So, I’ve now completed Improv Level 1 and we had our graduation show. Scarier to think about than to actually do, I really enjoyed it.
Working a bit backwards, the name “Hot Air Cosmonauts” – given to the group because, well, all troupes have a collective name and you sort of get gifted it as you go. It came out of two moments, one where me and another performer were supposed to be two characters working a hot air balloon only to find when you get up and do it you literally know nothing about hot air balloons. Gas, we figured out gas eventually. But not before the idea that maybe it ran on coal came up. It was fun. And later, surrounded by people twenty years my junior you discover not everyone knows what a cosmonaut is. And so, on the day of the performance we find out we’re called Hot Air Cosmonauts. I don’t hate it. But suspect that name might not stick.
Some things I’ve learned about improv are that it very much is something you have to watch live, some short forms can be made to work recorded, but with an audience, but really you need an audience to be following you along with the run of the thing for it to work and be funny. It’s fascinating to see scenes (prior to doing improv I’d’ve called them sketches) just not working, but then a second swing at the same scene and… still doesn’t work, audience shift, another go and this time, uproar, as whatever wasn’t working before suddenly works because of a slight tweak in some part of the scene. And if you isolate any three of those scenes on their own they just wouldn’t play. Not even the one that eventually worked, because part of the reason it worked is because it was built on the bones of the previous two attempts.
Saw that happen more than once, and the lesson I think as a performer is that it doesn’t matter if it goes wrong, you’re not the entire meal you’re one part of the stew.
I’ve really enjoyed hanging out with the others from my class, Paul Mone who runs the thing is very good at making the space very safe, and it has to be because you really need to be able to trust the rest of the performers if you’re going to get up on stage with and be vulnerable – no prelearnt lines, just making stuff up.
I expected to enjoy the entire thing, I felt like this is very much for me – even before seeing improv live and before taking any classes (my 16 year old son, on hearing me describe the thing “you’ve found your people”). I used to watch whose line is it any way and have day dream about doing some of those games in front of an audience. if I have any regrets it’s that I didn’t do something like this 30 years ago.
Oddly, I am slightly jealous of the other people in the class who had no idea of if they’d like it, but they did it for fun and discovered they loved it. That little road to damascus must be great.
I’ve settled in for another course, 8 weeks level two, which pretty much all but a couple of people from the year one are also taking. At the end of that I’ll be looking for opportunities to perform (as well as workshops and other things) and taking it from there.
There are photos, but without context (and the context being, you’d really need to have been there) it’s a little odd posting them, so my cartoon memories is about all you’ll get I’m afraid.
It’s nice to find a new thing to love. One fun thing is, just before going to improv my wife (who I’ve always known wasn’t a fan of improv) had tickets to see me perform because she wanted to support me, and honestly, I appreciate it, but at the same time I thought she won’t like this. Plus I’ll be standing knowing she won’t like it and that’ll be playing on my mind as I get on stage. Eventually we agreed she’d stay home instead, much to both of our relief (even though we both denied we were relieved). The next day I sent her some photos and her single line response “I would have hated that”
So look I won’t think any less of you if it’s not for you, because it really isn’t for everyone, but I’ll tell you what – it’s very much for me.
