Merlin Works Newsletter is Now Online

SarahMarie · Post by **SarahMarie** » July 1st, 2011, 12:30 pm

I love it!

I think I'm in "Please invent something to suspend time and space so I can do all the improv projects I want to do right NOW!"

shando · Post by **shando** » July 1st, 2011, 12:31 pm

smerlin wrote:The July 2011 Newsletter is out, featuring an article about the Life cycle of the Improviser. Does the story of my improv journey match up with yours? What Phase are you in?

http://merlin-works.com/public/newsletter_19.html

This one is super great!!

Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell · July 1st, 2011, 2:16 pm

fantastic! i just passed the 13 year mark back in May (had a similar realization i'd been telling people "about 10 years" for a while, lol) and definitely recognized myself in all of those stages. i feel very much in a breakthrough phase right now...where every new show i do unlocks some new level and makes me hungry for more shows that will do that, and to finally create a few of my own.

i've dipped my toes in the teaching phase, but i don't know if i have the knack for it. certainly not to the degree folks like you, Andy and Roy have it...

Brad Hawkins · Post by **Brad Hawkins** » July 1st, 2011, 3:16 pm

smerlin wrote:The July 2011 Newsletter is out, featuring an article about the Life cycle of the Improviser. Does the story of my improv journey match up with yours? What Phase are you in?

http://merlin-works.com/public/newsletter_19.html

I'm in the transition between Anxiety and Addiction. Actually, I was addicted nearly from the beginning. But the Anxiety is still there, where you don't quite internalize that you're good enough to be taking up space on this stage.

mpbrockman · Post by **mpbrockman** » July 2nd, 2011, 3:04 pm

Yikes. Can I pick two?

4 and 6 at once. I've definitely reached a plateau where it sometimes seems like I've taken myself as far as I can go and that I'm just recycling my bag o' tricks. Intellectually, I know that's not true - I just need to spend more time thinking of ways to challenge myself and keep things fresh.

Then again, when doing classes here, or the workshop Shana & I did at TCIF - the joy of the students is can be completely infectious and often takes me along for the ride. I begin to get better results out of myself because A) they inspire me to do different things and B) I get carried away by the moment(s) and the "Oh, we're doing contemporary ballad type 4, variation C... again..." voice shuts off.

I think Shana's definition of "breakthrough" and mine differ a bit though. Breakthroughs occur for me when I work for them. If I go with the "just show up and play and all my hard work will be there for me" approach I tend to drift into autopilot and out of the moment. I have to consciously (yes, I know that's a dirty word in improv) push my way out of my safe zone and hope for the best. Sometimes that results in a colossal (to me) f*ck up, sometimes I end up somewhere new. That's a breakthrough for me.

*Reposted from the Merlin-Works forum*

smerlin · Post by **smerlin** » August 26th, 2011, 12:22 pm

My August Newsletter is up!

http://merlin-works.com/public/newsletter_20.html

The article is about how to judge the quality of the shows you are in, plus there's lots of info about my OOB recommendations.

smerlin · Post by **smerlin** » December 15th, 2011, 4:24 pm

The latest addition just hit the presses!

http://merlin-works.com/public/newsletter_21.html

With a new article on "Acting Normal," info about the next session of classes, and my favorite sweets in town! Read on for shout outs to Valerie Ward, Karen Jane DeWitt, Girls Girls Girls - Improvised Musicals, Gnap! Theater Projects, Get Up, The Amazing Improvised Race and more...

SarahMarie · Post by **SarahMarie** » December 15th, 2011, 4:48 pm

As always, SO SHINY in my mind. I love this newsletter.

smerlin · Post by **smerlin** » January 12th, 2012, 5:34 pm

January's newsletter's been out for a while, if you haven't seen it yet!

http://merlin-works.com/public/newsletter_22.html

All about doing less...

smerlin · Post by **smerlin** » March 14th, 2012, 5:53 pm

New newsletter!

http://www.merlin-works.com/public/newsletter_23.html

Feature article: Unplugging with Improv

Classes start next week...

Kayla Lane · Post by **Kayla Lane** » March 14th, 2012, 6:32 pm

This thread reminded me of the awesome "Lifecycle of an Improviser" post from last summer. Clicked it, read it again, and it's still incredibly helpful and inspiring. Thanks, Shana!!

smerlin · Post by **smerlin** » May 10th, 2012, 4:53 pm

New Newsletter! Feature Article: Directing Improv.

http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=c20 ... &e=[UNIQID]

SarahMarie · Post by **SarahMarie** » May 11th, 2012, 2:30 pm

LOVE!!!

And I love the idea of the cheat sheets! But the links are broken! Boo!

smerlin · Post by **smerlin** » May 11th, 2012, 4:53 pm

Eeep! I'll work on fixing those. Something broke when we transferred over to the new site.

smerlin · Post by **smerlin** » May 21st, 2012, 9:39 pm

Fixed!

http://merlin-works.com/free-downloadab ... exercises/