Viewing entries by
Alan Irwin

Changing the Wednesday Night Workshop

Changing the Wednesday Night Workshop

“You’re just confusing everybody. Just call yourself the teacher!”

That was the the advice given to me some 30 years ago. It finally led me to acknowledge that I was an improv teacher.

The improv class we currently know started in 1989. I joined in December of that year when it had only been going a few weeks. I was brand new to improv and LOVED it!

Over the next few years the instructors changed, and I started performing along with the other students. The instructor at the time (Sharon Bettis) was a member of the performing troupe Kahoots!, and we learned a lot from her.

Unfortunately, around 1992 she was leaving town and planned on ending the class. Another player (Jim McRobie) and I decided to continue the class, but neither of us felt like we could teach. So we called ourselves ‘facilitators’ and basically just planned a bunch of games we could play each week.

Jim ended up leaving town, and it was down to me. I kept calling myself the facilitator, but as new players joined and the old crew left, I was giving more ‘notes’ and talking abut how to do improv more and more.

Finally, a very wise person approached me with quote, above.

Over the last 30 years, the class has gone through a lot of changes: the location (so many), the length of time (originally it was a 90 minute class), the size (we would often cancel because we couldn’t get 4 people to show up), and the syllabus (“we don’t have any kids”). But I’ve been the primary teacher, with substitutes filling in when I was travelling or sick.

That’s now going to change. Santa Barbara Improv has grown… a lot! We’ve been able to add teachers (Amy and George) along with new classes (Long Form Thursday nights). We now have 2 regular shows every month. We’ve recovered from the COVID downturn and our Wednesday night classes have grown to regularly be larger than 20 people.

And we’ll be adding more classes, shows, and workshops going forward. We’re also adding more teachers. And because of that, I’m able to make some changes to the Wednesday night workshop that I’ve been wanting to do for a while now.

I’m going to drop down to teaching Wednesday nights every other week. And the weeks that I don’t teach, we’ll rotate through a pool of (currently) five other instructors. There are a lot of reasons for this. The most important is that I want new players to hear other people talk about improv. I think we all learn different things from other perspectives, and my teaching style doesn’t always resonate with everyone. Other people will teach the same concept I’ve talked about, but they will explain it in a different way, and some folks will hear that better. That’s all to the good.

This will also give me some space to develop a new improv class I’ve had rattling around in my head. My plan is to offer a Level 2/Performance class. All the details haven’t been worked out, so you’ll hear more about it in a future blog entry.

This one is about the new instructors, and how I plan to incorporate them. And, to assure everyone that the Wednesday night class will continue in it’s same overall form: drop in, open to all levels, and a welcoming introduction to Santa Barbara Improv as well as improv in general.

Currently, the rotating roster of additional instructors consists of: Holly Mae Haddock, Linsey Kasehagen, Kymberlee Weil, Kimberly Herriman, and Robert Karl. As we get the scheduling down, I’ll start adding the name of the instructor to the calendar events on the website. We’ll also start posting info about the instructors on the website and on social media.

And this is just one of the changes that are happening around here. More will be announced on social media and discussed here in the blog. Let me (or any of us) know what you think!

Alan

February 26, 2020 Workshop

February 26, 2020 Workshop

Well, this was quite the interesting class. I believe we had 13 new players. My uncertainty is because I only got a chance to meet 8 of them before we started (Welcome William, Selone, Noah, Caroline, Riley, Syndney, Conrad, and Sam) plus William’s sister (who came late and I didn’t write her name down), along with 4 others who came in a bit later and I didn’t get a chance to meet. There may have been others, or I may have lost count.

At one point, there were 31 people in class, so we were just under half being made up of folks who hadn’t done improv before.

We started with Character Intro, Pass the Box, and One Word Story. Our exercise was Gift Giving. Then everyone did a 5 Letter Word scene. Our musical exercise was Beasty Rap, and then we did Entrances and Exits. We filled the last minutes with Freeze Tag.

It was amazing how enthusiastic all the new folks were. Those who were brand new as well as those who’ve only been to one or two other classes were all eager to jump up and participate in the games. It was a very fun class.



February 19, 2020 Workshop

February 19, 2020 Workshop

A very fun class with 25 people, two of which were new, so welcome Christina and Allison.

We warmed up with Character Intro, Three Part Narrative, and One Word Story. For the exercise, I gave folks a choice and Story-Story-Die was selected by popular acclaim. Even those who didn’t know the game were enthusiastic (I guess the name was enough to sell them).

Everyone did Changing Emotions and we finished with three rounds of Hook Up-Break Up.

February 12, 2020 Workshop

February 12, 2020 Workshop

Sorry for the delay getting this posted. Let’s see what I can report from my rusty memory and my notes.

We had 29 people in this class, with two new to us. Welcome Robert and Sam!

We warmed up with Character Intro, Zip-Zap-Zop, and One Word Story. Our exercise was Class Photo, and we played Alliteration, Irish Drinking Song, and World’s Worst.

And here are the photos I’ve got from the night:


February 5, 2020 Workshop

February 5, 2020 Workshop

We had 20 people in class, and nowadays that’s a small class. With smaller classes I can either do more large group games or focus on two person games, and tonight I tried to split it between the two.

There were six new players joining us, so welcome Souheil, Bassem, Sam, Rob, Leilani, and Christine.

Our warm ups were Character Intro, Enemy Defender, and One Word Story. Our exercise piece was Three Headed Conversation.

Then it was Pillars and Irish Drinking Song. We ended with a couple of rounds of Park Bench.

Sketch Comedy Show: February 1, 2020

Sketch Comedy Show: February 1, 2020

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Our annual sketch comedy show was a complete success: huge crowd (basically standing room only); funny scripts; amazing cast performance; and an appreciative audience.

There were 15 pieces, 13 performers, and it lasted just over an hour.

Thank you to Yeah Sand: Heather, Heather, and Ali

And thank you to all the other players!

January 29, 2020 Workshop

January 29, 2020 Workshop

We had 20 people in class, and nowadays that’s a small class. With smaller classes I can either do more large group games or focus on two person games, and tonight I tried to split it between the two.

There were two new players joining us, so welcome Madeline and Jake.

Our warm ups were Character Intro, Red Ball, and One Word Story. Our exercise piece was Standing, Sitting, Bending.

Then it was Emotional Zone and Beasty Rap. We ended the night with Three Line Drill.

XProv! January 24, 2020

XProv is shorthand for “experimental improv”. It’s a night where we can try things that we don’t normally get to: new improv games, sketch pieces in development, a new form for an improv troupe, an exercise that focuses on an improv skill, or…

We start the night reviewing the pieces that folks have brought to try and then break up into groups that will learn and practice those pieces. That normally goes from 7:00 pm to 8:00, but this night we didn’t have anything that needed practice, and so we start the performance early, about 7:50 pm.

The performance part of the night is meant to last an hour or so. It’s not open to the public; we are are just performing for each other in order to get some practice and feedback. This was our lineup for the night:

1) Status Switch: Sarah brought this one, and it’s an exercise where we are focusing on status as a character skill. It’s done as a two person exercise, one person has high status, the other has low status. In the course of the scene, the two need to change status, the high status player become low status, and the low status becoming high. I think everyone had a go at this one.

2) Split Screen: I believe Monica brought this one, although we’ve done it before. This is a hard one to describe - basically the stage is divided into two, where the left half is really the right side of a regular scene, and the right half of the stage would be the left half of a normal scene. There are four total players representing two characters on the stage. Two players are the characters in the right half, and the other two players are the same characters in the left half. When one of the right half players walks off stage (on the right side), the left side player for that same character walks onto the left half of the stage and vice-versa. It’s a delightful tour de force that really should be seen to be understood. And when the audience finally gets what’s going on, you can almost hear the “ahhs” of delight and amazement. We did a couple of rounds.

3) Cut To: Monica brought this one, and we did it as a two person scene with a director. The players will conduct a scene, and periodically the director sill stop the scene and change the setting to one that’s been referred to in the previous scene. It can be set in the future or the past.

4) Video Dubbing: This is a perennial favorite at xprov. A series of scenes from a movie or TV is played on a video screen with the sound off. A player is assigned to each speaking character on screen and they provide the voice for that character. This night, we had a series of scenes from a Sports Night episode. We’re getting better at performing this, and I’m getting better at picking out scenes that lend themselves to being dubbed. We’ll put this in a performance soon.

5) See No Evil, Hear No Evil: This is an exercise that Monica developed to help with editing scenes in a long form piece. It’s done as a rotation, with two players performing a scene and two players in the back line. One of those players has their ears covered so they cannot hear the scene but can see it. The other player is listening to the scene but has their back turned so that they cannot see it. It’s the responsibility of the player who is only listening (See No Evil) to call out “sweep” when they feel the scene should be edited. The player who couldn’t hear the scene (Hear No Evil), steps in and starts a new scene, replacing whomever had been performing the longest. The other player that had been in the scene stays the same character for the new scene. The See No Evil player becomes the Hear No Evil player, and a new player joins into the rotation as the new See No Evil player (the one who will have to “sweep” the new scene). Yeah, you needed to be there to really understand this one

We played several rounds of that exercise, going long in the performance part of the night.

Finally, the last hour is when we review the pieces that were performed, giving feedback. However, since so many of the pieces this night were skill building, we really spent the night giving feedback to the players. Actually, it sort of devolved into old man Alan discussing his ideas on the sorts of skills players should be developing as they progress learning improv. Never give me a chance to pontificate.

Unfortunately, no pictures from the night. We just haven’t gotten into the habit yet. I’ll work on that next time.

January 22, 2020 Workshop: A Smaller Night

January 22, 2020 Workshop: A Smaller Night

It was a smaller class than usual with 18 people, two of them were new players (welcome Nick and Lindsey).

Our group warm ups were Character Intro, Slap-Clap-Snap, and One Word Story. We started our exercises with Mutant, and then we played Create an Object to Speak and Entrances and Exits. Our song was the Irish Drinking Song which left us with just enough time for a couple sets of 185.

This week my “Intro to Improv” topics were Chivalry and Reincorporation. I talked about losing an argument for the sake of a scene, since no one really wants to see an argument on stage. The point of Chivalry is to be willing to give up your ego.

Reincorporation is about focus. Rather than introduce new concepts, our job is to keep exploring the initial ideas in a scene - reincorporating the people, plot, and relationships - to avoid losing focus and letting the scene wander aimlessly.

A few memorable moments:

  • Competitive complementary drinks

  • The worst science class

  • Eye worms (eew!)

  • Blake’s room (never gonna happen)



Longform Show Review: January 18, 2020

Longform Show Review: January 18, 2020

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Another amazing longform show! Thank you to all three troupes:

The Reverberators: Blake, Chad, Emma-Jane, Geoff, Monica, Sarah

The Schwackhammers: Ali, Andy, Cameron, Heather

The Establishment: Alan, Amy, George

Here are a few cryptic notes from my recollection of the show:

  • The Reverberators had a lot to say about Top Ramen , Community Theater, kicking puppies, and creepy dark rooms

  • The Schwackhammers decided to spend some time exploring the challenges faced by a group of Victoria Secret thieves, including the proper pronunciation of bras, Gilbert unable to avoid being naked, and the challenges of leadership

  • The Establishment explored Chipotle (or chipote… or chipatas… or chipities…), the advantages of moving to Santa Barbara from New York, Betsy Johnson, and of course…Larry

And then there was this picture from the after-party which I’ll let speak for itself:

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January 15, 2020 Workshop: Finally Back Into a Routine

January 15, 2020 Workshop: Finally Back Into a Routine

Although every class is its own special snowflake, this night followed what has become a fairly typical pattern.

We had 24 people in class, this time with four brand new to us (welcome Joanna, Leon, Angelique, and Tim) and two additional players who I hadn’t met but attended a workshop in December (hello to Harmon and Sierra). Also, welcome back Angela, who’s been traveling the world for several months.

Our group warm ups were Character Intro, Whoosh-Bang-Pow, and One Word Story. The exercise was Machine, and then we played Changing Count and Irish Drinking Song. We ended with Sound Effects as a rotation.

Also, in addition to general announcements, I’m going to start formally presenting improv concepts: defining terms, discussing rules of thumb, and ways to approach scenes. Tonight I talked about questions and why to avoid them (they don’t add to a scene, but require our partners to add information), and why we try to avoid crazy, drugged, and child characters (because those characters and anything they say can be discounted from what’s happening in a scene). I also like mentioning how you can effectively break these rules of thumb, if you know the reasons behind them.



Game: Slideshow

Game: Slideshow

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Number of players: 4 or 5 Tags: Exercise, large group, all levels

When: This is an easy exercise, done just after warm ups

Overview: This exercise is done in groups of four or five players. Each player will have a turn presenting their own slide show. The other players will be creating the images that the presenter has to describe.

Introduction: "We’re now going to see a slide show. Unfortunately, the person presenting the slideshow has no real idea what they’ll find in each photo.”

Details: Immediately after the presenter is selected, they will step forward so that they cannot see what the other players are doing. The presenter will give a brief introduction to the slideshow: the purpose of the trip, where the pictures where taken, who went on the trip, etc. During that description, the players will move about, trying different physical poses, interacting with each other, in general trying different stage pictures until the presenter says something like “and here’s the first photo, click.”

When the presenter says “click,” all the other players freeze in their current positions. The presenter immediately turns around and then has to describe this photo, justifying everyone’s pose, in the context of their slideshow.

After the description, the presenter steps forward again and sets up the events leading to the next photo. During the set up, the other players move around again, interacting and perhaps influenced by the previous photo and descriptions. They keep moving until they hear the presenter say “click” when they immediately freeze for the narrator to again turn around and describe this new photo.

We typically limit this to three photos; basically the beginning, middle, and end of a trip. After the third picture the presenter can say a concluding, summation line.

After this presenter finishes, then the next player in the group takes a turn as the presenter. The exercise continues through all the players having a turn as the presenter.

Game: Tag Out Story

Game: Tag Out Story

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Number of players: 5 Tags: Performance, exercise, narrative

When: This is a game we do in performances, and it’s a good warm-up exercise

Overview: Five players line up one behind the other. Whoever is in front always tells the story. The person just behind will, at some point, tap the player in front. Immediately, the player in front stops telling the story (mid sentence, mid word if possible) and peels out of line, going to the back. All the other players take a step forward so that the person who tapped now becomes the in-front story teller, and they finish whatever the previous teller had started (finish the sentence or even the word where the previous story-teller was cut off). They continue until the person behind them taps them on the shoulder, repeating the cycle.

Introduction: "This group is going to tell us a story. The person in front will always be telling the story until they are tapped out by the person behind. Now, I need the name of a story that has never been told.”

Details: This is a narrative exercise where each story teller has to pick up the thread of the story told by the person before. The major technical challenge is to seamlessly pick up the story where the previous person left off, finishing whatever they started without repeating the last word or syllable that was cut off.

The minor technical challenge is to remember to step forward whenever the front story-teller is tapped out. This keeps the line circling in place.

However, there is an overall pacing to this exercise that makes it work in a performance. The first round through the players should each tell one or two lines of the story before they are tapped out. The second round through, the taps should come every half of a sentence of so. The next round should be after only a couple of words, and from the fourth round on, this should be like a one word story. The person in front should be tapped out immediately after they start. This requires that the person who is tapped out run to the back of the line, as the entire line should be cycling through in a fast round. The energy is high, the words need to be distinct, and the story should be built like any one word story exercise.

The director will call a curtain when the story hits some sort of ending line (button).

January 8, 2020 Workshop: The dog ate my homework!

January 8, 2020 Workshop: The dog ate my homework!

Normally, I make these entries based on the notes I take during class (yes, I’m actually taking notes, not just doodling). However, one of my dogs (who’s only been here for 2 weeks and still getting the hang of things) actually tore up and ate my brand new 2020 notepad! So, this entry is based on my memory (uh oh) and the photos I took.

We had 24 people in class including 3 brand new to us (welcome Malachi, David, and Burgundy - I hope I got those names right) and an additional player who attended a few workshops some time ago, but started again during December (welcome back Shannon).

We warmed up with Character Intro, Sound Ball, and One Word Story, then did a round of Tag Out Story as an exercise. We played the game Counting Words and then Beasty Rap. We did a couple of rounds of Panel of Experts and then ended with a little Freeze Tag.

Darn it! I wrote down several lines that stood out for me as the night went on, but now that the notes are gone, I can’t remember them. <sigh>



Game: Panel of Experts

Game: Panel of Experts

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Number of players: 4 Tags: Performance, exercise, character

When: This is a game we do in performances, and it is a moderately hard exercise

Overview: Three players are experts in a field chosen by the audience. The fourth player is the moderator of the panel and the host of the show where this panel is presented.

Introduction: "We are going to see a panel of experts. What is their topic of expertise."

Details: This is a character exercise. When the topic is selected, the three players who are the experts must select a character that fits the topic. It does not matter whether the player has any personal experience in the selected topic, their character is the expert, and whatever they say is the opinion of an expert in the field.

The moderator must define the show that’s hosting this panel, as well as the format. For instance, it could be a radio show that has a different topic week to week. Or it could be a TV show that regularly deals with this topic, etc. The player will be the host for that show.

The moderator introduces themselves and the show, and then allows each expert to introduce themselves. Each expert tells their name, and how they are an expert in the field. After the introductions, the moderator can ask a couple of questions to the panel, either about the topic or about something that came up in the introductions. After one or two questions from the moderator, the audience is then prompted to ask questions to the expert panel, either to the whole group or directed to a particular expert.

It’s important to play this recognizing that experts in any field would know other experts in the field. So all of these experts probably have some history, including professional disagreements, rivalries, romances, and personal grudges. Play that in the introductions and when responding to questions.

Variation: The moderator introduces the first expert, endowing that player with a name and a title. The player then fills out the rest of the introduction, saying a couple things about their history. The moderator goes on to introduce each of the other experts who also expand upon their histories.

Game: Counting Words

Game: Counting Words

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Number of players: 3 Tags: Performance, exercise

When: This is a game we do in performances, and it is an easy exercise

Overview: Each player in the scene is given their own number between 1 and 7 as assigned by the audience. This is the number of words that player must use each time they speak during the game.

Introduction: "For this scene, I’d like a number between 1 and 7 for Player A."

“Now a different number between 1 and 7 for Player B.”

“Another one for Player C”

“During this scene, each time a player speaks, they can only use that number of words. No more, and no less!”

Details: When selecting words for each player, try to get one with a small count (1 to 2), a medium count (3 to 5), and a large count (6 to 7).

A player should not do a set of words and then do another set of words without at least one other player speaking between the sets.

It’s important that a player should be allowed to get all their words out. Don’t cut off a player with 7 words after they’ve only spoken 4. They must speak all 7 before someone else says a line.

It’s helpful if players finish each other’s sentences, especially for those who have a small number of words.

Improv Show Review: January 4, 2020

Improv Show Review: January 4, 2020

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Our first show of the new decade! Illnesses brought our performer count down to 7 (see the player list below), but we had a very appreciative audience of 40 and a show that sets the bar high for the 2020’s!

We played a total of 17 games, although we cut short the final Montage due to time (also, it ended on the perfect line). Rather than list the games we played, below is my copy of the playlist with all the notes for the night. For most of you it will be illegible, but for those with acute forensic capability, it will serve as an archaeological record of the night.

A few particularly memorable moments (for me):

  • Heather H. “This is a 60 minute speech”, Sarah “I know, I spent all night studying…for multiple choice”

  • Ali and Heather T. as military guards fighting to be in the good light

  • The final curtain line of the show - Monica playing Joan of Arc burning at the stake, and Heather H. quipping “you’re on fire, girl”

And I have to mention the scene that took place in an all women’s prison. The players decided to put it specifically in the shower room, with the opening line “Oh, I dropped the soap”.

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Players

  • Alan

  • Ali

  • Heather H.

  • Heather T.

  • Kymberlee

  • Monica

  • Sarah

MC:

  • Alan

Game: Hitchhiker

Game: Hitchhiker

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Number of players: 3 at a time, but typically done as a rotation through a large group

Tags: Exercise, large group, warm up, all levels

When: This is done as an exercise towards the beginning of class.

Overview: A series of short, three person scenes is performed. Three chairs are arranged so that one chair (for the driver) is in front (towards the audience) and two chairs (for the passengers) are behind. These three chairs are meant to roughly simulate a car.

Players will rotate between the three positions as a new player enters the scene. The new player (the hitchhiker) enters the car and takes the closest passenger seat. The player that was in that seat, will move to the other passenger seat. That passenger will move up to the driver’s seat, and the driver will rotate out of the scene.

The hitchhiker enters the car with a strong character choice. The other two players in the car will immediately take on that same character. We see a very short interaction between the three characters which includes finding out where the hitchhiker needs to go and the car driving off.

Very soon, the driver or either passenger will notice a new hitchhiker standing on the road and request that they stop to pick them up. The driver stops the car and then the players rotate allowing room for the hitchhiker to enter the scene with their character choice. Once again, all the players in the car will take on the new character, and the rotation continues.

Introduction: "This is an exercise where we have to quickly identify and take on a character being presented to us. The idea is that these three chairs represent a car with the driver in front and two passengers behind. They stop for a hitchhiker and the three players in the car rotate so that the driver leaves, the passenger furthest from the hitchhiker moves to the driver’s position, the passenger closest to the hitchhiker moves to the other passenger seat, and the hitchhiker can enter and sit in the empty seat."

"The hitchhiker enters with a strong character choice that’s different that the one previously in the car. As the other players in the scene identify the character, they take on that same character choice. The three players in the car all have the same characteristics and we’ll see a very short scene with them before the driver or one of the passengers notices the next person in line; the next hitchhiker. They stop the car, rotate positions, and then react to the hitchhiker’s new character.”

Details: There should be a line that forms on one side of the stage, where the hitchhikers will enter the car. The scenes are very short, just long enough to establish that all three players have the same characteristics.

And that point cannot be emphasized enough: all the players have the same characteristics. They are not playing opposite or against the hitchhiker character. The entire car becomes filled with same character type.

January 1, 2020 Workshop: I'm Back!

January 1, 2020 Workshop: I'm Back!

Quick recap of our class on New year’s Day, 2020: the start of a new decade.

First of all, I want to apologize for missing all of December workshop classes. It wasn’t my intent, and the schedule got away from me. As I understand it, Austin started a variety of rumors regarding my disappearance, so at least you all had that (thank you Austin)

I want to especially thank Lindsey for stepping in and covering three classes! I hope you all love her style as much as I do, and that she pushed you really, really hard (miss me?)

I didn’t know what to expect from a class on the holiday, but we had 16 people and it represented a wide range of experience, from a new player (welcome Nick) to some old timer’s (nope, not calling them out)

We warmed up with Character Intro, Enemy Defender, and Samurai, then did a round of Hitchhiker as an exercise. The games were 5 Letter Word and Repeating Scene, Changing Genre. We sang The Irish Drinking Song and for advanced work we did a 3 Line Drill. That left us with enough time to end with Freeze Tag.


Three Decades of Improv

Three Decades of Improv

It was December of 1989 when I walked into my first improv class. A friend from the Bay Area was visiting us, and she escorted me to that first class after I revealed that I was too intimidated to go by myself. The class had just started and was being run by a player from the Improv Team Kahoots. I’d seen them perform several times in Santa Barbara (it was a local team made up of folks who lived in the area), and I LOVED them as well as this crazy style of theater that was performed without a script. Even Saturday Night Live used scripts, which was how I had even heard the term improv. Remember, Whose Line Is It Anyway? wasn’t around at the time. Technically it had already started as a radio show in the UK, but it wasn’t known in the US. This improvised theater was still a new thing, and finding performances outside of the major markets was not easy.

Luckily, this friend had already taken some classes in San Francisco, and so when I told her how much I’d enjoyed Kahoots and shyly mentioned that they had started teaching a class, she insisted we go that night. And so on a dark Wednesday evening in December of 1989 I walked into a cavernous warehouse space on Chapala Street right next to the downtown Ralph’s (although that Ralph’s hadn’t been built at the time - it was just a big, empty lot on the corner of Chapala and Carrillo)

The instructors were Matt Ingersol, a member Kahoots and an actor in local theater, and a woman whose name I’ve since forgotten. There were less than 10 of us, and …

I LOVED IT!

It was hard, emotional, rewarding, and interactive in a way that I hadn’t ever experienced. I was a science-y computer engineer who had grown up on the Batman TV show, the original Star Trek, and seen the entire Star Wars trilogy dozens of times: a classic, socially awkward nerd. The idea of being up on stage in front of an audience was scary, interacting with other actors was mind boggling, and not knowing what I was going to do or say in advance was … intoxicating. I was hooked, and it is not hyperbolic when I say it has changed by life.

I don’t want to make these blog posts too long, so I’ll end this one here. I plan on periodically posting stories, thoughts, and perspectives about improv now that I’ve seen it in the 90’s, the 00’s, and the teens. I continue to learn a lot, and am anxious to see what the 2020’s will bring, but I’ve become reflective in my dotage. I have a platform to pontificate from (even if it’s for my own amusement), so I’ll take a few moments from time to time to see what my rusty old brain can regurgitate.

BTW, the picture is probably from 1991, during the reign of our second instructor, Sharon K. Bettis. I’ll tell stories of that time in another post. That’s me in the upper right, and you should be able to make out at least one other familiar face in that photo.