Get out of your comfort zone much?

[whitmer_87]

Oh, I had no idea.  Stand up eh? Are you talking, quit the straight job and started touring the country doing stand up or you talking open mike night?  Thanks for the words of encouragement.  I did sign up, the class starts on 9/1.

No worries! I'm sure you'll really enjoy improv. I started doing stand up in New York with open mics, and have since moved to bar shows. Still in New York, trying to pass at clubs. It usually takes a comic about 5-10 years to get good enough to play all over the country(Or to even start getting paid).

Improv is a different animal obviously. They always tell you to never try to tell jokes. Which goes against all the survival instincts I've developed doing stand up... Which is probably why I should take an improv class. haha Anyway, good luck and let me know how it goes.

[jonzr]

First class was a blast!  Small though, only 5 students so we got more reps of the games and skits.  I need work though, sometimes my mind would simply freeze on the stage.  Yes, stage, students are tossed into the fire.  First there were games, everyone in a circle, a word or phrase is said and you have to build on it and play off the person before you.  The two-person scenes are tough though.  Still need to loosen up the brain and let it flow, I suppose it's a matter of repetition. One game I enjoyed, "The Expert," required one person to stand in the center of the circle and playing it straight, tell why they were the leading expert on X and then field questions from the other students.  That was pretty easy, even if my heart was hitting 120 bpm.

But man, when we all stood to the side of the stage then took the center, two at a time to do the scenes, performing only for the instructor, my mind slowed down.  She'd say a word and we took it from there.  It's not easy, but it's doable.  Just a matter of learning and letting the mind relax, remember the rules - don't ask questions, work on the relationship between the characters, move the scene forward, give your partner something to work with, build on what they say, etc - and let it flow.  I was having flow problems.

But it was fun.  Plus, students get free access to shows.  I'm going to see my instructor perform tonight.

[pensodyssey]

So you're saying the class is a real 'keeper' then?

[jonzr]

Tis a keeper, indeed.  Heading out shortly to see the pros. One of the guys was younger, hell, let's face it, all the other students were younger, but one guy didn't know who Cher was and had never heard of Green Acres.  Serially.

[aj_law]

I was having flow problems.

Luckily, there's a pill for everything these days.

[kluisi61]

So you're saying the class is a real 'keeper' then?

Hopefully the instructor remembers to assign them before the next class.

[otismalibu]

Jonzr,
You're almost going to have to get back on the sauce to realize your true potential for this class.
Just to take the edge off. Somewhere between sober and stadium death fall.

[jonzr]

Three classes in and I'm still loving it.  Can't say I'm great at it, but I'm doing it.  And I have a new appreciation for the people who do it well.  There's an Improv Jam on Wednesdays (think open mic for improv) where anyone who wants can jump on stage with the seasoned performers.  I may go observe tonight, some of my classmates are supposed to go.

[jonzr]

Good read, btw.  A bit of the history of improv and some of the gooey stuff that goes into it.

[jonzr]

Got on stage last night.  It was a fright.  But I'm alright. Seriously though, I got into a few scenes and managed to squeeze out some lines.  When we went back up later I had nothing and stuck to the side.  But it was a blast.  I will do that again and again until the words finally begin to flow.  I truly believe it's a matter of practice and the willingness to fail and not be overly self conscious of it.  That's my primary barrier and it's slowly coming down.  Matter of time.