Austin Improv

Started level 5A (derivative forms of the Harold) at iO today with Jason Chin. It's good to be a student again. I wish we had done more improv during class, but I still got a chance to relearn some classic lessons and learn some new ones specific to Harold and Armando.

Specifically: Get to the point. - I rambled a little in my monologue before it heated up.

Play the game. - Also, I always thought that harold "openings" or "group games" were hard, but today I finally realized that all you really have to do is heighten the game hard and fast.

First thing we did when class started was dive into a harold. Which is pretty sweet except that we didn't even warm up. I fucking hate that. I didn't even know my classmates' names. So after a hurky-jerky, awkward attempt at a harold, we were stopped early and told what we did wrong. Then we talked for a long time about stuff we'd seen at iO in the past week. BUT we didn't get to try the harold again!!!!!! I hate not getting a chance to correct my mistakes. Leaves me feeling unfulfilled. Then we practiced monologues and coming up with scene initiations based on monologues. Then we did a few Armondo beginnings and called it a day.

It's good to be a student again. It's great to immersed among others who are learning and growing. With people who have open minds and who are eating, breathing and sleeping improv. It's great to be learning from people twice, thrice, and n times more experienced than me. You can learn so much if you allow yourself to... By watching, performing with, teaching, and talking to masters as well as total newbies.

I started a journal about my classes and this is an abridged version of my first entry. I think I'll keep making these posts about my classes if people don't mind.
Sweet.

yes, please keep posting these

Ditto

DollarBill wrote:

It's good to be a student again.

I want everyone to be saying this all the time! Bill's awesomeness maintains!

It's the #1 reason I deal with the annoyance of travel, to take as many workshops at as many festivals as I can stomach. There's such a huge list of such huge names to still learn from!

improvisers: always be learning!!!

That was my reaction as well. I love seeing other people get such a thrill out of being a student.

Post more, Dolla!

Super interesting! Keep posting these, please!

do it!

this post makes me super jealous. a jealous, jealous tart.

Yes.

Well? Where's the next post?

nadine wrote:Well? Where's the next post?

It's in the future. Classes are Sunday from 6 - 9pm. But here's a teaser:

Jason will be on the set of the new Batman movie this week so the substitute will be the highly-regarded Joe Bill.

iO LEVEL 5A - CLASS 2:

Class Summary: (Jason Chin was there so no notes on Joe Bill)
30 minutes of talking about shows we saw that week.
20 minutes of Armondo.
20 minutes talking about the Armondo we just did.
45 minutes of Shotgun (a format with 4 people in a car who never leave the car) with talking about each scene in between
15 minute break
50 minutes of 2 person scenes with post scene and, in some cases, mid-scene notes.

I guess I took three main things from this class. One is that I like playing characters that are different from me. I made that realization because for the purpose of focusing our attention on playing the new forms we were learning, Chin had us play ourselves in most of the scenes.
Two: Having fun on stage is really important, but not the only thing that's important. The last scene of the day was during the grounded-play-yourself-two-person-slow-evolving-scenework exercise that was supposed to inform us about the TJ and Dave format. Anyway, every scene start they had was extremely gaggy, but totally 100% hilarious. Chin kept starting them over, but they kept naturally falling into these funny little scenes. It was highly refreshing amidst the other slow scenes, and it reminded me to have fun while you work your scene. Everything in moderation, I suppose.
Three: Playing with people you don't know is more difficult. Playing with experienced people you don't know is easier but still difficult. When playing with people you don't know, I believe you've got to really focus. Enjoy yourself, but focus. Really listen hard. You can tell get a vibe of how someone plays within a few moments of a scene start if you're paying attention.

Misc Notes: Chin doesn't like it when people play children younger than like... 12 or 13. Says it's limiting to the scene. I'm not sure if he meant it as a note for beginners or for everyone, but I tend to disagree. Someone in the class offered this line of questioning:

(this is paraphrasing, by the way)
Chin: It's very hard to play a little kid and really help your scene partner without playing a kid with the intelligence of an adult.
Classmate: Do you always have to play kids totally realistically?
Chin: Yes.
Classmate: What about when you play a talking chair?
Chin: As long as it's an Adult talking chair.

It was a hard class because of how many limitations were put on us (no accents, play yourselves, etc.). But it was still interesting and challenging and fun in different ways. Can't wait to go back. There's so much talking that I've only been on stage for like 10 - 20 minutes per class. So I'm always left fiending for more prov all week long. I think we are doing a Harold in complete darkness next time. "Blind Harold". Should be a hoot.

odds are others are fiending, too. invite people you like or even people you don't like to do a mid week rehearsal of all the stuff chin did with you on monday. or just to do scenes and not do notes. or sign up for some open mics and get milkshake up there for cryin out loud.

Jen, Erin, Ace, and I are gonna do some midweek rehearsals. We're gonna use the activities from ace's level 1 and my level 5 and add whatever we want.

ALSO! I just had a Joe Bill as a sub for my level 5. It was a kick-ass class. I wrote down a lot of stuff from the quotable Joe Bill. More about it soon!