Austin Improv

Along the same lines of the "who do you like to play" thread, and inspired by Napier's comment that people always seem to be grabbing cups when told to grab something...what are your favorite physical actions on stage? Specifically, what do you tend to do to initiate the scene (we're often told to be doing something when the lights come up) and what do you typically do or fall back on once you are in the scene?

Staring with fear at the cold, judgmental eyes of the audience.

For me, when I use a fall back to initiate a scene (which I'm trying to do less of), it is usually digging or changing tires. I've seen a lot of people in Austin start by washing dishes or opening cupboards, but mine is digging.

Once I'm in the scene, I smoke too much. I like to read a book, but I rarely do so. I also smash every bottle I drink from, almost without fail. Lately, I've been trying to work on a physical trait for each character I do (playing with a ring or adjusting socks constantly), but I've not found a winning action I resort to.

There was a guy in Ed32 who would always resort to stirring something in a big bowl with a big spoon. In nearly every scene. It was so brilliant.

I am always getting something from a cupboard or drawer. Sometimes it's the closet. There is also always a sink onhand, which is usually next to the trash can. And all my trash cans are the kind that you step on a lever on the bottom to raise the lid.

But I feel like the contents of the cupboards varies. Sometimes I'm cooking. sometimes I'm packing. Sometimes I'm getting craft supplies.

I always have a backpack on because you can pull out so much stuff from a backpack.

I often put on lotion or cologne or whatever, sometimes I comb my long hair.

A lot of times I grab something and don't even know what it is until later. That is scary fun.

driving. fishing. probably because I enjoy watching scenes that have nothing to do with the environment and therefore driving and fishing are both an easy go to.

when i used to have very short or no hair, people accused me of brushing fake hair too much. maybe i did. or maybe it was more pronounced with the glare off my head.

i drink from a glass in almost every scene. fortunately, there is always a table next to me to set it down once its empty. i HAVE started leaving room between my fingers and my mouth for the lip of the glass (thanks to either erika may or shana).

i also have one or two fallback dance moves for ggg shows. a crowd pleaser is the arm flailing tap shuffle. mostly i march in place.

For some reason I start to smoke in scenes where feel I need something to do. I'll also stare off into nowhere at times, as if I'm talking/thinking at the same time. But usually I'll try to take cues from the scene and try to adapt to what I think the scene needs physically.

And many thanks to Jordan Maxwell and Chris Allen for giving me pointers on the physicality of the scene. I can now treat items with a mass and a weight which I used to neglect when I started.

I tend to cross my arms alot and bite on my thumbnail. I've also been known to draw, paint or dig to start a scene. I've found myself playing plants and furniture a lot more lately too. It must be the new roommate influence.

I prefer the obligatory bartender-drying-the-glasses schtick...

Or DO I?

i dip my finger in whatever i am drinking and then suck the finger.
i don't do that in "real" life (what is real?).

i read the news paper.
often i look in the mirror but no one ever knows it.

(haha, my little secret)

my defaults are typically smoking with my back to the audience, because i enjoy the turn-reveal and the immediate intrigue smoking seems to endow a scene with. i also sit down and mess with a remote control a lot. I don't know why because it's incredibly boring visually and there's never anything good on.

but most of all...i always, ALWAYS have to fight the impulse to start every scene with firing a bow and arrow or doing push ups. i don't know why. those are just the two things that most often come into my mind.

It's all about the good ole mop'n'bucket...

That or I often move a chair around, fidget nervously, or push something that could be a grocery cart or a stroller or a casket.

But who needs physicality in improv.

Characters? Bah.
Physicality? Bah.

All you need to possess to be able to improv is free-style rapping skills.

Coicidontolly, Trewbee and I are teaching a workshop on free-style rapping in septermber, is it too early to be hyping that shit?

I move chairs around like nobody's business. Human beings are sitting 14% of the time (I just made that up), but I pull out chairs for scenes 63% of the time (actual statistic based on video footage). Which means I'm lazy, either because I can't be bothered to think of something else to start a scene with or because I want to sit down; often I'll invite you to sit in the chair though, so it's probably the former.

I also smoke a lot, which inevitably leads to a funny accent of some kind. And I've never actually smoked a cigarette in my life, so my space smoking is probably pretty inaccurate.