Soon after I started Level Two classes at the Roving Imp Training Center, John recommended that the students keep individual journals for their improv goals. While I have been in classes for nearly a year, I have not acted on this advice until recently through this blog. I must also note that counting in binary begins with zero, and because I personally know them I am referring to some people by their first names, which is something that is otherwise frowned upon in formal writing. For my purposes, and to mix metaphors, I suppose this writing is semi-formal.
Starting in January, I moved to the Level Two classes on Saturday. Keith Curtis has begun to teach those classes. Last Saturday, March 6, we began exercises in developing characters on stage. Keith re-enforced that when starting a scene, one should use a different voice, physicality, or emotion than one would normally as oneself to create a different character. My goal was to work more with physicality.
Giving a hug-worthy performance, I may have succeeded with my goal from Level Two class on Saturday in Level One class on Sunday, March 7. Beginning the class, Nifer Honeycutt declared, "March is character month here at the Roving Imp Training Center."
Nifer guided us in an exercise called "Profession-Location Circle", where the person to the right of a person in the circle would supply a profession and the person to the right of that person would supply a location. We each then gave a line of dialogue as a person with that profession in that location. While gripping the handle of an improv shopping cart, I feel that one of my best lines was as a senator at the grocery store, "What do you mean, '12 items or less?' It's all cheese."
For another exercise, Nifer had written an adjective (generally an emotion) and a profession on separate strips of paper, as our suggestions to initiate the scene. We each drew two strips at random, the person across the stage in another line responded, and we all guessed the adjective and profession after the scene was complete. Fifth to participate in this exercise, I drew the adjective "manly" and the profession "Ghost Buster" as the suggestion for my scene with David.
In assuming this character, I used what John has described as "face-melting energy," enthusiasm, a gruff, almost growly, wrestler-type voice, and wrestler-type stance. While the exact words and order of those words are lost to the ether, I approached David's character and asked, "Are you ready to get slimed?!" I meant to use the phrase "proton pack" somewhere.
Although saying aloud, I cannot remember what I learned in my rehearsal with Project Improv on Sunday, February 28; however, on Sunday, March 7, I learned that I needed to have more confidence in myself and the scene. At the time, I was suffering from a general tiredness as well as drowsiness caused by taking Benadryl. The second half of rehearsal was dedicated to running the long-form, which we will be performing at the Fishtank as part of Kansas City Crossroads Comedy on Saturday, March 20.
Anyway, "Remember, don't cross streams, like your girlfriend!"
I won't cross the streams!
ReplyDeleteAnd I usually put first names in instead of last names. It's a personal thing. I've always prefered first names over last names. But then again, I'm not too proud of what my last name has meant to me. But that's another story.
Also, I avoid last names in blogs because of legality reasons...somepeople just don't want to be found...so I don't go out of my way to help find them.