My notes on the Annoyance Summer Intensive -- Intro
Posted: July 20th, 2011, 2:36 pm
NOTE: class notes start on Day 1, Monday--feel free to jump to that posting....
SUMMER IMPROV INTENSIVE AT ANNOYANCE THEATER IN CHICAGO
[DISCLAIMER: I'm not perfect.
These notes are my opinions and half-remembered thoughts.
I will most certainly contradict myself in shows and rehearsals—I've only been doing this 15 months, so I'm a work in progress.
If you would like to find out the truth about the Annoyance Theater or Chicago, I highly recommend that you remember that these are just one guy's opinion and make the trip yourself. The intensive and experience in general was worth all the money and time.
If they were going to add a subtitle to the Annoyance Theater Summer Improv Intensive, it should read “How to get out of your head.”]
About me:
My name is Joshua Philips.
I'm a Level 6 student at ColdTowne.
My troupes that rehearse every week are:
--Best Friends Club of Austin (with Brett Tribe); coached by David Hess
--Scout (with Ann Potter, Ashley Franks, Sam Malcolm, Danny Catlow, Jericho Thorp and Cody Dearing; coached by John Ratliff
--Consequences (CT student troupe); coached by Josh Krilov
--Tomato Pie (with Ashley Franks); coached by Stephanie Russo
Friday:
arrive at 2:00 pm at 537 W. Melrose, which turned out to be the exact street I would need to live around if I was going to have dogs and do improv, yoga, and rock climbing
met Steve
ate Gino's East
met AirBnB host and got room key
Intelligentsia
got into a good head space with Steve Donovan
went to see Baby Wants Candy at Apollo—freakin' great
Saturday:
Moksha Yoga (w/ Erin Cowan as teacher)
Hot Doug's (Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Fleur de Sel; Pear and Pork Wine Elk Sausage with Foie Gras Aioli and Aged Centenol Cheese; Red Wine and Demi Glace Venison Sausage with Cherry Pepper Mustard and Smoked Gouda Cheese; also, Duck Fat French Fries)
Walked around downtown and visited Chicago Public Library, the Bean, Grant Park, the garden and fountain at Art Institute of Chicago
Neo-Futurists perform “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind”--this show and Delicious Moments redeemed sketch for me. So unique and great.
Sunday:
Krilov arrived
Kuma's Corner (best mac & cheese of my life with bacon and caramelized onions; Lair of the Minotaur burger with caramelized onions and pears was amazing)
Went to iO early to watch Deep Schwa (Craig Uhlir sat in), Rick and Phoenix Light were two Harold troupes that opened
Middle Age Comeback performed a weird crazy town show. It was interesting watching them try to reign in a show that went wild after 5 minutes. It never really got back for them. Fun to watch, but I felt like they weren't really happy with it.
3033 performed the best group improv I've seen to date. The four of them turned the shape of their show into a Harold just by following their characters and plot. They literally used the first three lines of the scene to create a perfect 40 minute theater experience. I'm still blown away. This was the high water mark of what a group show can be.
SUMMER IMPROV INTENSIVE AT ANNOYANCE THEATER IN CHICAGO
[DISCLAIMER: I'm not perfect.
These notes are my opinions and half-remembered thoughts.
I will most certainly contradict myself in shows and rehearsals—I've only been doing this 15 months, so I'm a work in progress.
If you would like to find out the truth about the Annoyance Theater or Chicago, I highly recommend that you remember that these are just one guy's opinion and make the trip yourself. The intensive and experience in general was worth all the money and time.
If they were going to add a subtitle to the Annoyance Theater Summer Improv Intensive, it should read “How to get out of your head.”]
About me:
My name is Joshua Philips.
I'm a Level 6 student at ColdTowne.
My troupes that rehearse every week are:
--Best Friends Club of Austin (with Brett Tribe); coached by David Hess
--Scout (with Ann Potter, Ashley Franks, Sam Malcolm, Danny Catlow, Jericho Thorp and Cody Dearing; coached by John Ratliff
--Consequences (CT student troupe); coached by Josh Krilov
--Tomato Pie (with Ashley Franks); coached by Stephanie Russo
Friday:
arrive at 2:00 pm at 537 W. Melrose, which turned out to be the exact street I would need to live around if I was going to have dogs and do improv, yoga, and rock climbing
met Steve
ate Gino's East
met AirBnB host and got room key
Intelligentsia
got into a good head space with Steve Donovan
went to see Baby Wants Candy at Apollo—freakin' great
Saturday:
Moksha Yoga (w/ Erin Cowan as teacher)
Hot Doug's (Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Fleur de Sel; Pear and Pork Wine Elk Sausage with Foie Gras Aioli and Aged Centenol Cheese; Red Wine and Demi Glace Venison Sausage with Cherry Pepper Mustard and Smoked Gouda Cheese; also, Duck Fat French Fries)
Walked around downtown and visited Chicago Public Library, the Bean, Grant Park, the garden and fountain at Art Institute of Chicago
Neo-Futurists perform “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind”--this show and Delicious Moments redeemed sketch for me. So unique and great.
Sunday:
Krilov arrived
Kuma's Corner (best mac & cheese of my life with bacon and caramelized onions; Lair of the Minotaur burger with caramelized onions and pears was amazing)
Went to iO early to watch Deep Schwa (Craig Uhlir sat in), Rick and Phoenix Light were two Harold troupes that opened
Middle Age Comeback performed a weird crazy town show. It was interesting watching them try to reign in a show that went wild after 5 minutes. It never really got back for them. Fun to watch, but I felt like they weren't really happy with it.
3033 performed the best group improv I've seen to date. The four of them turned the shape of their show into a Harold just by following their characters and plot. They literally used the first three lines of the scene to create a perfect 40 minute theater experience. I'm still blown away. This was the high water mark of what a group show can be.