Doodaloot

A received a couple notes during classes and after that have stuck with me over the years. One of my first notes that I really took to heart was during Susan Messing's level 2 class at iO. I made this move to do a flashback and used the Wayne's World doodaloot-doodaloot thing where Wayne and Garth wave their hands up and down. Susan stopped the whole thing right there.

Susan: Stop, stop, stop! Don't fucking do doodaloot, everyone fucking knows doodaloot, I've seen doodaloot! Do something different. Do something original. You want to flashback? Don't do something you saw in a movie fifteen years ago.

At the time I was incredibly embarrassed and ashamed. I felt like an idiot. But it was a great lesson that I will never forget. It's sticks with me even now, not only not ripping off bits you've seen but also keeping things fresh for yourself.

Recently I've seen a lot of recycled stuff. People doing a lot of the same bits or characters or lines that they've used before because they work. And I think that's ok up until a point. With improv I think we're obligied to be constantly changing, constantly evolving. We can go through our period of playing old people, or playing ourselves, or playing the opposite sex all the time but then we have to push through and try different stuff. Keep it fresh. I recognize this in myself also. Craig said something to me last week that kind of stopped me short: "Oh we'll probably see the Steve Nelson teenage girl character tonight." I do play women frequently and in the past month or so I've played a lot of teenage girls.

Finding characters that you like and that audiences like is good, but relying on them heavily and never straying from them is a crutch. Not only do audiences get sick of it but the people you perform with get sick of it as well.

Strive for something new and more often than not you'll find it.