Elevator Pitches 2

No major thoughts this week. How about a bunch of minor ones?

PLUG RIGHT AT THE TOP: Jim Woods and I are in Washington DC right now as part of the District Improv Fest and we have added a second class for me very last minute (Sunday 2:15pm, $35 - 2 hours on initiating with premise). Come see the shows, take a class, say hello!

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Here are some short pitches of possible future essays I might write, or maybe this is the last you’ll hear of them. Let me know in the comments if you’re interested in hearing more on any of these topics.

Defenses of Harold and Premise Improv. I could summarize the responses to my last three weeks’ essays about shortcomings with Harold and premise improv. They provoked a lot of great discussions with my improv friends. Even people who haven’t done improv in years are excited to debate improv, which made me happy.

What’s so bad with narrative improv? In my improv tribe (UCB Theatre and its offshoots), “plot” is a bad word, largely because it distracts from “game.” But I have to ask: what’s so bad about plot? Audiences love it, people naturally think in those terms. Maybe we should get better at it rather than throw it away.

Your problem isn’t game, it’s reality. In LA improv, the topic is always “game of the scene.” Trying to get better at it, or saying that you’re sick of working on it. But game is not the problem for most teams. It’s reality. Playing it (emotionally) real is the top problem with almost every indie improv show I see, and a lot of house improv teams too. Pay attention to game or plot as you wish, but defy emotional reality at your peril. At least at your shows’ peril.

The problem with the “wave off” move. You know the thing where someone enters a scene and does a sharp wave in the air, indicating that everyone currently in a scene should leave? Here’s the thing: most indie and new groups are terrible at this move. I mean the mechanics of actually doing the wave in a place where other people can see it. And also people in a scene being ready to be waved off. The “wave off” produces more confusion per second than any improv move currently in use.

Improv cheat codes: editing edition. For example: what do you do when a scene has gone on long enough, but there doesn’t seem to be a good place to edit? Edit when a character changes the subject. “So what else is new?” is a line that is begging for an edit.

A defense of the still mighty UCB Theatre. UCB is back in a big way in LA. Let’s talk about it. For all my criticisms of Harold and premise improv, there is still nothing I’m more proud of than being a UCB performer, and of having been trained there. Because it’s the big dog, it gets criticized a lot. How about a rose-colored biased and possibly useless assessment of the UCB’s strengths, from a nostalgic old man (me)? Anyone?

What I’m working on, improv performance wise. I walk off of every improv show wanting to work on something. Last Friday, my UCB team The Smokes did a full hour, something we hadn’t done since before the pandemic. Being in scenes with this stacked cast (on this particular night: Katie Dippold, Colton Dunn, Billy Merritt, Lennon Parham and Jim Woods) reminded me of the power of characters. Starting with a character inspired by the current base reality ignites the scene, provokes great games, keeps things fun. I’ve been thinking about this fundamental approach a lot since the show, and how I have let it slip.

Problems with renting spaces in LA. My improv school does not have a dedicated space, so we rent. We’re not the only improv entity doing this. There’s a handful of theatres we all tend to use, and they each have strengths and weaknesses. There doesn’t seem to be an Actually Fully Good space in the entire city. Is this true all over the world?

Plugs, Fresh

• District Improv Festival - As I said at the top: attention Washington DC! Come see the shows and take the classes at the District Improv Festival! Jim Woods and I are in Washington DC RIGHT NOW doing this. Come see our show Saturday night, or any of the shows in the festival!

Plugs, Ongoing

• Screw It, We’re Just Gonna Talk About Comics - Comic book podcast, hosted by my brother Kevin and I. This week, Kevin and I continue reviewing Grant Morrison’s 1990s run on Justice League of America. This series is in this reporter’s opinion, incredible.

• Clubhouse Fridays - WGIS’ weekly improv show. Fridays 7pm at The Clubhouse. Free!

• The World’s Greatest Improv School: The improv school I run with Jim Woods and Sarah Claspell. We’ve got classes online, in LA and even a few in NYC!

• How to Be The Greatest Improviser On Earth - My improv book, available at Amazon. Kindle or print. It’s a hodge-podge of advice I wrote in 2016 about doing improv. If you’re broke and want a free PDF version just email me and I’ll send it over.