Live From Chicago...

[peter]

iO Level Four - Week Five

Hooray Bill is back - and again today's class was basically just running mini-Harolds in preparation for our class performance in two weeks. The mini-Harolds focused on full length openings and group games with shorter than normal scenes in between.

Here are the notes I took away from the work:
Follow the Distraction in a scene: The scene is not about ________
Mirror each other (especially in opening and group games)
Transitions in openings are as simple as one player simply making a different choice and everyone supporting all choices made
Don't leave people hanging out there on a limb - support each other
If you're playing with a lot of people on stage - not everyone has to be in a first beat scene - they can come in the second and third beats
Rarely does everyone in a group remember every detail about the show - but if everyone remembers one or two things then collectively you all remember enough to wrap it up
A great way to end is simply to return to the beginning

[peter]

iO Level Four - Week Six & Seven

I'm combining the last two classes of this level into one post (partly because I forgot to post last week and because most of the notes were fairly similar in both).

Our second to last class before our performance had us running full length Harold's exclusively with a focus on reaching a clear ending to our shows (instead of simply performing until someone kills the lights). The big note we took away form this class, besides how to end our shows was: Either you're doing something all together on stage - or you making an active choice to change it

Some of the tips we were given on finding ways to end our shows were:

* Return to and repeat the opening
* Return to the opening and finish it (if it ended with some sort of cliffhanger)
* Have one strong narrative in your show reach a conclusion (if you have one)


So our last class before our big show this Sunday is also the last class of this level (because apparently our performance counts as a class since the instructors all have to be there). This class much like the last one was all about running Harolds to prepare for the show.

I left the class with these notes:
Harold's are malleable, the strict version is just a teaching tool
You can break the form is the show calls for it
Play the Distractions in your scenes
Mix in both Narrative and tangential inspiration for Second beats
Look for moves/patterns that can tie the show together
Ideally each show should have a form unique to the suggestion

[peter]

So as you might surmise from the fact that I've updated this journal somewhat - I am not in fact dead.
I've just been incredibly busy with work, improv, life, and dance parties (so many dance parties).

So for those who might be interested a few updates about what's been going on up in Chicago.

Even though the Improv Class updates end at Level 4 and Level 3 at iO and the Annoyance (respectively) I have continued on with the training programs.
In fact I am just a few weeks away from graduating both iO and The Annoyance training centers and if I may shamelessly plug myself for a moment:

I will be performing at The Annoyance Sunday Nights on August 3rd, 17th, & 24th and Wednesday night August 13th all at 7pm.
Then starting Sunday either August 24th or 31st - I will have an 8 week run of my 5b shows at iO at 8pm.

I now run tech/lights for and stage manage various shows at The Annoyance and run tech for the Improvised Sitcom: Guy Friends, Friday Nights at iO (in short I spend way to much time at these theaters.

Beyond the mainstream, my group Counter Productive Lover is doing very well - we still perform regularly at home theater CIC and will in fact be performing at the 10th Annual Del Close Marathon in New York (August 8th - 10th) which will be a blast.
Also very recently I became a part of a new independent group called: The Belmont Transfer. Which is made up of a number of classmates of mine from both the Annoyance and iO.

As it might be apparent it is very very easy to overextend yourself in this city (and in this art form in general.. in fact I'm right now straddling that line). And the big problem with that (especially for improv) is that you draw inspiration for your improv from your life experiences - so when the majority of your life experiences start to center around improv.
So I encourage everyone pursuing this wonderful art form to do the dame thing I am doing now: make sure to leave plenty of time in your schedule for non improv/theater related things. See movies, read books, go to parks, hang out with friends, play board games, throw crazy dance parties, etc.
In the end it'll all just add more fuel to your comedy fire.

I know I've posted this link before - but here is a good way to test if you're a little too involved in the scene:
www.dangoldstein.com/ImprovGeekQuiz.html

(I am now at 80%: an improv Geekarino ... man I need to go to more Dance parties....sigh).