Austin Improv

It's the first Tuesday of the month again, which means that Parallelogramophonograph will be at The Carousel Lounge doing improv. Jerm Pollet will be playing music. Guests this week include Nick Kraus & His Austin Torpedos, and who knows who else.

Come one, come all. Come after the jam. There may very well be some group games at the end, too.

9:30pm on. Free. BYOLiquor.

Why, the Carousel Lounge is the happiest place on earth!! I'll definitely make an effort to pop in.

Man oh man, the carousel was wild and crazy tonight! P-graph... you have done it once again.

Thanks for the memories.

Aden

penelope butterbean wrote:Man oh man, the carousel was wild and crazy tonight! P-graph... you have done it once again.

Thanks for the memories.

Aden

Thanks. Who knew that we were capable of musical improv? The Fuck-Around (patent pending) is the greatest format known to man.

Roy Janik wrote:Thanks. Who knew that we were capable of musical improv? The Fuck-Around (patent pending) is the greatest format known to man.

Too bad I'm a total pussy when it comes to improvised singing. I'll get over it one day...maybe.

kbadr wrote:Too bad I'm a total pussy when it comes to improvised singing. I'll get over it one day...maybe.

The audience seemed to forgive you. How late were you guys there signing autographs? It seemed like the line was out the door!!

kbadr wrote: Too bad I'm a total pussy when it comes to improvised singing. I'll get over it one day...maybe.

Honestly dude, it's not about what you sing or how good of a voice you have. As long as you really feel it (I mean really feel it HARD), I'd say 80% of the time (maybe more) the audience will be sold. Trust me dude... "poodle awdle leedley-o han-ga-ly dang-ga-lee weiner" is only truely funny if you really REALLY MEAN it.

I've said too much.

DollarBill wrote:Honestly dude, it's not about what you sing or how good of a voice you have. As long as you really feel it (I mean really feel it HARD), I'd say 80% of the time (maybe more) the audience will be sold. Trust me dude... "poodle awdle leedley-o han-ga-ly dang-ga-lee weiner" is only truely funny if you really REALLY MEAN it.

I've said too much.

Oh, I know. I even took Shana's 6-week singing class (maybe I shouldn't admit that in public.) I just can't get past feeling really silly about singing. Like "why the fuck am I singing? Let's just do a scene!" My heart's not in it, I guess.

I'll get over it. But on the other hand, I don't think there's anything wrong with just not digging something. Just because it's improv, that doesn't mean I should feel compelled to do it if I don't feel it.

kbadr wrote: I'll get over it. But on the other hand, I don't think there's anything wrong with just not digging something. Just because it's improv, that doesn't mean I should feel compelled to do it if I don't feel it.

Maybe it's the type of songs that's the problem. Try doing an improvised Sex Pistols song next time.

kbadr wrote: Oh, I know. I even took Shana's 6-week singing class (maybe I shouldn't admit that in public.) I just can't get past feeling really silly about singing. Like "why the fuck am I singing? Let's just do a scene!" My heart's not in it, I guess.

I'll get over it. But on the other hand, I don't think there's anything wrong with just not digging something. Just because it's improv, that doesn't mean I should feel compelled to do it if I don't feel it.

True. As long as you're not "afraid" of singing.

TWO STORIES:
At IO, one time, we did scene starts that were HORRIBLE on purpose. My scene started with a totally racist comment. I was stunned. But we played through it while my knees were shaking the whole time. I realized that it's fine to stay away from stuff that you deem inapropriate for the scene, but NEVER skip over something because you are afraid of "going there".

Also, Susan Messing told this story about how she used to have this thing where she said she would "do anything on stage except give birth". Then in a show one night the other girl in the troupe gave birth to some puppies and she was totally jealous and realized that her rules were silly. Moral of her story is: Don't let a mental block cause you to miss out on a golden improv opportunity.

P.S. I am highly guilty of letting mental blocks get in my way of sweet improv.

I am afraid of it, because I have a hard time motivating myself to do it more to get over the fear.

So it's part fear, part disinterest. Definitely something to work on, I suppose.

DollarBill wrote:(I mean really feel it HARD)

From all emotion, comes motion.

A character's actions are derived from the emotionial core of their relationship with the other characters AND the environment in the scene. Play the character's emtions, and you will never have to worry about what to say or do. Audiences want to watch us writhe in fear, anger, sadness, or ecstacy while they sit comfortably in their chairs. If you play an emotion your audience can identify with, they will love you for it.

So, find the love. Find the hate. Find the loss. Find the fear. And then play/sing THAT, not the lyrics, not the notes, but the emotional truth of the scene.

At least, that's what I told my animation students this week (more or less) as we worked on the "lip sync" exercise. Can I do this on stage? Nope. But I *strive* to.

sara_anm8r wrote: Play the character's emtions, and you will never have to worry about what to say or do.

Everything in moderation, nothing NXS (yes, including moderation). Playing emotion is important, but so is all that other crap we talk about too. Sometimes playing plot, exposition, fact distribution can save an extremely emotional yet totally nebulous scene.