Comedy as a Pride Journey
Posted: September 13th, 2012, 1:48 am
I very much see your and my relationship to comedy as a journey through pride. We accept pride, we reject pride, we focus and hone our pride, we grow as people. As comedians.
In level 1 classes you pinpoint the guy who cannot let go of pride. His routine mirrors insecurity or a sense of pride. Reversely, you pinpoint the lady who leaves her pride on the hat rack as she walks into class. She is free and uninhibited.
My pride journey benefited from a nudge here or there from two very wise improv teachers.
Shyla saw that I needed to give myself permission to move past seeking approval from the audience. She literally welcomed me to give myself permission. And a voice in my head chose not to say "this is crazy" but actually said "Jesse you have my permission to do that."
Milo saw that I needed to chisel away at my pride and perform 10 characters in a row to break out of habit. To stop taking the easy way out and trying to impress the audience. He pointed out the pitfall that I kept falling in despite me thinking the characters were drastically different.
It was all pride. Pride was a snag. Once I let go I moved into new thrilling territory. I gave myself permission to seek the fun that I wanted to have in every scene. Which freed me to invite the audience along for the ride. Drastically different from jumping through hoops for the audience as a way to maintain a shield, to guard my pride.
What have been the waymarkers for your specific pride journey? Do you see it that way? Have you grown? Move past something? Matured? Is it pride or something else?
Maybe you've felt a "spirit journey" of your own. Share.
In level 1 classes you pinpoint the guy who cannot let go of pride. His routine mirrors insecurity or a sense of pride. Reversely, you pinpoint the lady who leaves her pride on the hat rack as she walks into class. She is free and uninhibited.
My pride journey benefited from a nudge here or there from two very wise improv teachers.
Shyla saw that I needed to give myself permission to move past seeking approval from the audience. She literally welcomed me to give myself permission. And a voice in my head chose not to say "this is crazy" but actually said "Jesse you have my permission to do that."
Milo saw that I needed to chisel away at my pride and perform 10 characters in a row to break out of habit. To stop taking the easy way out and trying to impress the audience. He pointed out the pitfall that I kept falling in despite me thinking the characters were drastically different.
It was all pride. Pride was a snag. Once I let go I moved into new thrilling territory. I gave myself permission to seek the fun that I wanted to have in every scene. Which freed me to invite the audience along for the ride. Drastically different from jumping through hoops for the audience as a way to maintain a shield, to guard my pride.
What have been the waymarkers for your specific pride journey? Do you see it that way? Have you grown? Move past something? Matured? Is it pride or something else?
Maybe you've felt a "spirit journey" of your own. Share.