Week 8- One Door Closes, Another Door Opens.

Pat and Lady Dr were right, one stage two doors, two hours of improv. Even though last night wasn't my best night it was still a great deal of fun and I am looking forward to Wednesday night. Out of eight weeks of class there were two nights when I felt I wasn't on my game, last night and week six. The amazing thing is that I probably learned more those two nights then I did the other six weeks combined. Last night I discovered another reason that I took the class, to find my voice and how best that I can use that voice to help myself and others. I also learned last night another area that I have improved in. Being shy and lacking confidence, criticism used to just do me in but last night I found criticism rewarding and the best way to improve. I was used as an example twice last night, once as a good example, and once with my stage partner the two of us were used as bad example. The really ironic thing is that I preferred being used as a bad example. It helped me develop a goal to get better.

Remember me saying last week that for a beginning class this class has a very high level of talent. It is really challenging to live up to that talent. Pat made a comment last night that there was nobody in the class that wasn't good enough to move up to The Farm Team. Herb, the Farm Team teacher, said that was the first time in over sixty classes that Pat has made that comment. Usually there are six or seven that just aren't ready to move on.

On to last night. Stage divided into three parts. On the left is one door entering into one room, on the right is another door entering into a second room, the middle of the stage is neutral territory where the class members enter the stage. The game starts with a host/hostess is in each room. Three professionals visited the class last night. The game started with two of the pros being the host/hostess. A class member enters the stage and enters through a door into a room. The host/hostess then goes into character and the visitor follows suit. After a couple of minutes the visitor leaves the first room and enters the second room. There the host/hostess again starts the scene. After two or three minutes the host in the second room leaves the stage, the visitor becomes the host. A new class member enters the stage and goes into the room where the host just left. This continues throughout the night until every class member has been a visitor twice and a host twice. Throughout the night the professionals enter the stage at their will to help a stalled scene or to add to a scene.

My favorite scene of the night was where Bryan was the host and Sonja was the visitor. Bryan was a little kid in a grocery cart that had to go to the bathroom. Sonya was his mother and wasn't letting him go. Pat, the pro instructor, entered the stage and said "Can I help you with your child?" Sonya went ballistic, telling Pat to but out because she knew what was best for her child. It was hysterical. You have to give Sonya a lot of credit for taking on a pro like that.

Just a couple of my scenes. I won't give the whole scenes as I've already forgotten most of them. The first one I was the visitor. John was the host. Gender certainly doesn't matter in improv. skits.

John "You know I've been wearing these lose fitting outfits for a couple of months."

Me. "Please, don't tell me you are pregnant."

John. "Yes, you are just going to have to get a job."

Me. "After all these years I have got to get a job? Surely, you jest!"

Pat stops the scene here. Here I was used as a good example. In the last comment I gave the audience the history of the relationship. The first one of the night to do that. Pat says that in improv. history is one of the most important aspects as it helps to build the scene and takes the audience along for the ride. There are so many little things to remember in improv., give history, don't ask a question, don't ever say no, and never issue a denial.

The next I was also a visitor. Stuart was the host.

Stuart. "Coach, I don't want to go in the game I just can't do it, I might get hurt."

Me. "You wimp, suck it up and get your ass in the game."

Stuart "No, I don't want to."

We really went in circles during the rest of the skit until Pat stopped the skit and used us as an example of what not to do on stage. LOL. Pat is just the most amazing instructor and when he uses you as a bad example he does it with the most amazing touch and then gives examples of how we could have gotten out of the circle. He really teaches instead of blames, he teaches how to be successful instead of focusing on failure.

A couple of more notes about last night. Almost everyone in class thought last night was much easier then when we did the scenes in reverse the previous week. Not yours truly, I thought last week was extremely easy and last night was extremely hard. In addition it was up to the class members to when they wanted to go up on stage. You were free to enter the stage at anytime. I waited to enter the stage until there were people on the stage that I thought I would connect with. Wow, is my judgment bad. Next time I am just getting up when the mood strikes instead of basing my time to enter the stage on who is on the stage!

May doors open for all of you today and for the rest of your lives!