Downright Upright

Know Everything!

improvnonsense:

I get in trouble for saying that because I deliberately say it in a jerk manner. KNOW EVERYTHING. When someone says “I didn’t know the movie my partner was mentioning” I’ll sometimes say “Well, you don’t HAVE to know it but it would be easier if you knew it.”

And then people are like “Why do I have to like Star Wars?”

And I say “Who said anything about Star Wars?”

“All these improv nerd boys love Star Wars and can’t stop mentioning it. I hate that HAVE to know it.”

I know. It’s annoying.

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Improv Coaching Etiquette

khealywu:

I’ve been thinking about making one of these for awhile. This first section is how I think indie teams and practice groups should interact with their coach.

• 24 hour notice for making any changes / cancellations. If you’re cancelling day of, you and your team owe your coach their standard fee.
• 2 hour minimum for 3+ people. I’ve done too many 1 hour coaching sessions lately, and I’m not sure where it started or why it’s suddenly accepted, but it shouldn’t be. An hour is not enough time.
• Be on time. You’re paying for the time, get your money’s worth!
• Do you have a coach you work with regularly? Email them once, 3-4 days before your regular rehearsing time to confirm. Confirm all the details, even if nothing’s changed. Just a good habit.
• If the location has changed, include a street address so they can get directions straight from the email.
• Don’t text to request a coach, unless it’s a last minute fill in.
• Set the room up as soon as you can get in there. You are spending the money, chat while you set up the room. 4 chairs on the backline, mirrors covered and a chair for the coach. Put your stuff on the other side of the room from the backline so you don’t accidentally step on anybody’s stuff.

Etiquette for Coaches

• Respond to emails promptly.
• Provide your phone number so the group can get in touch with you.
• Get there early, or at the very least on time. Do not be late. It’s the worst! This is your job, treat it like one!
• Help set up the room, but don’t do it for them.
• If you have time, stay behind to give feedback to anyone who wants it. I know you’re not technically getting paid for this time, but I think it’s important.
• Bring a dedicated coaching notebook and two pens.
• Put sessions in your calendar RIGHT AWAY.
• If (heaven forbid) you miss a session without giving notice, you owe the group / team a free session.
• If your schedule changes and you can’t coach when you had confirmed, offer to get a replacement for them.

If you’ve been coaching a performing team for awhile, and your schedule permits, go to some of their shows, and be ready to give them notes on their set. Audiences, and the adrenaline of live performances change the dynamic of a team, and having the consistency of getting notes from their coach is hugely valuable for a team.

So that’s what I think! What points of improv coaching etiquette have I missed?

UPDATED: Improv Reading List

Hey it’s that time again. It’s been 5 months since the last update to the Improv Reading List. For my new followers: the improv reading list is the greatest hits version of this blog and improv nerdery on the internet. I do my best to catalog all of my favorite things I read there.

But it’s getting pretty long, so if you check out the main page, you’ll see two new sections Class Notes (compiles class notes found on Tumblr) and Classes & Shows in LA (guide to classes and shows for LA locals).

Added to the reading list:

• The Legacy of Heather & Miles by Sabrina London
• [podcast] Dickie Copeland on Improv Obsession
• [podcast] Matt Besser on Improv Nerd
• You Will Never Figure this Out by Will Hines
• Let’s All Go to Camp by Stephen Perlstein
• [video] The SAG Foundation introduction to all of Los Angeles’ Improv schools, including The Miles Stroth Workshop, UCB, Groundlings, iO, and Second City.
• [video] That time Snoop Dogg gave a shout out to the UCB NY Harold auditioners.
• A Thing I Like About Improv by Hal Phillips
• Groundlings and (but not vs.) UCB by Tim Stafford
• Find the Thing You’re Most Passionate About & Do It On Nights and Weekends for the Rest of Your Life (from The Onion)
• [video] 3 Step at the Improv Prize Fight Tournament

Check it out.

Shitty Jobs 5/13/2013

I love this. Last night Charlie Sanders took the suggestion. Someone meekly calls out “Heather Ledger,” and a brief moment passes before someone else YELLS out “Zebra.” Big laugh from the audience. Charlie says, “Okay, we’ll take both suggestions at the volume they were said, so you’ll get a lot of Zebra and a little bit of Heath Ledger.”

So the show starts and Charlie initiates off of Zebra, doing a preschool scene, where the students have to guess the animal in the picture. But the game becomes that the teacher painted the pictures, so “It seems like it’s less about how well we can guess the animal and more about how well you can paint.” Great move from Dominic. The set continues, they heighten and explore, heighten and explore, never swiping… about 20 minutes in, they’re at the point where they’re in a sitcom on an alien planet starring a bunch of aliens but mapping it over cliche sitcom specifics (classic Shitty Jobs)…. it’s pretty out there. Pretty Zebra, if you will.

The set finally comes back around to the first scene, in the classroom. The students still can’t guess Charlie’s drawings, so he can’t take it any more… and starts eating pills, by the handful. The kids start screaming at him, “Yeah go ahead!” “That won’t kill you!” “Take the easy way out!” Finally Charlie gurgles “Just like Heath Ledger!” and dies and I’m pretty sure the crowd lost their shit. Just a gigantic, “How did they do that?” laugh from the audience. What a great, great move. Just a little bit of Heather Ledger and a lot of Zebra. 

Ian Roberts? Matt Walsh? Episodes on Demand!?!?

improvobsession:

Yup, that’s right. I’ve got episodes from those two available right now. But, there’s a catch. I know, I hate me too.

It’s a review’s drive. Go to the iTunes store go rate and review the show. Don’t give it one star because you hate to do this. I wont count it if you do. Write a review, and we’re one step closer to those episodes.

• Once I get 100 reviews, Ian Robert’s episode will go online.
• Once I get 200 reviews, Matt Walsh’s episode wil go online.

AND, if you’ve already donated to the show, if you’re an Improv Obsession Hero, you’re getting a link for those two episodes right now. If you wanna donate, I’ll send you the link. Any amount, I don’t want people giving me huge chunks of money anyway.

So there it is, you want those episode, you know what to do.

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Come on everybody! Rate Improv Obsession on iTunes! Donate! We all listen so help out if you can.

What makes Good Meta Improv?

I’ve talked about how improv is inherently meta before, and all that means is that improv is, by nature, presentational, like Stand Up or late night shows, as opposed to self-contained and separated by a 4th wall like a play or sketch. People can obviously do stuff that’s very real and grounded or simply doesn’t break the 4th wall. However, my small point was that the very fact that it’s made up on the spot creates a meta-y self awareness in the audience, so much so that when a scene is good, we very very rarely say, “Wow, that character was so interesting.” Instead we say, “Wow, that performer is so great!”

Unfortunately, that’s very academic and not very practical, in terms of how you handle yourself onstage. So let’s talk about it a little more.

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