go to's

TexasImprovMassacre · February 20th, 2009, 4:17 am

Someone brought this up on another forum, and I thought it was fun....What are your go to moves, characters, situations, bits, gags, gimmicks?

What kinds of go to's do you find yourself starting even though you know they've been done...maybe not even by you...QUESTION MARK!

Talk about seinfeld and i'm going to make bass noises with my mouth.

Sometimes if I don't know what to do I'll start to get undressed.

My earliest go to I can remember is having just gotten off work from mid-evil times, and complaining about it while I take off my armor.

If I get mad at you while I'm drinking something I might throw it in your face and say "splash".

I only yell at cops that are rebels who don't like to play by the rules. Also, if they don't have a partner, they're getting one.

I like when Jastroch does an offstage wolf howl.

Baldenhofer · Post by **Baldenhofer** » February 20th, 2009, 1:52 pm

If I go out and I've got nothing and my scene partner has nothing, I tend to reach into a bulk bin and start eating with my hands. My HEB habits are creeping into my improv life.

themoss · Post by **themoss** » February 20th, 2009, 6:00 pm

I tend to go to cheerleader.
"great job!"
"go team!"

and cody's personal favorite...the old wringing of the hands and playing the scared and desperate card.

lately...I tend to find a gun and hold onto it...just in case.

Asaf · Post by **Asaf** » February 20th, 2009, 6:38 pm

One of my go to's is to hug my scene partner. I also have this smoky voiced female character that I love to play.

TexasImprovMassacre · February 20th, 2009, 8:27 pm

Asaf, I think I've hugged you more than anyone else in Austin.

My go to harold opening move is to write a letter outloud while doing crazy typing with my fingers.

Aden · Post by **Aden** » February 21st, 2009, 1:43 pm

The Starter Kit can verify that my go to has often been to unwrap a deli sandwhich and eat it if I have nothing else.

I've also been known to wash my hands, check my makeup in a mirror, or ask someone to hand me something.

Regardless of what I go to, I try to make it some kind of object work that at least helps set the scenery for what's about to happen next.

Other times, I play with the actual furniture (chairs) on set.

Matt · Post by **Matt** » February 21st, 2009, 2:10 pm

I tend to floss my teeth. Which I should do more of, for real. So says my dentist.

ratliff · Post by **ratliff** » February 22nd, 2009, 8:28 am

Cody, you omitted the go-to I associate with you more than any other, which is to throw your downstage leg up on a chair and lean on it with your forearm before delivering important news.

I know I’ve done the following more than once:

— Hold an elbow with one hand and finger imaginary pearls with the other to indicate a fretful woman.

— Tune a guitar, usually standing up with a foot-pedal tuner. It goes back in the case pretty quickly so I don’t have to actually play it.

— Lie on the floor and deliver my first line from there.

— Throw myself on the furniture or against the wall and act bored to indicate a teenager.

— Clean guns (which I have no idea how to do in real life).

— Chew gum and stick thumbs in front pockets to play a laconic, rural, high-status character.

— Stick hands in back pockets and shuffle back and forth to indicate someone who’s excited but a little nervous about something.

— Make and drink a drink.

— Light and smoke a cigarette.

TexasImprovMassacre · February 22nd, 2009, 7:33 pm

ratliff wrote:Cody, you omitted the go-to I associate with you more than any other, which is to throw your downstage leg up on a chair and lean on it with your forearm before delivering important news.

Oh shit, you're right!

That's one of my favorites.

Justin D. · Post by **Justin D.** » March 9th, 2009, 2:14 pm

Apparently, I fake cry a lot on stage. Often, it's an angry crying too. Man, woman, child, adult. Doesn't seem to matter.

Lately, I'm worried my go to has become a bit of crutch.

DollarBill · Post by **DollarBill** » March 9th, 2009, 5:33 pm

I love to use a computer mouse. I don't know why. I love to be a scientist of some kind. Ace had a problem in the early oughts where he played a child genius in almost every show and rehearsal. Awesome.

bilbo · Post by **bilbo** » March 9th, 2009, 10:58 pm

get really sexually weird and far too close.

VAGue

GregScott · Post by **GregScott** » June 10th, 2009, 12:34 am

My goto is to grab an object. This isn't so bad at first, it gives the scene some permanence but sometimes in a longform I'll realize I'm in my 4th scene in a row that got started from an object I brought on, oops.

York99 · Post by **York99** » June 10th, 2009, 12:37 am

I used to take a knee because it disallowed me to sit or stand in one place, but still put me in a dynamic position. However, I was always a coach. You can see me revert to that in pictures from last week's Maestro.