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Archive for June, 2008

Make Art!

Thursday, June 26th, 2008
Art flourishes where there is a sense of nothing having been done before, of complete freedom to experiment; but when caution comes in you get repetition, and repetition is the death of art. - Alfred North Whitehead

This quote is perfect, but I’ll deconstruct it anyway. (big ego)

Improvisation is art.  If you accept this premise and invoke this quote then we can have a lot of fun!!  If you are in it just for the laughs then your focus is comedy, but not improvisation.  That’s a lot of fun too.  But for those of you who like art, let’s look at few concrete things we can do to move toward art.

Pre-Planning

Talking about what the scene should be before the scene eliminates others choices, thereby limiting their freedom of expression. You love the art of improv?  If yes, then can the talking backstage and on the sides.  Also, don’t “drag” someone in for your idea.  Jump and discover what happens.

Gimmicks

Gimmicks are the ultimate in pre-planning.   For example; in Gibberish Translator, translating a really long response with something short like “yes”.  This almost always gets a laugh, but is it improvisation?  It’s definitely not art, but it is funny.

Characters

If you find yourself always playing yourself, then you are being funny, but not improvising.  If you always play “that Japanese guy” then you are serving repetition and comfort, not art.  When the character is taking you and the audience for a ride, then you are free.

Discover Your Where

Start touching your where to discover where you are.  A where can change the characters demeanor and intentions.  If your always in a kitchen or if you know where you are going to be then you not free.

We try to make art here, often we just make comedy and it’s all good.

Posted in Eric Farone, Performing | 1 Comment »

For the love of…

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

I improvise, teach improv, do corporate workshops in improv, own an improv theater, read about improv, blog about it, because I love it.  It fills me.

So, I find it weird when people say that we are “better than” so and so.  “We are the best.”  “They suck.”  Etc.  I don’t understand that thinking with regard to love.  It makes me wonder “Do you get it?”

“Why are you doing this?”

I have auditions and I have to make some hard choices.  People I love are auditioning and sometimes they are not a good fit for the show or for the direction of the group and I don’t get to cast them.  So I get the evaluation thing, but the direct comparison is weird to me.  Competition about love seems freaky.

For example, one of the arguments against gay marriage is the “It would lessen the validity of my heterosexual marriage.”  What?!   I don’t get that at all.  How does whatever you do effect my marriage at all?  The only thing that will effect my marriage is my wife and me.

The same is true with improv.  Weather you are great, or new, or own your own theater, or quit, whatever, that doesn’t effect my love for this stuff one bit.  Whatever makes you happy, God bless!  Mozletov!

I hope to be doing this on my last day (and I hope it is at least 50 years from now).  Recognition, money, all the trappings of mass approval would be great, but if I can  pay my bills, spend time with my family, keep improvising, while continuing to grow as a director, instructor, and person I will be happy.

I hope you are following your passion (or at least faking it)!

Posted in Eric Farone, Overview | No Comments »

How improv informs writing

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

Writing can be such an unnecessarily formal term.  As improvisers we’re all writers.  The creation of something from nothing is the essence of writing.  Putting pen to paper is the facilitation.  Duh.

I was recently cast as a member of the Sketch Development Squad.  I’d like to put up a sketch journal about the process of putting on a Bovine sketch show. 

We’re now on our third week.  The first week we came up with our theme/ premise.  We brought in sketches and looked for commonalities.  All the sketches dealt with relationships – surprise.  Relationships are inherent in good scenes so where do we go from there?  Through discussions the idea of a fake self help magazine was brought up and agreed on.  Using magazine headlines from Men’s Health, Cosmo, Oprah, Self and pretty much most women’s magazines that tell you how to become a better you in a belittling way which, I believe, enhances the collective neurosis of the “weaker” sex will be used as a genesis for sketches.  I don’t really think women are the weaker sex.   

The Onion is brilliant with its fake news: “Bored sea captain marries crew members to each other secretly”, “Area Mom: I finally learned computers” or “Cricket located”.  Our goal is to present a fake self help magazine.  After we agreed on the idea Eric paired us up and sent us to collect headlines from said magazines.  Elizabeth and I went to 7-11, others went to barnes and noble, tattered cover etc…  Forty five minutes later we returned with headlines:  “How to deal with a man crush”, “You know you’re grown up when”, “How to survive moving in together” and “Live like you’re on vacation” to name a small few.  So rich with comic potential right?   

Second week we brought in scripts .  We also welcomed folks who weren’t able to make the prior week’s rehearsal.  We improvised for about an hour and if a scene had legs those performing the scene were sent to write it up.  After improvising we did cold reads of the scripts based on last week’s headlines.  Hilarious.  Notes were given and those with potential were noted.  The cutoff for scripts is, I think, the second week of July so it’s creation time.  

Last Saturday we worked on music.  I wasn’t there so I can only report based on what happened in my imagination:  It was awesome.  Not only was the music rehearsal awesome but a fire-breathing dragon challenged a magical saucepan to a dunk contest on a nine-and-a-half foot rim.  Guess who won?  It was the saucepan. 

The title of this blog is how improv informs writing.  Like I said “writing” is essentially the capturing of an idea.  Improv is, semantically arguable, where ideas come from.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a business memo, screenplay, birthday card, comedy sketch or ransom note using improv can help.  Next time you have to write something play mental ‘new choice’ where you write down five or ten ideas without stopping and pick the choicest one.  If you’re stuck on a scene in a play write it several different ways.  When outlining, free associate and pick the best ideas.  This method was also covered in most seventh grade creative writing courses and is a featured article in “No Sh*t Magazine”, but since we already have all the tools we need for life, I thought I’d point out the obvious.

Posted in Michael Traylor, By Author | No Comments »

Style

Tuesday, June 24th, 2008

“In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.” - Oscar Wilde

Improv is by no means a matter of “grave importance”, but improv lessons can be learned from this statement.

Act like you are having a ball!

If you look like this game or form is too difficult and you are really working to do a good job, all the audience sees is you working.   Even if a rhyming game is hard for you, or this is a new long form for you, or you are unsure about how to edit.  Just do it, and pretend it is the funnest thing in the world.  The funny thing is that by doing this you will have more fun.  Just like the old song says “Smile, though your heart is breaking”.

Have a Style

Be something; sexy, professional, interesting, intelligent, intense, provocative, titillating, shocking, BIG.  Just be something besides you doing improv.  Have a style.  I have heard it as “being sexy”, making the audience compelled to watch you.  Be bold!

Confidence is sexy.

Americans love confident people.  And we love confident improvers, even when they play underconfident people.

Play!

When you are on stage you are playing.  If you are working, get off stage and go back to your office.

Love

Love what your doing on stage.  Love your time on stage.  Love you character on stage.  Love your partner on stage.  Love the scene.  But, don’t fall in love with yourself on stage.

Screw it

This doesn’t effect your life in one bit, so play hard!  Have a ball!  Leave nothing on stage.

Posted in Eric Farone, Performing | No Comments »

Minutia.

Thursday, June 12th, 2008

I was told by one of my faithful readers that I don’t get “Blogging”.  They told me that it should not be didactic, but more about the minutia of my life.  So here goes…

I rode my bike into work today.  I can’t afford luxuries, like gas (see last post).   I was very excited because I tricked out my bike with a rear view mirror and a bell.  I was stoked about not having to startle people by shouting “on your left”.  Also, now when I pass I can make sure Greg Le-Mans isn’t trying to pass me at the same time.  This may seem like a lot of stuff on a bike including my head light, trip computer and front reflector, so much so that people might think I am slow on the uptake, but I stopped short of putting a license plate with my name on the back of my seat and removing all doubt.

Back to my bell.  It makes a solitary note per ring.  How many rings?  One ring is like MOVE!  Also, it would probably just make them think “What the hell was that?” Two rings was better.  It was like ” ‘xcuse me”.  Three rings sound like a bus closing it’s doors.  Four rings is pushy and five was like I was a kids fire truck.  So I decided on 2 rings.  It reminds me of an improv game, but no.  Let’s talk minutia.

There was a blue ball stuck in an inlet on the Cherry Creek.  It was one of those cheap balls that you can’t re-inflate.  The kind you see at Target or Big Lots or King Soopers in a big bin if the season is right.  The kind when they get old they shrivel and when you pop them air from China bursts in your face.  However, the ball was still in good shape.  I could imagine my daughters delight and anguish at seeing this sight…

Are you as bored as I am? 

I think that I am going back to writing about improv.  In reality, what I am writing about is the minutia on Improv.  Some people think Improv is all minutia.  But it’s something I love writing about and trying to know more about.  It is a passion of mine.  I hope you don’t mind (am I supposed to address the audience when I Blog?).  Oh well, I’ll just do my best and keep having fun with what I’m writing.  Pardon me if I am doing it wrong.

Posted in Eric Farone | No Comments »

The Theater Owners Guide Ep.1

Thursday, June 12th, 2008

This post will not talk about improv or how to run a theater, but will talk about what you have to be good at to own a theater, getting stuff CHEAP!  Theater owners have to be frugal.  So you learn some cheap ways of getting things done. 

Our Subject Today: Baseball Games

There are great ways to enjoy a baseball game on the cheap.  As a theater owner (with kids) here are some of my favorites.

Tickets

1) Get to know someone on the inside and do ticket trades with them Baseball for Theater.  Or get chummy with someone who bought season tickets at the end of last season.

2) If you have kids, you will be late to the game.  Come real late (3rd inning or 1 hour) and find a scalper.  They will be desperate at this point in the game.  Soon their inventory will become worthless.  You should be able to pick up some seats for $5.00 a pop.  And if you have little kids you will still leave early.

3) Send out an email blast looking for a date range.  With the Rockies in the basement, tickets are easy to come by.

4) Visit local bars after the start of the game.  Many bartenders, etc. are given tickets to hold until first pitch or sell as a bonus tip.  They don’t want the hassle usually and will sell tickets cheap.  And if you strike out Daddy doesn’t need to go far for a beer and my kids are so young that a bar is like Disneyland.

Food

1) Bring your own.  I aways try to bring something where I can use thier condiments.  Chili is good in April and October because it’s colder and they have free onions at the ballpark.  Remember, mayo and relish make a great tartar sauce for cold fish sticks!

2) Eat before you go.  Something filling.  Chili is good because the beans fill you up and make you feel full for a long while.  Fish sticks will just leave you hungry in about an hour or two.

3) Go to Buckaroos in the left field corner and buy the kids stuff.  The hot dog and ice cream cones are normal size and normal priced.  I don’t think they have Chili dogs, but they do have fish sticks.

Beer

1) Get drunk before you go.

2) Get drunk after you go.

3) Bet the guy next to you a buck you can drink his whole beer in under 30 seconds.

Parking

1) Two words; Light Rail.

2) Park downtown or over by 15th street and walk in.

3) If your late you can grab a meter.  Watch the 2 hour limit, the cops do.

Bathrooms

1) Don’t.  I know… *!$%* Chili!

2) If your theater (work) is downtown, show the kids where you work.

3) Go to a coffee shop like Common Grounds.  The drunks who go here are at least a little more alert.

4) Put a sweater under your shirt and pretend to be pregnant.  Go into an office building and sell it to the security guard.  You own a theater, you should be able to act.

All in all, if you play your cards right, you should be able to get downtown, get tickets to the game, eat, have a beer and go the bathroom from $5.00 to $30.00.  If you can get a family of 4 in and out for under $5.00, it’s time to buy a theater!

Posted in Eric Farone | No Comments »

Stretch!

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

Here’s another reason why improv is like life:  sometimes, you have to work with new people.  SansScript recently added a few new members, and we had our first rehearsal together this Saturday.  It felt… different.  But, good.  See, I’d gotten really comfortable playing on stage with the group.  Really, really comfortable.  However, getting into a comfortable place can sometimes be a bad thing.  You get boring and stagnant.  You know what’s coming from your fellow players, and learn to expect it.  That’s why it’s important to shake things up once in a while.  Otherwise, you end up pretty dull.

I didn’t get to rehearse with one of the new fellows, and I have played before with another one, and then the last one is totally new to all of us.  These three new men will change SansScript.  Whether they want to or not.  And that’s a great thing.  It will stretch us as players as we learn to work with new people.  I’m excited!  I can’t wait to see how SansScript grows from here…

Posted in Nanna Ogburn, By Author, Shows, Performing | No Comments »