Some Sweetness?
Buying coffee at a chain pastry shop in Berlin
I have no thoughts on improv this week. If you have any requests for improv essays, please suggest a topic in the comments.
Das Improv Fest in Berlin was a success.
Matt Cutler did a set with ChatGPT (after teaching it to imitate his voice and also some basic improv rules). The Cackowskis did a Close Quarters. The Bozos’ set ended with Jesus acting out the poem “Footprints” before turning into a bird. There was a 90 minute improv/D&D set with a giant 20 sided die. An Icelandic DJ played improv podcast excerpts over a house beat. The Latvian crew sang a pop hit from their country at karaoke and got everyone to sing along. I held court on premise initiations (sorry). There was solo improv, a musical set, a few living room openings, several Harolds (one backwards), late night bit shows, packed audiences, dogs, babies, flat white coffees, tote bags, jazz clubs and a very inaccurate portrayal of the cover of Abbey Road at the site of the West Berlin air lift.
But what I will remember most is buying coffee!
When I travel, I’m hit-or-miss on taking advantage of culture. Sometimes I’ll have it together to get a half-price ticket to see Groundhog Day on The West End. Other times I spend a week in Dublin playing God of War on my hosts’ Playstation (thank you, Stephen).
But no matter how industrious I am at tourism in a given city, I always buy coffee every morning.
This is where you have to be an actual resident of your neighborhood. You go to the local place, communicate with someone without English, use local money and accept whatever passes for coffee in that country.
Our local place was a chain called Steineckes. A fine place with cordial staff. Well, mostly cordial. My teammate Jim Woods and I do not speak any German so they were a little annoyed at us trying to order “filter coffees,” something that does not really exist outside of America, and settling for large americanos. One woman would not make eye contact with me or speak. Honestly, respect.
They really didn’t like us taking photos.
I suppose it looks suspicious when two non-German speaking Americans come in demanding something the store doesn’t have and waving cameras around. Still, WHAT WAS THIS PLACE HIDING?
The woman pictured above, waving away our camera, was the friendliest. After I ordered my americano she would always say “some sweetness?” and I’d go “yes,” because I thought she was asking if I wanted sugar. It was only once I was on the plane flying home that I realized she was asking if I wanted a pastry (“something sweet?”). How confusing it must have been for her to see me come in every morning for a week, order coffee, say “yes” when she’d ask “some sweetness?” then pay silently for my black coffee and walk out.
They place also had lox and cream cheese on bagels, which were overpriced and delicious.
The BEST coffee I had in Berlin was from Holy Coffee on Sonnenallee. Extremely hipster and good. They had a fishbowl for you to throw away sugar wrappers with a sign that said “I am a little trash pot.” And this fun chalkboard sign outside.
We also visited: The Berlin Wall, Museum Island, a Marx-Engels statue, site of Hitler’s bunker, the Brandenburg Gate, Tempelhoff airport, the Jewish memorial, a dozen shawarma places.
The coffee was: solid!
Plugs, Fresh
Beta Beta - Jim Woods’ and my monthly show at PDA Space in Alta Dena. Saturday 9pm. $10. Characters, bits, sketches.
The Smokes - My UCB team does its monthly show Friday night (tonight) 8:30pm at the UCB Theatre. Splitting the hour with the incredible Big Team.
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 do a celebration of having reached 250 episodes! For weeks, I had thought it was only 200, but I forgot to count our entire first season of Spider-Man coverage! It’s 250!
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.
It was real fun having you at das, I hope you come back every year! The lady at the bakery has refused to comment. I had some improv writing ideas inspired by seeing real pros do improv at das.
1. What do you do when you don't like an offer someone has given you because it's too crazy, not necessarily problematic or anything, they're just heightening too soon. Yes and the shit out of it? Or modify it to fit the base reality? I feel I kind of block offers that are annoying.
2. A difference I noticed watching teams like The Bozos is that you never seem rushed or panicked, is that just experience? I notice I rush stuff more, kind of panicking I won't get a good idea out or I'm gonna get tagged out.
Thanks!
For years people have acted as if the Harold was the ultimate training tool, the barbell squat of the gym.
I think it's probably more of a bench press, impressive compound movement but not foundational.
Armando/asscat is more like the big game for the crowd. Likely the most entertaining even if it's not theory perfect.
Short form is isolation exercises, if you do those a lot you will be better at a full performance but it's accessories. But some strong biceps can carry a show home.
What is the true foundational compound movement for improv? The Decon? Monoscene? Listening better, losing ego and going to therapy?