Schwa

And trust
and commonality
and understanding
and community
and united purpose

within this circle of protection

these confines

safety

boundless freedom

Sight Unseen 10th Anniverary

Jimmy and I started Sight Unseen ten years back, he had been teaching at the Annoyance for awhile and wanted to do improv more regularly and to have a place students could see him as we had both had various bad experiences with teachers over the years who didn't actually perform just taught. He also thought students get better faster playing with more experienced players so that's where the Fishbowl portion of the show came from. We pitched a couple people each and put the team together and we've had a weekly show ever since. We never performed together before the first show, never rehearsed, hence the name.

This week we celebrated 10 years and did some shows with Jimmy, Mark, MB, and Meaghan coming in from out of town. Really nice to be together and perform and see the similarities and differences in the cast and how the style has both morphed and maintained with members leaving and new folks coming aboard.

I've been a part of a lot of different improv teams and various shows but this is one of the only things I helped originate and over the years have helped perpetuate. Its been so much fun and so inspiring and I'm really proud of it.

Thanks to those that came out and that have supported us over the years.

Art For Art's Sake

I've got paid to act
a couple times

each one contained

a bit of grime

So I gave up

that partial dream

although it had

a lustrous sheen

To do the things

I want and when

in pursuit of

joy and health

The only goal

is the thing itself

not a means

to reach a future end

Post Show Depression

I was going to write a poem
about the feeling after a show
that apathy that inevitably follows
the immediacy and vibrancy
the stage provides
when time slows
and it's just you, your cast,
and the audience
sharing patiently the present moment
without distraction
and it's not the laughs or the attention
it's time when all of us
are simply living
together
and sometimes I love that more than anything
so when it passes, as it's always fleeting
I wouldn't say I sadden but I do retreat.
But now
in observance of the pandemic
there will be no shows
at least for awhile
and perhaps this poem
is about something else.

The Numbers For 2018

Year #6 without a drink. I didn't do it alone, I couldn't. I've stayed sober because of the help of others and the grace of my Higher Power.

I read 62 books my top 5 were The Sudden Appearance of Hope, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, The Minotaur Takes A Cigarette Break, The Anubis Gates, and Paradox Bound.

I saw 82 movies in the theater.

I fired a gun for the first time.

We(Nicole and I) went to 2 author events(Christina Henry and Esther Perel).

We went to 2 Michelin starred restaurants(Topolobampo and Parachute).

We went to 4 weddings.

We went ice skating once.

I went on 3 vacations (Richmond, motorcycle trip around Lake Michigan, New Mexico).

I saw 1 adolescent hero- Broon.

I did 48 shows with Deep Schwa.

I did 47 shows with Sight Unseen.

I did 9 shows with Plane Station.

I did 4 shows with Terrific Six(various mixes of members from my first improv team The Album).

I directed 1 solo show.

I understudied and performed in the play Deerfield Inn once.

I wrote 68 poems, 3 essays, and did 9 readings.

I rode my motorcycle for 6 months.

I went to 1 magic show.

I went to 0 funerals.

I went to 0 plays.

I went to 0 concerts.

I helped celebrate my niece's 2nd birthday.

Nicole and I celebrated our 5th Anniversary.

A full year, a satisfying year, a fast year. I'm grateful for each and every day.

Commitment

Had a fun show tonight with Sight Unseen, we played some absurd, reprehensible characters and thinking about it afterward I'd say there wasn't a lot of funny lines per say, we just doubled down on these awful characters we were playing and the humor came from the situations and behaviors. Not a terribly astute observation but an interesting distinction none the less.

Set-up punch-line joke type jokes are more associated with stand up and although certainly there is that type of comedy in improv and sketch, character based content is what those mediums really exist for. And what makes for a funny show or performance is the same thing that makes for a compelling dramatic portrayal- commitment. Call it authenticity, call it honesty, believability, what have you. A characters sincerity, their realness, and the performers commitment to their POV is where laughs come from not the clever things they say.

Character is probably the main focus of Sight Unseen, we inherently go at improv in that way but just this week I noticed a couple other examples that stuck out to me. A friend just premiered a web series and its well put together, funny, but the most interesting sequence is one that doesn't have rapid fire jokes or meta elements but where there's just a fully formed, albeit extremely odd, character.  I also started watching Future Man this week and it's surprisingly fun. It's a sci-fi comedy emphasis on the latter and it is full of references and jokes but it works because of the sincerity of its titular hero played by Josh Hutcherson and the commitment of the two co-stars Eliza Coupe and Derek Wilson.

This is all to say that joke-based comedy works wonderfully in the right format but can be pretty thin when involving anything resembling a narrative- either individual scenes or fully flushed out stories. Because in drama and comedy it's ultimately the characters with which we identify. Which anchor a story and which all the pathos and humor are derived from. And the further committed the actor is to character, the more immersed, the more convincing, the more lived in, the greater potential for catharsis(laughter or tears) for we the audience.

The Numbers For 2017

Year #5 without a drink. Thanks to all the friends, family, and strangers who helped along the way.

I went on 4 vacations(Harrisburg, NYC, Denver, New Orleans).

I did 48 shows with Deep Schwa.

I did 45 shows with Sight Unseen.

The Night Shift did 1 show.

I co-wrote and performed 1 sketch show 5 times.

I conceived and shot 20 interviews for a documentary tentatively titled Chiaroscuro.

I wrote 62 poems, 1 essay, and did 6 readings.

I watched 78 movies in the theater.

I read 68 books my favorite of which was The Antagonist by Lynn Coady.

I went to 1 concert(Willie Nelson).

I saw 1 of my heroes in the flesh(Chris Rock).

I went to 2 plays(Linda Vista, Doll's House Part 2).

I went to 2 weddings.

I went to 0 funerals.

I went to 2 Michelin starred restaurants.

I moved once.

I babysat my niece for the first time.

I learned and cooked 6 crock pot recipes.

I rode my motorcycle for 7 months. I changed the battery once.

Nicole and I celebrated our 4th Anniversary.

I'm grateful for it all.

Clarity Is Best

In improv the base tenant is 'Yes, And' and I have some pretty substantial ideas about how flawed that can be which I outlined in the improv online magazine The Hambook however this seems to be an issue more globally with peoples jobs, friendships, and family. Not that people are interpersonally yes-and-ing each other too much but that people in general seem to have issues with establishing boundaries, especially with friends/family/at work, acquiescing to commitments or circumstances that may in fact be presumptuous/imposing to our time or well being. The other aspect is clarity, of expectation and individual needs, in general people seem reticent to clearly communicate what's going on and what they want.

Over the past couple weeks there have been several examples of this in my life, directly and indirectly, people(myself included) being unclear about a situation, wants, needs, expectations, and the result is stress and resentment. The impulse to not set boundaries or not ask for what you need I think comes ultimately from fear(of upsetting someone, making a fuss, being perceived as being mean, demanding, alienating etc.) and this desire "not to be a bother" because we've somehow internalized this idea that actively taking care of ourselves is somehow self-serving, vain, that our wants and needs are secondary or unimportant perhaps even a burden to others.

The reality is that communicating with clarity is not only good its detrimental. We are conditioned to use vagaries and passive-aggression(as if that was effective) in the somewhat covert effort to avoid conflict(and undersell our own personal needs) when that's what communicating in that muddled inarticulate way inevitably evokes- resentment then eventual conflict. There's nothing inherently combative about saying no, about saying I'd rather not, I'm not interested, or this isn't a good time. Friends and loved ones will typically understand if you're up front and honest when they ask you to do something for/with them. It becomes messy when you acquiesce, equivocate, deny, deflect, defer, then eventually come back to the reality which is like "actually no I don't want to go to that party with you"(or whatever it may be). You've put yourself through the ringer, confused your friend, now you feel guilty because you weren't honest and direct from the jump.

The other part of it of course is you. You have to remember that you are important, what you want and need is important. Period. If you're not a relatively balanced and content individual how can you be a loving participant in your family, a supportive friend, or a competent employee. It's not only your right it's your obligation to establish and sustain, carve out and cultivate those things that you need day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month to feel good, to feel whole. Because only when you have some measure of mental/emotional/spiritual equilibrium can you really show up and be a fruitful family member/friend/employee what-have-you and in order to do that you have to occasionally set boundaries. You cannot make yourself available to the whim of the people around you, regardless of how much you love and care about them. I'm not suggesting you hoard your time and attention and only do what you want to do. What I am suggesting is be clear with people about what you will and won't do for/with them. If someone asks you for something or to do something and it's unclear to what extent you be committing yourself, ask for clarity. If someone is asking you to do something for/with them that feels to you like an imposition its OK to say no or respond with conditions.

You must consider your needs first. Not in regards to pleasure or ambition or comfort but to your mental and physical health. If you're exhausted or stressed out or overwhelmed how can you be of service to anyone?

Swears

There are no short cuts in comedy, no real rules or guarantees, but over the past couple years I've noticed a couple things that always seem to make people laugh. A couple buttons that seem to always burp out chuckles when pressed. One of those is curse words. Not using them but not using them.

When your a kid and you first discover curse words there's typically a brief(or extended depending) period of fixation when you use them all the time to the point where they become almost meaningless. There's a similar phase in improv not prompted by discovery I don't think but by panic and a misguided idea that cursing a lot on stage is funny and/or edgy. The reality is its tiresome unless used judiciously. Even then expletives aren't terribly effective comedy wise past a certain adolescent age or in rare perfectly timed circumstances.

The trick, that works an astonishing amount of the time, is not to say the curse word but use the letter(s) instead. "What the F do you think you're doing!?!?" "This is a bunch of S!" You get the idea. Typically most effective when playing an adolescent or a parent. Tonight during the Schwa show Jeannie and I were in a father-son scene and I kept using "GD" instead of "God Damn" and people responded. It's a weird little thing, almost feels like a cheat sometimes. But there's something about not saying it, something that's almost quaint about it, antiquated almost, kind of absurd, which tickles a lot of folks funny bone.

I kind of recognized the move watching Old School in college. At one point Vince Vaughn, the dad character, has his baby and Luke Wilson is cursing a bunch and Vaughn explodes "I don't know why you have to do it! With the F-in'!" And I thought it was so funny, and the frat guys on my floor thought it was so funny and quoted it all the time. The idea percolated until a couple years ago when it bubbled up during a scene where I used "F" a bunch instead of fuck and the audience really got a kick out of it.

I hope its not a crutch I rely on, I don't think I do it that often, but I definitely do it if the opportunity/circumstance presents itself. It's fun to do, the move provides kind of a short-hand to character, and people like it so, why not?

Old Chemistry

The Night Shift was my Playground team made back in 2010. We performed steadily for a little over four years then decided to retire because of some changes made at that theater and because the shows were sparsely attended. We were friends and I think good collaborators. One of those rare teams that the quality of the shows mirrored the enjoyment we had hanging out outside of them. We've mostly stayed in touch over the past three years but we don't see each other that often. Just that nature I think of defunct improv teams.

On somewhat of a whim we did a show last night. Because of geography and waning improv interest there are only really four of use left. Damian, Craig, Molly, and myself and the show was really good. Not that that was a surprise, nor was it like some earth shattering piece of art, but even so it was kind of amazing how effortlessly we were able to find our groove and chemistry again. The familiarity and fluidity we had developed came right back and we were reading each other, making intuitive jumps, messing with each other, getting laughs, and having fun.

In improv there's a lot of talk about "group mind" this idea of functioning as a team, a unit, rather than individuals. It's something that new groups seem to talk about a lot but more seasoned performers and teams don't really discuss. And I think the reason is you can't talk about it directly. It's one of those things that disappears if you look at it straight-on. It's one of those kinds of things you just have to slip into not some skill you can develop or muscle you can exercise. It grows independently of your attention. Last night to me felt like a good example of that. I've known Damian, Craig, and Molly for a long time and there was a period where we performed a lot together but that was almost three years ago. I haven't really seen them perform much recently and we mostly stay in touch through gchat and text, neither the most intimate of mediums. Even so we have this thing we share. This language and ability to sync up that I don't think will go away.

People compare improv a lot to sports and music which have validity but for me I think it has more resonance with concepts of Zen. By not thinking but being in a state of readiness do things really happen, by not doing are real discoveries made and real inspiration found. By not trying do things and opportunities and ideas reveal themselves. Now I'm not talking about apathy or lethargy I'm talking about being in a state of openness and preparedness to seize and actualize characters and story when they present themselves.

I realize this may sound all very fru-fru and silly and perhaps self aggrandizing and I'm sure none of this is unique to me but the bottom line is that I had a good time last night with my friends and we had fun and the audience who paid money to be entertained was. And that feels good and comfortable and familiar. Say what you want about the ethereal and neverending nature of improv but it felt like success.

A Night of Jimmys

To celebrate Jimmy's birthday today all of Sight Unseen wore black t-shirts and blue jeans and drew fake tats on our arms for the show. The show went well and I think it's fun, especially for a team that has an open run, to mix it up every once in a while, to have a gimmick. It's playful and we celebrated Jimmy, win win.

Birthday's can be weird or maybe they just mean less as you get older but there still remains this expectation to make it a singular type day. Anyway, Jimmy has been a great friend for a long time so I was happy we did a little something for him, it's important to make a birthday special even in a small way. Life can be tedious or move fast or blur together so it's important to take a moment every now and again to let your friends know you love them, even if its just a reminder.

Artistic Respect

Earlier today we got asked if an original Annoyance member, who was looking to get back into performing, could come play in the Fishbowl. The answer was of course yes. We, my team that hosts the show Sight Unseen, try to be open and inviting to anyone who wants to come participate and play with the students. Before the show we looked up the guy's website which on the start page has a big picture of him and Jay Leno and lists him as a professional MC. I'm a bit skeptical but I'm trying to keep an open mind.

Jimmy is out of town this week and some of the other folks were running late for various reasons so I was the only one there before the show, not typical, so I was scrambling a bit to get things set up. This guy comes into the theater, old and overweight, and starts immediately name dropping the famous people he knew back in the 80's. He's loudly and passive aggressively making comments implying he expected to be greeted and given the red carpet. Mike, a friend and frequent Fishbowl player, introduces himself talks to him a bit and brings him over to me. I attempt to explain the format but the third time he interrupts me I just give up. He then makes a sarcastic comment thinly disguised as a joke about how "organized" we were. I responded firmly but with what I felt to be significant restraint telling him we'd been doing the show successfully for two years thank you. He didn't watch the opening group and tried to rope other performs into listening to him name drop, he was cringe worthy in the Fishbowl, and left after we started our set. This is all to say the guy was a real tool.

Point being respect should be the watchword. I'm sure I come across from time to time as superior or judgmental and the reality is that I'm just reserved, quiet until comfortable. But that's something I'm aware of and I work on. Make an effort to be welcoming and make conversation with people when they're doing my shows and I try to be open and agreeable when I'm doing theirs. Perhaps all his bluster and "I knew Pasquesi and Messing when" crap was just nerves but I don't think so and even if it was his behavior was inexcusable. Rudeness and entitlement have no place in the world at large or a theater where people are putting themselves out there in vulnerable ways donating their time and talent in most cases with no recompense save for the pleasure and satisfaction derived from the work itself. It is important to be aware of how we behave regardless of what reverence or difference we believe we deserve, because most of the time we don't deserve any. What we do deserve is common decency and respect. What that looks like is simple humility(regardless of stature) and basic politeness. Ultimately we're all the same- thinking feeling humans trying to make our way through life. That is the truth regardless of age, wealth, or "success".

Let's cut the bullshit and respect each other. You want to come do our show? Feel free. But I'm not going to give you preferential treatment. I'll treat you as an equal. Which you are.

Balance

We had a full roster for Schwa tonight and Joe in from LA, which put us at 10. Typical rosters at iO are 9 or 10 not because everyone is in attendance but because one or two usually aren't. Ten can be an unwieldy number of folks trying to do a 30 minute improv set. Bigger numbered ensembles are more compatible with longer sets, even two act shows, where the pacing is naturally more sedate.

I've been on a number of teams that had high numbers relatively frequently and there were all kinds of methods to try to find balance when there were so many people vying for time. One oft repeated "rule" is after you've been in a scene wait till everyone else has been in a scene before you make a move to reappear. Which is, I guess, in essence sound however with ten people that could eat up a good half of the show depending on how long the initial five scenes turn out to be. Which brings us to the next "rule" which is something along the lines of "be patient" "let it breathe" or "give people their time". Meaning leave those first scenes, when we're cycling through the entire roster, alone. Again, in theory sounds good, sounds egalitarian. However improv is a performative art form not a socialist enclave even though the way its discussed people believe it is or should be. Art & Entertainment shouldn't be bound by "waiting your turn".

The reality is that when your roster is light, then you have a chance to be patient and let stuff breathe. But when your roster is full that is when things need to move, pace picked up, so that the entire cast can cycle in and out of scenes quickly. This not only allows for everyone's ideas to be incorporated it allows each member the maximum amount of involvement. Speed not restraint is what's needed to make a possibly ungainly amount of collaborators effective in an improv piece.

Schwa rarely has a full roster so tonight was atypical for us but instead of agreeing to patience we settled on speed and because of that everyone was involved almost equally zipping in and out of the piece with relative fluidity. We were able to maintain a pretty high tempo because everyone was participating and making moves. And, I think, ultimately it was a success. Each of us knew going in we would play fast and that we individually would need to make the effort to engage. There is this idea prevalent in improv that the group comes first that can frequently discount the individual which can make for tentative or overly polite improv. A group of individuals with distinct points of view and their own energies and inspirations melding together actually takes care of the group more than this ineffective and untenable idea of "fairness".

And some shows don't necessarily require every individual performer be seen or highlighted at all. The Sight Unseen show last week turned into a narrative about this family musical group in Branson, MO played by Mark, Jimmy, and Rosie and I mostly participated as ancillary characters guiding the narrative, only coming on for a couple lines of dialogue or to move the show to the next scene. What I was doing was crucial to the success of the show but I wasn't really an "equal" participant per say.

Point being its the individual who determines their level of involvement, its no one's responsibility but their own to participate. And with that in mind, with that level of individual expectation shows are better and groups function more smoothly. Paradoxically by not "focusing on the group" by not trying to be "fair" by giving that authority back to the individual some kind of balance and artistic integrity can be achieved.

Fishbowl Two Year Anniversary

The team I perform with at the Annoyance, Sight Unseen, has been hosting the student jam show The Fishbowl for two years this week. The team formed about six months before we started The Fishbowl and its been a great experience. At first we didn't have a form persay, and like any new team the first couple shows were relatively scattershot, but over time we developed a style which uses loose narratives to showcase strong emotion and flawed(sometimes pathetic, sometimes apoplectic) characters.

In some ways two years does and doesn't feel like a long time. The show serves, not only as straight up fun, but as a marker of time. An engaging constant. All of us were talented and experienced before we started the team but it has allowed us to grow in a more experimental and perhaps sophisticated ways. One of the reasons is that we have had total control over the show. Jimmy or Mary Beth typically hosts, I do the lights, we book the vets that play with the students, its our space for that chunk of time. And with that ownership comes substantial comfort and freedom. The audiences aren't always full but we've only cancelled two shows over the course of two years which isn't too bad. It's our thing and although not a smash hit it is a success.

With how fast the world can move and with how busy people can be its nice to have the show to help stay connected. I know, for the most part, I'm going to see the team at least once a week. And that constant, that routine allows for a friendship and ease that make the time we have together valuable and the improv we do engaging.

Healthy Argument

there is satisfaction
in impassioned dispute-
sitting with fellow performers
né artists and dreamers
drunk on righteousness
raising ones voice
to not quite a yell
directing clarity and force
like a thrown spear
at the respected
oposition,
there is a satisfying boiling
that comes from this clash
of perspectives
the friction of differing
objectives
especially when debating
not politics, money, or religion
but that oh so subjective:
creative predilection
perhaps I wouldn't
derive so much glee
from the theororetical
confrontation
if the truth weren't so nebulous
or, in reality, irrelevant.

Maintain A Little Mystery

One of the best and worst things about improv is its ephemeral nature and as an outgrowth of that, as a practitioner, this process of consistently striving but never arriving. There is no end point, no mastery, no perfect. And because of that it, for the most part, retains a challenge and can, potentially, consistently deliver satisfaction. So the path of someone who does improv is riddled with small victories and discoveries(as well as elongated plateaus and petite defeats). I had a little victory, a little epiphany at the Deep Schwa show tonight.

Although every couple years we incorporate new members a lot of the people on the team have some substantial time together. And after literal years of performing together it becomes much easier to identify your habits and go-tos. With time comes awareness and with awareness you can slow things down and make more deliberate choices.

The first scene I did in the show tonight was with Andy we were a father(me) and son(him) and it was his fifteenth birthday. As was custom in the family I gave him a long-ago shed rattlesnake skin that he had to wear against his skin tied around his belly. The suggestion for the show was psoriasis so my pull was basically just "skin" for the scene. I had read a fantasy book years ago where there was a shapechanger that in their human form had a snakeskin wrapped around their bare torso, so that was where my head went. The thing being although my intent for it was to have some kind of magical connotation I didn't explicitly say that however the way Andy played it and the way it was called back later implied and played with the idea of magic and mystery. Although I didn't state my intent explicitly it was discovered and explored organically by the team.

In a later scene with Jeff I was a student and Jeff was my teacher. He was talking to me about a test I had taken, kind of reprimanding in tone, and I said that I had drawn a raven on it. My idea was that this kid I was play was trying to do magic(I was on a big magic kick for the show, don't know why) and I was trying to evoke Odin's ravens Thought and Memory to help me with the test. I didn't explicitly say this but it was clear there was something kind of odd about what I was doing. Jeff kind of translated that as my character being "creative" and sent me and another student(Craig) out to solve mysteries telling us we were beyond school and had bigger things to do.

In both instances I had a clearer idea than I ultimately put forth and the result was something much more fulfilling. Without me machine-gunning out every specific of my idea, the idea was able to coalesce in a much more nuanced and organic way. I was able to catch myself and only reveal a part of what I was thinking, giving my character some subtext an internal fuel as well as allowing my fellow players to interpret my words and actions with more alacrity than they could have had I been more concrete and specific. And the payoff was not only that it worked, the scenes were successful, but that the team kind of got it anyway maybe not my exact thought but the spirit of what I was going for. I checked my instinct of spewing all my ideas out at once and the result was something way more satisfying.

Idea Fish

The past two months I've been shadowing a level one class at iO. It's been an engaging experience and I've learned a lot from Jessica(the teacher). One of the most interesting things about it has been seeing fledgling improvisers learn the basics, some of them with little to no context for the medium. It's been almost ten years since I took my first class and so the eager yet unformed mindset of some of the students is very refreshing but in some ways challenging. A couple of the students that have struggled a bit more have asked a version of that most mystifying question "where do I get ideas?"

In some ways I think improv, more so than other artforms because of its immediacy, is the discipline of inspiration itself. That, in application they are practically synonymous and trying to explain or teach how to be inspired is almost impossible because it will inevitably turn to how I am inspired as opposed to how one is inspired. This is through no fault of the teacher, there are as many ways to be inspired, to seek and cultivate inspiration, as there are fish in the sea and all you can ultimately impart is your own experience. You can talk in abstractions but for most students abstract instruction is at best inapplicable and at worst confusing. What I try to do is make clear various options or avenues I see during a scene or piece in hopes that it will jump start some internal analysis or imaginative spark. Some students want to know not only how to do it but how to do it right and in improv(in all art) that desire shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what creation is.

There are techniques and tools, forms and rules that can be taught but I think imagination itself can't(it can be strengthened). And most of the time I think when students ask questions about ideas it comes more from a place of natural frustration rather than true lack of ability. The one and only answer to the question "where do I get ideas?" is "I don't know." It is a question that all(famous) creative people get asked frequently but which all almost unilaterally answer with a deflection or a convoluted metaphor. Director David Lynch talks about ideas not being created but discovered. It's a theme writer Stephen King talks about a lot, currently I'm reading his non-fiction book on horror Danse Macabre, and he infers something similar. He talks about the genous of some ideas(a dream, an image of a rabid dog, a busy highway) but their amalgamation and how the book unfolds as he's writing he chalks up to will, talent(also unexplainable), and mystery.

In improv, and I think in all creative endeavors, the job of the teacher isn't to teach how but to help the student on their own path of discovery. To assist in cultivating an individual mode of inspiration. In teaching how we can only hope to produce imitators. Leading a student on their own path is much more difficult and perhaps imperfect. We can't help but impart some of our own personal process to those we hope to teach but it is certainly a more noble and, ultimately, more fruitful attempt.

And on talent, not everyone has it. Improv more so than other disciplines seems to call a lot of hopefuls because it seems relatively accessible. This is great for the improv teaching business but not so great for improv itself. Some folks can grasp how it works but lack the real creative drive that makes improv fun and exciting. King downplays talent(or natural ability) and says some talent is needed but discipline and will are the real necessities of the artist. And I agree up to a point but I've seen many tenacious improv hopefuls who simply do not get it, who do not have it, but keep on doggedly taking classes and performing in seedy locales year after year after year in hopes of a breakthrough that will(seemingly) never come. Not every person is a creative person. And although that can be a tough lesson its a lesson the teacher shouldn't be so afraid of imparting.

Where do ideas come from? I don't know. But I do know where I draw some of my inspiration- personal experience, fiction/TV/film, human observation. How that translates into characters and narrative I can't really explain, its mostly intuitive. That's a muscle you just have to build over time.

Naked Enthusiasm

Exciting
to see such
bright and
shining faces
eager, open,
and naive.

Odd to recall
the energy
of innocence,
how easy
it once was
to believe.

Deep Schwa 20th

Tonight was the 20th anniversary show for Deep Schwa the improv team I perform with at iO. The team started in 1996 and has been performing, almost, weekly since then. The past 17 years the team has held the 8 o'clock Sunday slot. Past teammates came in from all around the country to play and celebrate.

I started taking classes at iO in 2007 and my level one teacher at the time told our class to go see Deep Schwa. I did and I immediately fell in love. It was the hardest I had ever laughed. The team displayed an antagonistic playfulness, a facility for group work, and a knack for messing with each other and an infectiously delightful way. I became a super fan and rarely missed a Sunday show over the next four and a half years. I would periodically do lights for the team which was always a real treat for me to be able to part of the show in some small way. In 2012 I was asked to join the team and it was a dream come true. To be a part of this amazing team and, in my mind at least, improv history. Although the team roster has changed over the years, and improv itself has evolved, I think the integrity and spirit of the team has remained.

Since my time on the team a couple old team members have come back to play and it was always a real joy to play with those people I use to watch and be inspired by. Tonight the history of Schwa was on display and I was so happy and proud to be a part of this real cool and talented team. Some members I hadn't played with before and that was a real pleasure.

It was also the last show for Danny who is moving to LA. He's one of the greatest collaborators I've ever gotten to perform with. He has this kind of indescribable quality that makes him always compelling whenever he's on stage. He can roll with anything, you can put him in any situation, and he shines. He's versatile but always charming. Malleable but always dynamic. I've learned a lot from him and he will be sorely missed on Schwa.

The night felt really special. As far as I know no team has lasted as long as Schwa and none have progressed like we have, with members leaving and incorporating new ones. It was cool to see the three different era's of Schwa and the various improv styles and how they've evolved over time. Especially cool for me to see the second era of Schwa which was, essentially, the team I watched as a student which fueled my love of the art form.

I'm grateful to be part of such a unique, long-standing, and quality team. It's a joy and an honor to play with them each week. Long live Schwa.

'Don't Think Twice' A Review

Don't Think Twice is a dramedy about an improv group in New York City all clamoring to get on the Saturday Night Live stand-in "Weekend Live". After the TV producers visit one of the group's shows two of the six get tapped to audition. One of the two get the job and this coupled with the closing of their home theater forces the group to contend with their respective futures and the validity of their creative ambitions.

Although stacked with talented actors and comedians the cast flounders and mostly fails to bring to life writer/director Mike Birbiglia's mostly flat, immature, and trite script. Much of the behavior and dialogue of the characters is unbelievable, unlikable, juvenile or all three. Keegan-Michael Key gives the most compelling performance of the film and is given action and lines that most closely reflect how adult humans actually behave. The rest of the characters come across as self-involved petulant children. We're suppose to believe this group are all close friends however the minute one of their members gets commercial success they are immediately jealous, lash out, and attempt to leverage the friendship for gain. The characters as individuals aren't really developed so when they begin to be ugly to each other it doesn't necessarily make sense nor do we really care.

As an improviser myself I can say that Birbiglia's portrayal of the improv community and the art form itself are cliched and childish, perhaps emblematic of the burgeoning scene in the 90's but now totally irrelevant and incorrect. As a fellow artist I can say he gets wrong ambition and jealousy which are much more complicated and nuanced than he leads us to believe, not to mention, in almost every art form there is no single(Weekend Live) type of goal. The movie fails to take into consideration the myriad of different creative jobs, pursuits, opportunities, and projects that improv comedy, as a starting point, or any artistic discipline for that matter, could lead to. That however is mostly forgivable as improv is still a relatively unknown niche if the characters were actually three dimensional humans. They decidedly are not.

There are many egregious errors in the film, improv and interpersonal, but two stick out. The first is that Key's character Jack and his girlfriend Sam played by Gillian Jacobs break up during an improv set. This is so contrived and dumb its painful for all the wrong(dramatic) reasons. The second is the fact that Miles, Birbiglia's character, continually sleeps with his young impressionable students and its treated with a casual acceptance, at times its even a punchline, which is offensive. Doubly so given the conversations being had in comedy communities throughout the country.

Tone-deaf, cloyingly contrived, offers a feel-good thesis with no supporting evidence.

Don't See It.