Releasing Pressure

Yesterday I was feeling a little off, cranky, out-of-sorts. Not for any particular reason, just tired and a bit worn out I suspect. Sitting at home after work I couldn't relax, I was restless, had some negative energy without a convient outlet.

I went to Thunderdome later in the evening and just going out and seeing folks was a bit of a relief. I was in the first group that played and that's when I really started to feel better. The set itself was good not great, very dark and blue. Most of my characters were mean and I brought up a lot of perverse subject matter(like the book Flowers In The Attic). After it was over I felt empty, I purged all the negativity I had been feeling.

In classes I had a couple teachers who would deride "improv as therapy" and I think there is certainly some substance to that. The goal is to have fun and make people laugh, you don't want someone unloading all their personal woes on an audience, it's inappropriate and seldom humorous. But you can use personal experience as inspiration. You can use it to relieve stress. When the pressure builds up take it to the stage.