JAM needs help

[Roy Janik]

The Jam REALLY needs a leader tonight. Please PM me. Ideally someone who teaches or coaches, since lately a lot of new improvisers and students have been showing up.

[NoahV]

It hasn't been a huge deal in the past when a leader doesn't show up. The jam generally lead by the will of group.

[Jon Bolden]

It hasn't been a huge deal in the past when a leader doesn't show up. The jam generally lead by the will of group.

But what is "Will" doesn't show up? Will is a great leader.

[sara farr]

The Jam should be run by the participants. Individuals can bring stuff to the jam, and the group can decide what to work on at the beginning, pick some drills to help practice that, and then play some games in the "show" part that showcase those skills. And it helps to all be using your "directors" eye. Looking to see what can help the scene.

In most performances, even directed formats, I think it makes for a strong show when ALL the players help make scenes/games work. If you see a scene that needs something (c-r-o-w, heightening), give it in a quick walk-on (& walk-off).

HOWEVER, I really LOVE the initiative to make sure there is a Jam facilitator (not necessarily a "leader"). It always helps to have someone there to help make sure everyone is getting heard, as well as move the jam forward when it bogs down.

Of course you can do this on your own, but it helps to designate someone at the beginning to be in charge of this stuff.

I can't be there tonight, but Jam on!

[Roy Janik]

I think time has shown again and again that without some sort of experienced facilitator, the participants have a less than ideal experience. I consistently get complaints and negative feedback whenever there's not one.

I don't know how the jam went tonight, but I apologize for not finding a leader for it. I'll try to revamp the system again to avoid problems like that.

[Wesley]

Sorry, i had an deadline emergency come up. I should be back next week with a few great ideas.

[Munga]

I've got to say that while it is great to have a facilitator/leader (Wesley, we heart you!) last night's jam kicked ass! A number of jammers stepped up and led the scenes and games which helped the newbies and made the jam go smoothly. It was incredibly energetic and a good time was had by all.

FYI, I counted about 30 people there.

Madeline

[Jon Bolden]

I agree that last night was indeed fun (especially in the beginning warmups). But I felt it was bit chaotic and not an ideal environment for people who were newcomers.

I left early and missed the mock show, which may have gone more smoothly. My concern was when we split into two groups, our group (which was also less people) was struggling with momentum and keeping the group on task. Lindsey was doing a great job stepping in on our side but then had to leave early. Maybe it was just me, i just felt our side of the room struggling to have fun and get through activities.

While I think it's important to not have a facilitator dictate the jam entirely (or run it like a strict classroom), it's also important to make sure new folks feel like they are in a safe and fun environment and that someone with experience can bring it back to focus when it goes awry.

There's a fine line between giving specific instructions / criticism and helping a game/scene move forward. Negative comments and too many distractions can create an unwelcoming vibe for the room.

I dunno... not a huge deal.

[Munga]

Hey other jammers- I'm curious to hear what you have to say about last night!

"Jiggly Jon" and I might have had diverse experiences since we were in different groups after the warm-up games.

I liked the jam because it was...jammy.... it seemed like a lot of people contributed and made suggestions as to which games to play.

That having been said, I look forward to having Wesley back!

Madeline

[agentImprov]

i really enjoyed the jam last night! i had only come once before, so this time i brought two friends along. they had a blast and were slightly confused with the formatting since it wasn't what they were expecting, but had a good time and will def come back for another round w/ a leader. my personal opinion is that success can come with or without a leader, it is largely dependent on the participation of the jammers. =0)
-"mega melissa"

[Jon Bolden]

my personal opinion is that success can come with or without a leader, it is largely dependent on the participation of the jammers.

I totally agree. I personally have a great time with or without. I am just sensitive to the experience of everyone involved, I guess. I should explain: my friend came out to the jam last night for the first time ever and she asked me if we could leave because she was tired of being told "what to do" by the other players involved in not so tactful way. Those experiences are usually minimized by an experienced facilitator involved. Mostly because the facilitating individual has experience in handling / directing games. I just think improvising can be a hostile environment if the boundaries of roles are misplaced. Improv takes comfort and trust and I felt a lack of it at times last night. Obviously people had different experiences so maybe there's no issue at all. Back to work...

[acrouch]

she asked me if we could leave because she was tired of being told "what to do" by the other players involved in not so tactful way.

How about everybody redoubles their efforts to be generous, friendly and share the jam as if they were just one person out of 15 or 25 and only expected to contribute 1/15 or 1/25th of the time? If other people aren't stepping up, figure out how to gently help them step up. If you see people being overzealous or bossy, gently poke them and invite them to leave space. We're all here to have fun doing improv and figure out how to get better at it, so that kind of feedback is completely appropriate.

[NoahV]

I should explain: my friend came out to the jam last night for the first time ever and she asked me if we could leave because she was tired of being told "what to do" by the other players involved in not so tactful way.

Well, you didn't mention this to me...