiel Park (Every room, including the gym)
Sports Corner
St. Alphonsus
and
some (actor studio place) on Lincoln Ave.
