Week 7 - Hitchhiking Home.

This week there were two games. Hitchhiking and The Home Game. The Home Game is actual improv. The night was a blast! I did really great with The Home Game! There was absolutely no stage fright. Not even during the Home Game. As Lady Dr commented last week, I've come a long way baby.

In the hitchhiking game four people are on stage sitting in a "car". The class members not on stage form a line around the room. The four on stage start out with each playing a character. The first member in the line off the stage then will hitchhike, the car on stage stops, one of the four gets out of the car, and the hitchhiker gets into the car. When he/she gets into the car he/she defines his/her character. The ones in the car can go along with the character getting into the car or stay in their own character. When it was my turn, I just said, "It his so nice to be in fresh air after twenty years of confinement." Then while in the car I would say one word sentences. "Kill", "Dahmer", "Bundy", The rest went along with it and it was pretty funny. I had a really hard time not laughing on stage. Everyone in class did extremely well. There are some high level talents in this class.

The Home Game started as soon as everyone in class had a chance to be in the car. Before describing the game, some rules. You can't ask a question on stage. You can't say "no" on stage. There can't be a "denial" on stage. Any one of those are a scene stopper. If any class member violated any of the aforementioned rules then instructor Pat had to do ten push ups. If Pat got tired of doing pushups, then he did sit ups. His take on it was that if he made the class members that screwed up do the pushups he would have been an ass, but by doing the pushups himself then he was a nice guy. The idea of the game is to create scenes on stage. The class divides into two equal groups. One group stands on the left side of the stage, the other group stands on the right side of the stage. Once you get on stage you crisscross and go to the end of the opposite line. Part one of the game was to create a two line scene. Part two of the game was to create a four line scene. I will explain parts three and four of the game later. After each part of the game the two class lines would mix up so that you were never on stage twice with the same person. The first person in each line gets on stage. The person that enters the stage from the right side, gives the opening line, the person that enters from the left side of the stage gives the second line. An example:

"My wife made this beautiful roast for you."

"It was so very kind of you to do that, while my husband in the hospital."

In part two of the game, you move on to a four line scene and it is with a different class member. Example:

"I just heard." (if it had been, Have you heard?, Pat would have done ten pushups.)

"The Boss is in Portland this weekend."

"The concert has been cancelled"

"But I paid a thousand smackers for these tickets."

Now comes the really difficult part of the evening, Parts 3 & 4 of the Home Game. Again the class lines shift so that you are on stage with a different class member each time. In this game the scene plays in reverse, then is replayed in order. In part three it is a two line scene, in part four it is a four line scene. In Part three the first person on stage gives the *second* line, and the second person on stage gives the first line, then the scene is repeated in proper order. Here is my two line scene as the second person on stage.

"I can't believe you did that two me." Carolyn.

"I'm sorry I cheated on you, but everything was so tempting." Me

Scene then replays in the proper order.

"I'm sorry I cheated on you, but everything was so tempting."

"I can't believe you did that to me."

Now we move on to Part 4 of The Home Game. A four line scene. The first person on stage gives the fourth line first, the second person on stage gives the third line second, the first person on stage then gives the second line, and the second person on stage gives the first line. The scene is then replayed in proper order. Here is my four line scene as the second person on stage. Now remember in all parts of the Home Game you have no time to think, you have to respond immediately to the lines.

Janet. "I am sorry that they all have to come out."

Me. "Give it to me gently."

Janet. "I have the results of the X-Rays."

Me.: "It looks like you have some news for me." (Do you have news for me? Pushups)

The scene is replayed in the proper order:

"It looks like you have some news for me."

"I have the results of the X-Rays."

"Give it to me gently."

"I am sorry that they all have to come out."

Pat ended up doing 120 pushups and 25 situps. Remember that there are thirty class members which resulted in the four part game having 120 scenes. Not one of the pushups or situps was caused by either me or anyone of my "stage partners." We didn't break any rules. The Carolyn mentioned above, right before I was her stage partner, had to do a scene over five times, resulting in 50 of Pat's pushups. Poor woman. However, she did really well with me.

I loved the class this week. I discovered several things. I can think on my feet, I prefer to be the second line in the scene, my stage fright is becoming old news, and I can hold me own with a variety of talents. Learning that I liked being the second line in the scene is just the opposite of last week when when I preferred to define characters for others than having one defined for me. Interesting information that I really need to think about. What do you think, wasn't last night's class self-informative and interesting?

Next week the professionals from their weekly show are visiting the class and we are going to get an opportunity to be on stage with them! I'm ready!

Hope the scenes in your life will always play out in a way that is rewarding for you!