Okay, 40-hour marathon main players, what did you learn?

[Justin D.]

You spent 40 hours performing improv. Many of you had little to no sleep. Over the course of the 40 hours, you performed roughly 40 different formats with everything from Shakespeare to Armando to The Bat to a sit-com clip show to Chairs to Ka-Baam! to a general montage show. A few of you had never performed in some of these formats before and some formats even made their debut during the marathon. Through all this, you ran with everything and rolled with the punches. I'm curious what you walked away from this with, if anything. What did you learn about how you perform or just about yourself in general?

Here's something cool I saw. People truly gave in and did not care in the best sense of the words. I saw what were some usually evident boundaries and attitudes about themselves and performing fall away. Players often didn't care as much about looking good or smart. They seemed to not stick as rigidly to formats or their regular ideas of "what should happen" if it meant enjoying themselves and putting on a good show instead. That last one is a biggie. At the same time, some of them gave brilliant character performances, which may have been partially because they had lost all inhibitions and simply became the character they played. I don't mean losing inhibitions by being crude or offensive, but not thinking so much about what the character was about and editing themselves because of it. Losing inhibitions and the need to self-edit are more biggies.

What did you get?

[Jeff]

to Chairs to Ka-Baam! to Mamet...

...Mamet? When?

[Roy Janik]

to Chairs to Ka-Baam! to Mamet...

...Mamet? When?

Lies!

[Curtis + computer]

to Chairs to Ka-Baam! to Mamet...

...Mamet? When?

Right in the middle of the Flying Theater Machine show, unfortunately.

Shame on you, Kareem. The parents are gonna have to spend weeks explaining what those words meant.

[Justin D.]

I have no idea what you three are talking about.

[kbadr]

I thought for sure that I would fall asleep at some point. But as the marathon wore on, I become more determined to not sleep. It's the same way I do everything--pure inertia.

I had said a few times before the marathon that it would be interesting because, after not sleeping, we simply won't have the energy to be witty or clever. That was only partially true. I definitely didn't have energy or desire to pre-meditate, but the lack of sleep actually made me play much gaggier than I usually do. Or, not gaggier, but I felt more skewed towards being funny, if that makes sense. I guess I must actively suppress saying things that are funny, under normal circumstances, if I feel they don't serve the over all show. When I'd had no sleep, I had no censors and whatever my reaction was to any moment is what would spill out of my mouth. However, I also felt myself desperately fighting to stay on course with whatever a scene was about. The funny or meta- line would come out of my mouth and I would instantly feel responsibility to get back on track.

I learned that audiences really do want to watch a potential train wreck. The theater was packed at 7 and 8am on a friggin' SUNDAY. What the hell?

I learned that even when I'm sleep deprived, my gut-instinct feeling about how a scene is going can be completely opposite from how the audience perceives it. After one scene in the second Maestro, I said "man, that slid off the rails."...and then the audience gave it a screaming, almost unanimous 5. What?

I reaffirmed my belief that my brain desperately wants to maintain control over itself. Not in a bad way that doesn't let me accept someone else's ideas, but...I felt like I never got to a place where I was totally loopy and spewing nonsense. Maybe that's just my perception of it, though. I definitely got loopy/giggly, but not so much that I was completely incomprehensible.

I fell in love with Robert Shaw again.

I learned that even after 32 hours of performing, improv can make a group really move as one organism. The Bat was absolutely bat-shit crazy, but nothing ever felt forced. We all packed our bags and hopped on the train to crazy town as one group-mind. All totally on the same page, even though it was completely insane.

I learned that even after performing for 27 hours, I will still get angry at myself for hanging back in a show and failing to find a way to contribute. Not having a role in Shakespeare was the one thing in the whole marathon that made me angry, and I was only angry/frustrated with myself.

And, lastly (for now), I learned that for every 8 insane people there are in the world, there are about 100 equally insane people who are enablers. Wonderful, wonderful enablers.

[Justin D.]

I had said a few times before the marathon that it would be interesting because, after not sleeping, we simply won't have the energy to be witty or clever. That was only partially true. I definitely didn't have energy or desire to pre-meditate, but the lack of sleep actually made me play much gaggier than I usually do. Or, not gaggier, but I felt more skewed towards being funny, if that makes sense. I guess I must actively suppress saying things that are funny, under normal circumstances, if I feel they don't serve the over all show. When I'd had no sleep, I had no censors and whatever my reaction was to any moment is what would spill out of my mouth.

This is one of those inhibitions I was talking about that I saw fall away. The in-the-moment funny lines you and others said when you might not otherwise didn't halt a show or provide a scene-ending button every time. Mostly, there were strong laughs and then the scene kept on trucking along, which is a decidedly good thing. Like I said, cool thing to see.

And, lastly (for now), I learned that for every 8 insane people there are in the world, there are about 100 equally insane people who are enablers. Wonderful, wonderful enablers.

Oh, yeah, lots of those.

[kaci_beeler]

I wrote in my blog about my experience here:
http://bellatrixamici.livejournal.com/336350.html

I'm trying my best to remember what happened and to be honest with myself. At the time a lot of the fears and censoring we normally work through in improv were completely lost. Only now are they starting to creep back to me.

I learned that I go through many different levels of emotions and feelings sporadically when put under that kind of pressure. It does not build but rather fluctuates.

I learned that complex plot points cannot be remembered/comprehended after Hour 20.

I learned that the body can persevere longer than the mind.

I learned that bad habits may only intensify in times of strain.

As it has always rung true for me, comedy is still always inherent in the artform.

There are many kinds of exhaustion. One can overcome them temporarily with the right support.

Playing with people you trust is one of the keys to doing satisfying improv.

You can say a bad word when you're loopy and still remember it/regret it later.

I do not have a sweating problem onstage and never had to change my clothes due to odor. I should have brought a toothbrush, though.

Losing your voice is inevitable. Throat drops help.

Other people are incredibly helpful and the backbone of a healthy life.

When feeling anger flare-ups, it is best to forget and move on. I didn't say forgive because I'm still struggling with that part. Forgiving takes more willpower and time.

I learned that the brain holds a lot of knowledge/junk I didn't know I had.

After some point, you're just trying to get through it.

[spantell]

I learned that audiences really do want to watch a potential train wreck. The theater was packed at 7 and 8am on a friggin' SUNDAY. What the hell?

could it be they were there to support you?

But the silly stuff was fun, sometime hilarious

[Curtis + computer]

I learned ...

The body will deal with severe deprivations so long as the mind is fixed.

It's possible to do something for 40 hours straight and enjoy it, even as it inflames all your anxieties, even as it turns your throat and legs sore as shit.

If you are performing with people you haven't properly met, you should set aside more than 30 seconds to get acquainted with them. (Again, thanks to all the guest players who soldiered through that awkwardness.)

About my strengths: My mind moves quickly, even after 48 sleepless hours. I am a good narrative and thematic problem-solver. I am not easily frustrated with others, though I am easily paranoid that others are frustrated with me.

About my limitations: I overrely on rhetoric and deconstruction, lean on concepts too heavily, am emotionally stilted, and have middling voice and body control.

The chemistry of a group is ten times more important than format. That said, format is really damn important.

Improv is fun. I am glad I came back to it.

[HerrHerr]

Improv is fun. I am glad I came back to it.

I think we all are glad you came back.

[beardedlamb]

apart from feeling like i can still improvise, which i was unsure of after being away for so long, i feel much closer to the key players in the marathon. we went through a pretty crazy ordeal together and i learned a lot about performers i didnt know much about. it really was like doing 40 shows all at once with a whole new troupe. some groups take years to do 40 hours of show together, especially in some cities where you're doing 25 minutes at a time.

most of the players i hadnt seen in a long while and when they would hit a hot streak, it was incredible.

its all about ensemble and for just one weekend we grew closer than some groups ever do. we watched out for each other, laughed our balls off at each other, fought a bit, ate together, comiserated, and triumphed. it was instant ensemble. considering that some of us had never rehearsed or even seen some of them formats or worked with or in some cases even MET each other, i think we had a pretty good show success rate.

i also learned, like i do every time i go to austin, that i miss it more than anything. the city, the hideout, my troupemates, my family, and the fantastic community. but i knew that would happen.

[Miggy]

a reunion show for the Marathon Troupe? during Oob or Same Year's eve timeframe? just a thought.

[kaci_beeler]

yay.
love to jeremy.