The Final Class & Self-Discovery

A couple of blog notes. I am changing update Fridays to update Saturdays. I noticed that most of you posted your updates on Saturday so I am going with the flow. On Friday I want to talk about The Top Chef season premiere.

It was touch and go last night but I did go to week 3 of The Farm Team Transition Class. A couple of hours before the class I lost my power due to rain and wind and a driver that thought running into a power pole would be exciting. The power came back on in time to go to class.

Last night was the "where" night and since the where is really easy we did only one where exercise and then played actual improv. games the rest of the night. One of the games was a repeat of one of the games that we played in the eight week class, it was a four line scene. I'm not going to discuss that exercise since I've already discussed it in one of the eight week class posts. Since I went first in that exercise I went last in the next one. The next game was called, "What are you doing." Because there was an odd number of class members I went on stage with the instructor and we killed them. The exercise involves physical comedy which I'm usually not very good at. However, with Herb in the lead it worked out really well. The game is as follows: audience shouts out an occupation. Ours was grave digger. The referee points to the person to go first. That was me. You start with a motion that defines the occupation you were given. I started digging. The other person on stage asks "What are you doing." "Digging a grave." The referee will zap you if you use the word "I'm." The person then starts a motion that is digging a grave, and the stage partner asks "What are you doing." The person has to respond with an activity that has to relate to grave digging but can't be the words you just said. "What are you doing." Herb "cleaning my shovel." Of course he takes the shovel and then acts like he is wiping off the shovel. And the game goes one until someone uses the word "I'm", repeats the word or motions of the stage partner, or does something that doesn't relate to what a grave digger would do. Herb and I never did get eliminated. It was great fun.

Where I am at now after eleven weeks of the class. The class was more of a self-discovery class than it was a life changing class. I imagine if I take the discoveries in the right direction it could be life changing. This was an amazing class. Not your normal improv. class. The class members were teachers, engineers, accountants, attorneys, inventors, two Stanford honor grads (one took improv. at Stanford.) The teacher said last night that every single person in this class was good enough to be in their Farm Team shows within a couple of months.

I took this class to build confidence, to get over shyness, and to meet people. To compete with and be mentioned with such a talented class has been a huge confidence booster. I'm more confident but not where I want to be yet. I'm completely over my stage fright. I met some really fun and nice people. I'm still shy but not as shy. I did call an ex client that used to ask me out all the time but I couldn't date her because it is unethical to date clients. She was happy to hear from me but is in a relationship. I'd have never called her before the class. It's a start.

What I want to do is to build on the foundations that this class has started. I want to continue to build my confidence. Continue to meet people. Continue to work on my shyness. I've decided that Improv isn't really for me. My two favorite moments in the class were the sixty seconds that I was on the stage by myself talking about hobbies. Even though I don't remember what I said there was something exhilarating about having the teacher tell me he couldn't stop laughing and have other class members tell me for weeks that I made them laugh. The other favorite moment in class was the interview-interviewee game when I was the lasso champion and had the audience rolling. That tells me I want to make people laugh. It also tells me that I am best either on the stage alone or with one partner vs. a team. I'd really like to take a standup class but they have none in Portland and it is impossible right now to go to another city to take one. Until that becomes feasible I want to bridge the gap. That leaves me a couple of options. An acting class through the community college might continue the confidence building, reduce shyness, and keep my stage fright in the background. A dance class might be an option. Or maybe there is another type of class that might work.

Ok, I need your suggestions, where should I go from here? Should I even consider continuing the improv?

May this be a day to lead to self-discoveries for all of you!