Part 3
I’m Told I Need To Blog More About Improv…
Performing #improv by yourself (or, solo improv) is unusual, to say the least, but it’s something I did for more than 10 years. It’s how I got noticed by others, and eventually got invited back many, many times to teach it.
It all started when back in 2009 when a group of improv friends dared me to perform a 5 min improv set all by myself. The notion was too intimidating for anyone else in the group to consider, but I figured that this could be my way of proving my own value to them.
It was amazing! Or at least from my own perspective I felt like this was something everyone in the audience enjoyed, and could be something I was really, really good at!
I kept at it, and booked gigs anywhere I could. Most shows were complete garbage, and a handful were…okay. But I kept doing it.
A few times I even had celebrities come to see my show, but those also happened to coincide with some of my worst work on stage. So needless to say, I never got to meet them. 🤣🤣
Over time, I found that I was improving. I recorded every show, and would go back and watch the “game tape” to see what worked, and what needed improvement. (I did this a lot!) But it still took time and clarity of mind to realize that some choices I was making in the heat of the moment may not have been the best ones. I started realizing that in order for this to really work, I needed to be much more #proactive in thinking for others as opposed to just myself.
Let’s say that I’m on stage playing Gary the Chef, and he’s toiling away in his restaurant trying to make the perfect dish for Andre the Restaurant Critic sitting out in the dining room. Working with me in the kitchen is my Sous Chef, Andrea, and my Saucier, Chuck. But remember, I’m the only improviser on stage playing all 4 of these characters.
My job as the improviser is to think for Gary the Chef, react accordingly, and provide him with dialogue. But my job doesn’t simply end there like it would in most other types of ensemble improv shows.
What I don’t have on stage with me are other improvisers portraying Andre, Andrea, or Chuck. So now my added responsibility becomes keeping track of where each character is standing, their attitude towards our assigned task, their physicality, their dialogue, and having to manage everyone’s interactions, ALL WHILE keeping the narrative moving along, building tension, and staying engaged with the audience.
It’s a lot of work!
But it’s all about the training.
My first time doing solo improv was magical! But it wouldn’t have happened with being pushed to do it. And I wouldn’t have improved without constant training, learning, and analyzation.
I love improv! Besides my wife, it’s the thing I love more than anything! But it takes dedication to develop the skills you’re looking to build.
Do what you love. Then take an improv class to make the thing you love even better!
#job #learning #training #love #teambuilding
