ImprovE

So, I started taking weekly improv classes again.  I like this theater because it's a lot smaller, it's not in Hollywood and the people seem to be average people taking this for fun -- not the usual mattress (model/actress) types.  I'm only two classes in but I am enjoying a hell of a lot more than the last time I took improv back in 2008.  I'm a lot more relaxed this time around and I don't feel like I'm competing with a bunch of mattresses just trying to get noticed in town.

The first time around, I really struggled with improv because you're supposed to hold back and let scenes develop.  Everything in my mind and training as a comedian taught me to go for the joke!  Time is of the essence, so you get up there and it's set up, punchline, set up, punchline.  I don't know what's changed in the 3 years since my last improv class but I seem to be doing a better job of holding off.

I remember one day during my previous improv class.  I was about to start a scene when the teacher told us to hold off because he wanted to relate some story.  He went on for about a minute or two, but I wasn't paying attention to him.  In my mind, I was thinking, "I'll start the scene like this, then my scene partner will probably say something like this, and then I can steer the scene in this direction, and then this will be the payoff joke at the end."

The teacher told us to start the scene and it went pretty much exactly like I mentally mapped out.  Afterward, the teacher told me after 5 classes, it was one of the best scenes I had done.  I had no guts to tell him it wasn't truly improvised and finished out the class weeks later.

Part of my brain still tries to plan ahead and think of stuff ahead of time, but I think I'm better at letting go.  I've had a few scenes where I thought they would go one way, and my scene partner surprised me so I had to react and keep it going.

So anyway, as you can tell by the blog title of this post, I think I am improving at improv and I hope it continues to go that way.