iO: Octopus on a Train July 5, 2010

About a week ago, I got the chance to visit Chicago and see some wonderful improv friends who are Theatre Strike Force alum. A coworker friend and I had big improv plans: One of the things to check off our Chicago list was see an improv show.

iO is something I had only heard about in improv classes at the University of Florida. It seemed like a faraway, mystical improv heaven full of improv celebrities. I never knew when I’d actually get to go there.

Next thing I know, I’m in the front row at iO, waiting for the show to begin!

We were waiting to see Improvised Shakespeare, which I heard was the funniest, most impressive show at iO. The players create a fully improvised, two-act play in Elizabethan style.

iO Del Close Theater (photo by April Dudash)

Here was the talented cast of the evening: Brendan Dowling, Ric Walker, Steve Waltien, Martin Wilson and Rich Prouty.

Improvised Shakespeare asks the audience for a title of a play that has never been written. One audience member instantly shouted out “Octopus on a Train!”

Yikes. What were they going to do with that? Despite all the suggestion shouting, they specifically weeded out “Octopus on a Train” to use for their Shakespearean play. I felt nervous for them, for some reason.

The lights dimmed. Brendan Dowling stepped out and delivered a brilliantly poetic monologue that RHYMED. It seemed effortless on his part. His story was about intertwined, tragic love with slight nautical undertones (he didn’t overdo it).

Then, Ric Walker and Steve Waltien established the first scene. They were brothers who were supposed to get married on the same day. Come to find out, they’re twins named Marcellus and Aquaticus, and they are supposed to do everything together. Something happens with the marriage plans, which causes both brothers to vow to never do the same things together again. They throw their “Bros” lockets into a distant pond, therefore fueling their growing distaste for one another.

The players have multiple characters. As an all-male team, I noticed their female characters were subtle and the feminine traits weren’t overpowering.

An entanglement of relationships ensued, and they all seemed to be a step ahead of the storyline.

Here were some amazing moments:

-One of Dowling’s characters was a lute player who sang little songs while getting ready for the wedding. His lute ended up being destroyed. With a horrified face and clutching the back wall, he whispered, “My baby was in the lute.” The rest of the cast began to support him, saying they would bring their babies to work. (A cupcake maker had a baby covered in icing.)

-Ric Walker would climb to the top of the stage and look over it forebodingly, saying that the players below didn’t learn their lessons and that doom would rain down upon them. That’s how the first act ended quite epically.

-Ric Walker killed another character with a viper. He would pet it lovingly, cooing to the “sweet, sweet viper,” then used it to attack the other person’s neck.

There are other things I wish I could explain in this blog, but the moves were so intricate and so group-minded, it’s really hard to describe.

**The Improvised Shakespeare Company is comprised of about 15 people, and show casts are usually 4-6 people. The cast on that Friday evening listened to all the details and made sure not one gift was dropped.

After the show ended, I was completely floored. Everything was so well done, and the audience was laughing non-stop. And more than that, it was a smart show.

Go see it if you can. It really showed the value of smart improv, of looking past the crude jokes and college humor to get to the meat of the scene. It taught the necessity of simple facial expressions and space-object work.

Even though iO is a tangible thing to me now, it’s still a crazy mystical place in my improv mind.

**Edited 7.07.10: Improvised Shakespeare itself stopped by the blog and was super wonderful! It clarified that there is no “regular” Shakespeare cast and that they routinely switch out who’s performing together. Thanks, guys!

Missed Connections Sketch Show December 11, 2009

What does an emotionally distant robot, a giant man-cat and a depressed superhero all have in common?

Well, these characters all had debuts in a show that the Theatre Strike Force Sketch team premiered in the middle of November. It was their first full-length show of the semester, and it was titled “Missed Connections.”

The show setup itself was more simple and intimate. There were seven sketches total, and all of the characters were linked together by their daily activities. Here were the sketches:

1) News Hero: A superhero, Captain Amazing, is torn between hiding his true identity and wanting to feel needed. He saves a coworker from death while simultaneously seeking friendships.

2) Horny Newsie: A newsie is confronted with odd…feelings…as his body wreaks havoc on his emotions.

3) iDeath: A man and woman, who are standing next to each other on the bus, share a connection. The bus ride is shown through three perspectives: the woman’s, the man’s and his dying iPod’s.

4) Divorce: Three young girls play the game “Divorce,” which is modeled after “LIFE.” They realize the game is just a way for Becky’s parents to tell her that they really ARE getting divorced. Tragic, eh?

5) Cat: A woman brings a guy home after a night of partying. Her male guest soon finds out she’s a cat lover, and her pet is a disgusting man dressed as a cat.

6) Reverse Rape: A woman is attacked during her late-night jog. She bravely turns the tables on him, and they end up doing an insanely physical tango together.

7) Speed Dating: Many of the characters are called back to speed-date each other, and the event ends in a speed wedding.

Erik Voss (left) and Spencer Hamilton develop an emotional connection during the show's finale. Courtesy of Mike Jenkins.

TSF Sketch wanted to rely on the writing for the jokes and the punchlines…they didn’t want a lot of props. They didn’t want videos. It would all be performed on stage, and a lot of it would be space-object work.

Erik Voss, the founder of TSF Sketch, has been part of the group for about two years. He wrote that “Missed Connections” was a chance to get back to the roots of sketch comedy.

“A lot of our shows up until that point had put too much emphasis on high production value (giant peanut costumes, blood cannons, well-edited mockumentaries),” Voss wrote. “We wanted to impress an audience with good writing and funny characters.”

For the most part, he thought they achieved that.

“Our sketches could have used a few more rewrites and maybe some jokes should have been cut,” he continued. “The show could have used a few more run-throughs to fix the timing of the transitions (which bogged the show down, I think).”

Liz Anderson is also a writer, and she has been part of TSF Sketch for three UF semesters. She wrote that preparing for the show was pretty relaxed compared to their major productions, which are characterized by “totally sleepless nights and nearly obsessive rewrites of sketches.”

“That wasn’t the case here, and while I think we all were happier and actually kept our sanity, I think our content suffered a little,” Anderson added. “I think that Sketch comedy is an art that you very much have to bleed for.”

The night of the sketch show, there were only about 25 people in the audience. Everyone who acted in the show were members of TSF, and they still had a fun time performing.

“Our show started off very slow, and it was difficult getting a reaction out of the audience,” Voss wrote, “but I would say we won them over by the end. The audience reacted strongly to the “divorce” sketch, and they really liked Spencer’s “cat” character in the sketch after that. It’s a good feeling knowing we won them over with our writing and acting, instead of some engineering feat.”

He wrote that he wished Sketch had more people attend its show, but the biggest thing to take away from the experience is the importance of marketing and promotions.

However, Voss also wrote that “Missed Connections” did a great job of incorporating the talents of all the writers.

“Each of the writers played at least one role on stage,” he wrote. “In the past, the head writers tend to swoop in and do heavy rewrites on sketches without including the original writers, which, while making a funnier sketch, can get frustrating for younger writers. We were better about that for this show, and I’d like to keep it up.”

The group realizes they all share the same robot dad: Destructron! Courtesy of Mike Jenkins.

It’s pretty clear that TSF Sketch will continue to plan bigger and better things. It is a group that thrives off of each others’ creative minds, and they are minds that cannot stay dormant for too long.

“We try to gather the smartest and funniest minds in TSF together in a room to generate ideas, to write, to try to make each other laugh, to rewrite and refine, and to ultimately turn out a polished product,” Voss wrote. “The writers room is the only place I feel comfortable asking the question: “Is this funny?” Because I know I’ll get an answer I can trust.”

In Liz Anderson’s life, TSF Sketch is more than a simple extracurricular.

“It’s what gave me confidence in my comedic ability; the people in it supported me but didn’t baby me, told me how I was good but how I could be much better,” Anderson wrote.

And now, she’s gearing up to produce one heck of a show in the spring semester.

“What I want out of future shows is more of everything,” she wrote. “We’ve done our intimate show. I think it’s time for something big. I’m still trying to find my role in sketch, and I want to be able to have a big hand in a major production.”

The Spontaneity of ArACkA Comedy December 1, 2009

These seven men aren’t afraid to make their own improv games. Or share the responsibilities of directing. Or strip down to their boxers and perform.

They’re called ArACkA, and their comedy is spreading virally and by word-of-mouth. This time around, you don’t want to get immunized…it’s best to sit back and let their comedy infect you.

The troupe started in the fall of 2007 after some roommates decided they wanted to perform improv together. Since then, members have left to pursue their careers and further their education. Others were added to maintain a well-rounded group of gentlemen.

“We’ve created stuff from the ground up,” performer Scott Arel said. “We don’t hold auditions. We pick, like, a lot of people who see it from the outside – it’s important to the health of the entire thing. We pick very carefully.”

“I like surrounding myself with people who make me laugh and I make laugh,” said Robert Colomberti, the newest ArACkA recruit. “(Practicing is) never something I dread, like an obligation.”

Augie Artiles, one of the original members of ArACkA, writes down improv games.

ArACkA specializes in short-form improv. They even invent a lot of their games and write sketches to go along with their shows. When the troupe had its first show in Ocala, four people came out to see it. During their fourth show, about 50 people were there to support them.

Augie Artiles, one of the original members, remembers thinking: “Whatever we’re doing, it’s f—ing working. Word-of-mouth. Not only are the same people coming back, but they’re bringing their friends.”

The group prides themselves on their charity shows and events, especially for organizations like the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life. They also are proud of how ArACkA has grown, especially within the past year.

They have stickers, shirts, a Web site, a podcast and an ArACkA calendar, to name a few of their promotional items. The year has provided them with numerous shows on campus as well as traveling opportunities.

What contributes to their successes? Trust. And the bonds they’ve formed with each other.

“I would like to think that when we do a show, it comes through that we’re all really close friends,” said performer Matt White.

“The trust level that we have is unparalleled,” Scott said. “Whatever garbage comes out of my mouth on stage, if I’m having a good day or bad day, it’s going to be picked up by one of these guys.”

When other troupes have a rotating cast or rely on a president/director figure, ArACkA does things a little differently.

The ArACkA cast. (Back, from left) Scott Arel, Augie Artiles, Rich Camillucci and Chris Mullet. (Front, from left) Robert Colomberti and Matt White. Tim Anderson is portrayed on the chalkboard.

“When we have a decision to make that’s important to the group, it’s everyone or no one,” Scott said. “At the end, if somebody doesn’t like it, we get over it and don’t do it. I feel that’s hard to find.”

“We always make it even,” Scott added. “We always make sure each of us has face time, an equal opportunity to perform.”

Besides hanging out with each other and building group mind, the other moments ArACkA performers cherish is when fans approach them and compliment the show.

“That was a good feeling to know that I did well, that someone actually enjoyed what I did,” Matt said.

The group still hopes to grow and to “keep rolling.” They are setting their sights on helping the Gainesville improv community blossom. Their vision is for Gainesville to become a mini-Chicago, or a well-respected hub for improv.

Until then, they’ll continue to improve and rag on each other.

“This is something we all really, really love to do,” said performer Rich Camillucci. “A lot of us are involved in much more than just ArACkA. We pretty much try to be involved in as much as we can to fill that insatiable appetite.”

“What?! Insatiable appetite?” Performer Chris Mullet started to laugh at his phrasing.

“F— you,” Rich retorted.

—

Here is ArACkA performing one of their original improv games, “Million Dollars”, at the Roxy Theatre in Miami:

Going Steady with a Scene Partner November 9, 2009

Improvisers spend a lot of time with each other. At rehearsals. During shows. Attending meetings. “Just hanging out” with each other turns into an evening of weird, complex jokes, pantomiming and changing the words to trendy pop hits.

It’s not uncommon for this zaniness between improvisers to turn into sparks, and for those sparks to turn into full-fledged relationships.

A lot of people date within Theatre Strike Force, and that has me wondering if improvisers are just more compatible with each other. Does the desire for another improviser fuel the desire to get better at improvising? Does the relationship affect scenes or the group dynamic?

Some people within TSF were more than willing to spill the beans. Mmm, beans.

As far as any romantic relationship goes, there is a support system involved. Improv couples go one step further and support each other on stage as performers.

Sami M., who has recently joined TSF, is dating someone within the organization. She wrote that she enjoys hearing his laughter in the audience if she does something funny in an improv scene. In her opinion, it enhances the experience of being on stage.

“You’re already excited to perform in front of any audience, so it pushes you to be even better at what you do,” Sami wrote.

For some improv couples, it is also common to talk about comedy outside of practices and meetings. Sami mentioned that they regularly talk about recent shows or the latest SNL.

Matt W., who is in TSF and ArACkA Spontaneous Comedy, is dating fellow improviser Larah C. He wrote that she will be truthful about his performances.

“After a show, I know I have someone who is going to tell me how the show is with unabashed honesty,” Matt wrote. “If it was a bad show, then Larah tells me so. If it was good, she says so.”

His girlfriend, Larah, wrote, “We are completely honest with each other’s scene work, sometimes to the point of brutality. But it’s not a brutality the asker didn’t ask for.”

The mathematical breakdown of their coupley conversations: improv takes up 30 percent, Larah wrote.

Jenn F. (left), performing with Sunday Group at the Common Grounds in Gainesville.

And what if dating improvisers are in a scene together? Does it sway their improv decisions, or does it affect their concentration somehow?

Jenn F. has been in an improv relationship for years and is extremely active within TSF. Her boyfriend is now performing improv at iO in Chicago. She is about to graduate in December, and she was recently accepted into Second City in Chicago.

“I remember it being exciting when we were in a scene,” Jenn wrote. “It was hard not to break, though.”

Filup M., also an avid improviser and a comedy writer, wrote that he has been in scenes with girls he has dated in the past.

“Never has it gone more or less toward dating/romance scenes, mostly because I think each improviser out there is a blank slate,” he wrote.  “In the scene, they’re the character, not the actor, and you do what the scene calls for.

“It might not be the most comfortable thing in the world, but if a scene called for it, I would kiss another improviser in a scene, even if my significant other were watching from the audience or the backline,” Filup wrote. “That’s improv. That’s theatre. It’s make-believe and pretend. It’s lucky when you date people who know that and also have fun in it.”

Matt W. wrote that he stays away from performing scenes with Larah because he doesn’t want their credibility as improvisers to be doubted. If he is performing in front of close friends or people who don’t know about the relationship, he feels more at ease.

“The dynamic of the scene I think naturally shifts to the two of us not being in a romantic relationship, but nevertheless, the scenes go where they go because I have someone I know I can trust doing the scene with me,” Matt wrote.

Ricky K. and Katie L. perform an improv scene together. They have been solidly dating for about a year.

Improvisers complement each other. If one has a comment, the other has the quip. If one has a brilliant idea, the other has a different viewpoint. If improv was ice cream, an improviser as a significant other would be the sprinkles on top.

“You have to open your mind more (in improv) than you ever have to in any other kind of social situation,” Jenn wrote. “I think that’s why so many TSF people date. You’re already exposing a lot of yourself.”

Filup wrote that he once dated someone who wasn’t a big fan of improv, and it put a huge strain on the relationship.

“When someone you want to spend your time with doesn’t appreciate something that you care so deeply about or even doesn’t understand it, it will become a huge issue,” he wrote.

After that, he began dating people who were either improvisers or really appreciated the art.

“Since then, I also haven’t had a bad relationship or a bad break-up,” Filup wrote.

In order to improve at improv, dedicating time, energy and effort is a must. Being with someone who supports that comedy endeavor, who also enjoys it, can make the creative trek easier.

Filup is in such a relationship now. His girlfriend is an improviser and sketch writer. While he’s performing or working on the comedy TV show he writes and directs, Oppie’s Friend, Gene, she is a part of his support system.

“I’ve gotta think that’s why she never bats an eye when I have to lock myself in my room for a weekend to reword a few jokes for Oppie,” Filup wrote. “She has an understanding of comedy, and she can totally appreciate how much time I put into it. Also the fact that she’s a writer and actress, she can respect my choice in life, to make this my career in the end.

“How could you not look at a group of very funny, very smart people and not hope to find your potential mate in there?” Filup asked.

For another look at improv relationships, watch a video interview with TSF treasurer Katie L. and TSF president Ricky K. They’re dating, they’re witty and they’re willing to share their perspectives. Hilariousity ensued:

Improv Suggestion Stumpers October 25, 2009

Is there such a thing as a bad suggestion?

Improv troupes rely on the audience for a word or a phrase for inspiration. It kickstarts the show and gives the performers something to think about. It can create a theme, a game, a story. The possibilities are endless.

Especially during short-form shows, an audience tends to regurgitate the same suggestions…light bulb, Hitler and gynecologist, to name a few. It’s a strange recurrence, and TSF is forced to be particularly careful by not accepting repeats. If we accept the same suggestions that we had received in our last show, where’s the fun in that? Where’s the whimsy?

I have heard performers blame mediocre shows and what some would call “downright bad” shows on bad suggestions. First of all, a good improv troupe doesn’t blame a bad show on the audience. A troupe isn’t there to filter the audience. OK, so we may not accept the constant screaming of “Male phallus! Male phallus!”, but we are looking for something else that is saucy AND creative.

Some audience members shout out weird things to perplex. To stump. How can one stump an improv troupe? In my opinion, it isn’t possible if the troupe can actively think together and grow together as a team.

On Bill Arnett’s blog, he explores the idea of a bad suggestion. Bill Arnett teaches improv and performs it at iO. Here is what’s going on in his noggin’:

I’d go so far as to say that there are no bad suggestion.  For one thing we shouldn’t be giving the suggestion that much power.  What kind of players are we if the success or failure of our show teeters on the suggestion?  We can be so fast to blame a suggestion for a bad show.  So if it has enough power to ruin our shows shouldn’t we be giving it all the credit for our good shows?  Secondly, if we want improv to be more than players jumping through the audience’s hoops we’ve got to break their expectations.  We have to transcend the suggestion.

During a conversation with a summer intensive student from Winnipeg I conceded that bad suggestions actually do exist.  A bad suggestion is one that makes the players second guess themselves.  A suggestion like racism would only be bad if it made the players afraid to play with it.

So improv players can make a suggestion a bad one. Only they can bring forth doubt and scene fright within themselves.

That suggestion was so good, we're going to scream with joy! Photo courtesy of Mike Jenkins.

In the article “Getting Suggestions from an Audience in Improv“, the author states:

Suggestions are nothing more than that: they are suggestions, they are springboards from which a scene can launch. They can be powerful tools when utilized in the correct way and can serve the scene when improvisers know how to handle getting them and treat them seriously when taking them into their scenes.

The suggestions themselves shouldn’t be the joke. They are the catalysts FOR the jokes.

Bottom line: Shake off any weird suggestion vibes and roll with it. A lot can come from a suggestion, whether it be physicality, characterization or feelings, and a lot of these decisions are good ones. Just pick one.

John’s Candy and Seven Gold Olympic Medals October 20, 2009

Theatre Strike Force, UF’s improv troupe, holds improv classes every Monday and Thursday during the semester. Beginning to advanced improvisers are always welcome to attend, and the classes are split into three groups:

T-Group: For beginners. They learn the basics of improv and the short-form games that can be seen during TSF’s regular Gator Nights and dorm shows.

S-Group: For intermediate improvisers. They start learning scene work, relationships and games for long-form improv.

F-Group: For advanced improvisers. They take what they have learned from the past two groups and hone their skills to perform impressive long-form shows.

This past Monday, everyone had their ‘midterms,’ or the chance to perform in front of the other groups to show off what they have learned so far.

I’m in F-Group, which we have unofficially renamed as “John’s Candy.”

John Candy would be so proud.

We were the last ones to perform, and we did not have much time. We had chosen to do a free form, which is basically getting a suggestion and going with the flow of our group mind.

The suggestion we received was “Seven gold Olympic medals.” Pretty funtastic.

We started off at a swim meet, which was a no-brainer. The whole opening group sequence felt pretty rushed as a whole.

We had a scene with a bickering, pretentious couple and wine glasses. We had a shy person feeling left out at a couples-only sexy party. We had an idiot who didn’t understand the concept of boot camp. There were a few others, and I felt the audience responded best to the more physical scenes. If you’re willing to throw yourself around, they’re going to respect that.

They also really enjoyed the memorable characters with unique tics and interesting personalities.

We would all end the scenes by rushing out and doing professional swimming moves. The moves were sloppy but comical to watch.

Overall, it was a really rushed form, but we got some good laughs and some great compliments afterward.

If you attend TSF Academy, you'll learn how to fly! Well, not really. But you'll learn some really cool improv forms and games.

If you’re interested in taking some extracurricular improv classes, contact the Theatre Strike Force Exec Board at theatrestrikeforce@gmail.com.

Math Club: The Musical! October 11, 2009

AM Radio had a show at the beginning of October, and it went pretty well. Our suggestion was “math club,” which we turned into “Math Club: The Musical!”

We had great characters, complete with nerds and the delinquent captain of the football team. The musical explored high school cliques, crazy muscle-inducing drug usage and the last seconds of an intense football game.

The form got a little talky. We didn’t have nearly enough songs as we should have had. We didn’t even get the chance to play the piano and violin that were sitting nearby. We discussed the talkiness afterward, and we figured we got stuck in a group scene that we didn’t get out of. We also missed the chance to make some really strong choices as a group.

Regardless, the form was a lot of fun. You can see evidence of this in the pictures below. The photos were taken by Ryan Moulton.

AM Radio performs "Math Club: The Musical!"

"You plus me...equals love. You'll see!"

Add us together, subtract our egos and multiply the sorrow!

A good example of musical improv is Baby Wants Candy, a troupe that has performed more than 2,000 completely improvised musicals since its start in 1997.

Here’s an example from one of their shows, titled “Cougar High.” The intro is impressive in that they transition seamlessly from the verses to the chorus. All the performers instantly back each other up, and they have fun improvised choreography that looks pretty effortless. In the “Cougar High” intro, they are using parts of  “Chicago” as an inspiration.

Shawn McWhinnie. Improviser. Man. October 1, 2009

Before microbiology senior Shawn McWhinnie performed improv, he raised poisonous dart frogs.

“It’s the tadpole stage that’s tough,” he said. “They’re just really picky.”

And the  improv “tadpole stage” is also tough. Shawn said at the beginning, he thought too hard about his scenes. He also said he realized that he doesn’t need to make anything up, but rather focus on how he would react to these situations in real life.

It’s all about keeping real emotions during improv. If you were on an awkward date with someone in a scene, how would you really react to their strange conversation starters? How would you really react to seeing your own dead body if you were time-traveling?

McWhinnie said he has particularly enjoyed performing with McDoza, a group he created with UF student and stand-up comedian Rudy Mendoza. During one of their shows, Rudy, using space-object work, got on the phone and called up a shop. Shawn responded by answering on the other end. The conversation ends up being a wrong number.

“The group mind was so good that we knew what was going on immediately,” Shawn said. “That’s one of my favorite parts of improv, when you’re both on the same page.”

UF improviser Shawn McWhinnie establishes "group mind" with the photographer.

He has two pieces of advice for beginning to advanced improvisers. For one, if you’re not having fun, then “no one’s having fun.” The second: “Be real, because real life is hilarious.”

Right before the interview was over, Shawn began to talk about the fact he’s single and looking for a lady. I asked if that was on the record.

“If this gets me a couple of dates, then yeah, it’s on the record,” he said, laughing.

BIO: Shawn McWhinnie is a microbiology senior who has performed with Theatre Strike Force, Generation Sketch Comedy and various long-form troupes. He has played music and sung with AM Radio, UF’s musical improv troupe, and he is currently entering the realm of stand-up comedy. I would give out his phone number for the ladies, but there’s stranger danger on the Internet.

Here’s an exclusive look into Shawn’s stand-up comedy:

Playing Around with Armando September 27, 2009

A few days ago, a few other TSFers and myself started experimenting with a new form of improv: the Armando.

The form was created by Armando Diaz, who has performed at iO and the Upright Citizens Brigade. He currently owns and teaches at the Magnet Theater in New York City.

Photo courtesy of the iO Web site.

An “Armando” form is described on the iO page as a “long-form improvisation in which a monologist tells personal stories that provides the inspiration for the resulting scenes.”

Our team captain hopes to get a few interesting Gainesville people to give monologues about life experiences. Then, we hope to turn those monologue topics into improv magic.

Seems like a fun and down-to-earth way to find scene inspiration.

During our Thursday practice, we began warming up and playing scene games. Instead of focusing on the relationships in our improvised scenes, we would focus more on finding the games within those scenes and making the most of them. Practice definitely got a little out-there, but it was a great time. Everyone’s a really strong, agressive player in this group, so it was interesting trying to keep up with that energy flow.

Favorite scene from the practice: It turned into a group game. Everyone walked out on stage and acted like little kids around a campfire. One of the guys got really scared and freaked out while ghost stories were told. Everyone made fun of him. People started falling over and dying. Conspiracies ensued. Weird, huh?

To end with, I found some great advice from an insightful interview with Armando Diaz. It can be found on the blog “Improv Interviews.”

Armando Diaz’s advice to beginning improvisers:

“Be open to it. Meet people. Don’t take it too seriously. Really try to enjoy it, because when you enjoy it you tend to learn more than when you put pressure on yourself and you have some sort of crazy goals, like to trying to be funny. Most of the times people end up being funny, it’s accidentally. They’re just being honest. The more they can be OK with themselves, usually the more successful they are. And also get to know people. It’s just like ‘OK, I’m being myself. I’m being who I am.’ So other people will feel good about doing that and you become friends with them.
You also do funnier work. It’s so much easier to joke around with your friends than with a bunch of people who are judging your work, you know? There’s sort of no reason not to have a good time, even though it’s not a natural activity. It’s one that can make you nervous or whatever, but the world’s not going to end because you do a bad scene. You’re going to do millions of bad scenes. I mean, not millions, but hundreds or dozens. So have a good time with it.”

Armando Diaz’s advice to experienced improvisers:

“Again, same thing, have a good time with it. It’s up to them to keep challenging themselves and making improv worth doing. Don’t take it for granted. Know the difference between a f***-around show and a show that you should care about. It’s fun to do shows and to have some beers and blow off steam and have a good time, but it’s also good to do shows where you’re rehearsing, you’re showing up on time, you’re being professional, you’re giving your all and you’re risking a lot. That’s when you’re going to continue to find improv interesting, because you’re like, ‘Yeah, we really tried our hardest for that show and we really were challenging ourselves, treating every show like it’s important,’ approaching it that way. Then inevitably the shows are good, the work is good. It has meaning as opposed to the times you’re like ‘Ehh, that show was so crappy.’ And ‘What are we doing? Nobody wants to rehearse. There’s no one  in the audience.’

Just be honest. If you’re not enjoying it, if you don’t find value in it, if you’re embarrassed about it, don’t do that show. Doing shows just to do shows is stupid. Be selective. It’s fun to have your ‘bowling night’ kind of show, but you should do shows that make you better. You should play with players who make you better. Don’t waste your time. And, I don’t know, go live your life. Experience things other than improv. Read. Museums. Travel. Take other classes. That’s what’s going to continue to replenish what you have to offer onstage.”

InGENEius September 17, 2009

Two dudes. One loves zombies. The other loves to meticulously plan. Together, they embark on a college journey that reshapes the history of comedy.

Or something like that. Members of Theatre Strike Force have been working on a TV sitcom titled “Oppie’s Friend, Gene” for months now. ‘Oppiesode’ 1 aired two weeks ago to much success, and the second episode, “Wirelessness,” will air tomorrow on the UF campus channel (8).

It will soon show up on the “Oppie’s Friend, Gene” Web site. So check it out.

I originally started out as Locations Manager for the show, where I would get permission for us to shoot at places such as The Hippodrome, Café Gardens, Tailgate Beverages and Library West.

My role soon expanded to music direction. I am the Music Supervisor, and I collaborate with the music producer, director and director of photography about how to best use music to set up a scene and accent comedic lines. It’s also my job to work with musicians and vocalists.

When I started working on this project, I knew that improvisation would find its way into the musical aspect of “Oppie.” Some amazingly talented musicians and singers have already contributed to the show, and most of them have an improv background (many are from Gainesville’s musical improv troupe AM Radio) .  It isn’t uncommon for us to sit down together, get a feel or a suggestion for the scene, and then just come up with a variety of songs on the fly.

It’s liberating. It’s an amazingly cool experience. One second, we’ll have nothing. Silence. The next, the band’s cranking out a song that sounds like it could be featured on the radio.

We usually find inspiration from other popular or classic songs. I have a challenge: Watch Episode 2 when it comes out and figure out what songs inspired us.

EDIT 10/3 – You can now watch Episode 2: Wirelessness. When the Internet goes out all over campus, Oppie and Gene have to go 80′s in order to make friends and pass classes.

Oppie’s Friend, Gene: Episode 2 – Wirelessless from Oppie’s Friend, Gene on Vimeo.

Also, you can listen to a song we created for Oppiesode 2. It’s for Gene’s 80′s Montage!