What characters do you love to play when you improv?

kaci_beeler · Post by **kaci_beeler** » July 5th, 2006, 9:11 am

What characters of your own creation do you absolutely love to play when you improvise?
You know, characters that you enjoy getting caught up in and thoroughly appreciate exploring their own unique view...

shando · Post by **shando** » July 5th, 2006, 10:41 am

Mr. Winkles, the blueberry muffin man--ask Shana about him.

Also, I love playing characters amalgamted and synthesized from my extensive watching of kung fu movies.

The mumbling Louisiana sherrif I played a while back was pretty fun, as was the Hispanic dude in the flimsy Austin jail.

ratliff · Post by **ratliff** » July 5th, 2006, 4:31 pm

Just to blow blue smoke up everybody's ass, let me say that Shannon's cholo jailbird and Kaci's 1930s radio announcer are two of my favorite characters that I've seen in my brief improv-watching career.

(Also Bob and Erika's boyfriend and son-of-girlfriend, based on the suggestion "Slip-n-Slide," which made me laugh AND cry, often within seconds of each other.)

Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell · July 5th, 2006, 4:32 pm

I was actually thinking about this the other night, and i really like playing all kinds of characters. From different classes, backgrounds, genres, whatever. Though i broke it down to the essential:

The actor in me likes playing heroes.
The writer in me likes playing villains.
The comedian in me likes playing fools.

I don't know if that says anything particularly new or insightful, but it made me smile when i thought of it. So, there, sharing with you.

HerrHerr · Post by **HerrHerr** » July 5th, 2006, 4:38 pm

I have to get back to my slightly-lisping nerd character which I've only played once or twice. Thanks for jarring my memory with this post.

Wesley · Post by **Wesley** » July 5th, 2006, 4:47 pm

I don't know that I've created any recurring characters. I play asshole in a chair well, but I like to do a variety of asshole types.

I'd like to bring back my old man who tells people that innocuous, innocent things (like grocery store aisles) are haunted. And maybe Turnbull will reappear someday, but I don't have a typical fallback character that I'm aware of. I wind up as fathers a lot, but I try not to endow myself that way. I often sit authoritively and just get endowed that way.

I love playing villians, though I rarely get the chance. I also love dying on stage. I like to rise in status and then fall suddenly and shockingly.

I've started mimicking gestures I've seen (head rub from Seven Samurai, chest scratch from a Mifune character, closing my eyes when looking and talking to people from Waiting for Guffman) and trying to give characters "things" to do to, but none have become fleshed out, repeatable characters yet.

Mo Daviau · Post by **Mo Daviau** » July 5th, 2006, 4:56 pm

My favorite characters seem to only happen at GGG rehearsals. I loved playing the creepy 7-11 guy who was in love with Kacey's character. I didn't want to stop being him. He was so creepy, his attempts at flirting were uncomfortable and even stalkerish, but he sincerely loved and respected her. He sold his plasma in order to take her to Red Lobster. And did he get the girl in the end? Yes.

I also love playing elderly characters.

I find myself really missing Andrea's turbo-asshole male characters, too.

smerlin · Post by **smerlin** » July 5th, 2006, 5:50 pm

Bad Mom.

She's a classic. Always gets a laugh. And it's so easy.

Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell · July 5th, 2006, 6:35 pm

oh, i like playing vaguely European super spies, apparently. didn't notice this until Jeremy pointed out that a character i did in a couple of Jury shows, a strange Franco-Germanic spy known only as Ze Kaiser was the precursor to one Dr. Heinrich Nefarious. Go fig.

Mike · Post by **Mike** » July 5th, 2006, 7:01 pm

I really like ( well want to) play the villan in improv.

The characters I find myself playing a great deal seem to be in the large, odd, possibly imbecillic range. When I was with the Dark Bloodlords for their Cage Match run, I played mostly large rainbow-furry beasts, to a creature entirely of meat. ( Though I did manage to play Bill Cosby as Jesus)

I also find myself wanting to play a hero or villan or even just a random background character, but it depends on the show, and if there are any strong characters on stage. If so, I'll pull a Chris Allen and go for the bench support. Chris has shown me that playing a chair, a rock, or a bridge can be just as fun as being the center of the scene.

I guess I don't have any established characters I play all the time, I just try to make them up as the scene needs them.

erikamay · Post by **erikamay** » July 5th, 2006, 7:55 pm

people i love: my grandmas, my best friend's welder mom and my dad seem to come up often.

i love finding new characters through some weird thing, like a phrase that was used in the opening or a remnant physicality from an organic edit. or just mirroring someone else's choice.

i've always wanted to come up with "a character", but never seem to really work on one enough to flesh it out.

(agreed! chris allen does the best scene support work around.).

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shando · Post by **shando** » July 5th, 2006, 8:12 pm

erikamay wrote: (agreed! chris allen does the best scene support work around.).

Word. This is why way back when I ever thought of giving awards to people--becuase I wanted Chris to get this particular one.

Roy Janik · Post by **Roy Janik** » July 5th, 2006, 11:42 pm

shando wrote:
erikamay wrote: (agreed! chris allen does the best scene support work around.).
Word. This is why way back when I ever thought of giving awards to people--becuase I wanted Chris to get this particular one.

double agreed. PGraph loves his scene so much that we made a show around it... which wound up being one of our favorite to date.

Brian Boyko · Post by **Brian Boyko** » July 5th, 2006, 11:50 pm

the_reverend wrote:The actor in me likes playing heroes.
The writer in me likes playing villains.
The comedian in me likes playing fools.

Which one was Doctor Nefarious?

And when are the DVDs going to be pressed?

phlounderphil · Post by **phlounderphil** » July 6th, 2006, 4:03 am

characters?

I don't need no stinkin characters.