Past, Present and Future

The years have been flying by so fast nowadays. Seems like just yesterday we were planning Second Storey’s grand opening. I wish I was more eloquent so I could write about the deep meaning of improv and how it moves and shapes my life in a positive way. I can’t, so I will just ramble on instead.

In the last 6 months I have been living my lifelong dream of owning and operating my own improv theatre. I say 6 months because 6 months ago I quit my day job of 10 years to put my full effort into being an artistic director and actor. I have been involved in the theatre since 2009, but took it over solo in the middle of 2011 and have been fully in charge since Jan 2012. I have been able to do this because of the support that surrounds me; I have a loving and supportive family and girlfriend. This may turn into a mushy thank you, so bear with me.

It wasn’t just my family and friends that supported me. It was also the 40+ improvisers and volunteers that were willing to put the time and work in to produce a great show and push themselves further with their improv. They stood by and trusted me when I had no idea where we would be going. They held me up when I was exhausted from working a full time job as well attempting to run the theatre. They understood that when I would yell it was out of love and desire to help them move forward. (This isn’t always understood. I can come across a little harsh at times.) They helped create the amazing community that we now enjoy in our little space. I owe them a lot. I assume I am feeling mushy because it is the holiday season, but everyone does deserve a thank you.

Another reason for this post is because I am back at my old job for a couple weeks to cover while my former boss is away. It feels different. Not just because it isn’t permanent – I think it also has something to do with how good I feel and how much positive energy I now have around me. I don’t remember having felt this happy before. Being able to create as a job is pretty amazing. I am not at a level where I am financially secure, but I am getting by. I also have seen that being able to focus on what I love without distractions makes it grow so fast. The last year has been a whirlwind. The theatre has grown more in the last 6 months then I ever could have expected. I love that I am chasing to keep up.

So here we are in the present. We have thanked the past. How about the future?

The future has been on my mind recently. I was at an arts convention full of artists from all over the lower mainland and island. We were asked to sit at tables with people we didn’t know. The hosts asked us questions and we would then discuss them with our groups. Some of it was useless. There were a lot of people saying how hard times were and that they need the government to give them money. We also looked at our companies and decided where we were at. Were we at the idea stage, the growth stage or all the way on the other side at the terminal stage?

Terminal stage was the last stage, which meant the end of the road or a chance for rebirth. I put Second Storey at the growth stage, but there were a lot of groups at that scary terminal stage. I was able to shake it off and think that we weren’t headed in that direction. We are new and hip and edgy. We are gonna last forever. This was how I felt – until a little blue-haired lady from the island said this to me: “I was young hip and edgy once. My audience was right there with me. Now I’m a little old lady and my audience is dying off. Think about that now while you can.”

Those words are still rolling around in my head. It really put things in perspective for me. I want the community we have built to continue to grow, change, challenge and push forward with or without me. I am still attempting to figure out what this all means. I know that our mission and ideas need to be clear so that others can carry it on for years to come. People are starting to emerge as leaders but many more are needed…

I have been stuck after that sentence for a long time. It proves to me that I have not found the all the answers yet. (Not that I ever expect to!) I do know that I don’t want to be a little old man looking back wishing I had done something different. I also realize that it means I will have to start to give up some of the responsibility around the theatre. This is definitely not something that comes easily to me. It shows me that I know what I want for this company and community. I want it to continue on long after I am gone. I want it to always be edgy and cool, relevant and supportive, challenging and special for those involved. I want it to be a family. I can be pretty protective of that because I see how great it is. I need to keep moving forward. I need to always be present, thankful and peering to the future. Well, better get back it.

I have since written a Mission Statement

Mission Statement ​

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Our mission is to use improv to build and support a home for performers, volunteers and audience to call their own.

​We will strive to stay relevant, supportive, challenging and special for those involved. Our priority is to push everyone to find the greatness within themselves and apply it to their lives. We will continue to pursue perfection with a clear understanding that we will never achieve it. Instead, our focus is to build trust in our group and continue to experience the journey. We will attempt to instill a desire to keep learning and avoid complacency; to always be working toward personal goals and celebrating our achievements.

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We will not linger on roadblocks. We will look for the positive in all situations and spread that positivity to those around us. Above all else, we will maintain a healthy improv environment where we can continue to learn and grow.

Improv Factoids

Improv Facts: There are more then I thought
You can find more at  https://www.facebook.com/SuddenDeathImprov

• You’ll get better with age 
• Saying “yes” doesn’t always work 
• Yelling makes you loud, not necessarily funny 
• People will pay more then $5.00 to see an improv show 
• Eventually we will not have to say "It's like Whose Line is it Anyway" 
• You must continue to work on yourself as a person to work on yourself as an improviser 
• You'll never be perfect but you'll always be awesome 
• Improv is theatre 
• If you are the last one to get the joke, you are doing it right 
• You must accomplish your goals without making it your objective 
• Trying to make the audience laugh will eventually end in disappointment. 
• (provided by Tony from @UnexpectedImpro): Melanie Blue ate Del Close's ashes 
• If you take your shoe off the audience will expect you to take your pants off 
• Mimed tables and doors are never in the same exact spot twice 
• Without an audience it's a workshop 
• If you're half naked in a show, we won't be watching the scene. Sometimes that's okay! 
• Some of the most beautiful improvised scenes have come from what some consider a mistake
• Improvisers have skills that help them succeed on stage. People with improv skills have a better chance succeeding in life. 
• You have to work at being present. Not work at being clever
• If you NEVER take spatula, it's not over done
• Doing something funny in a bar, with your friends, when you're drunk does not make you an improviser
• Doing improv is awesome for your soul
• You gotta look after you before you can help anyone else. 
• All the characters you play are only as smart as you.
• “If you suck at email and don’t put in your availability, you don’t get to play!” Matt H
• Someone in the world is talking about improv right now, and now, aaaaand now!
• Anything can be related to improv. ANYTHING!
• Not everyone is good at it but everyone can benefit from it!
• Sometimes shows are tough. You just can't get it right, fall flat, suck, bite the big one, crap out, and that’s okay.
• Improv isn’t magic but we can keep letting them think it is!
• You’ll always have questions. There may not be answers. 
• You don’t have to speak the same language to understand each other
• Quote- Courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting in spite of it. -Mark Twain.
• A party full of improvisers is a party full of crazy people! Crazy fun people.
•  The audience wants to see you do it. Not hear you talk about it.
• Improvisers are a unique breed.
• Self doubt can either hold you back or help push and drive you forward!  
• The audience sees more then you. 
• Your brain is always doing work. You just gotta trust it, ignore it and let it do it's thang! 
• Quote: Any technique, however worthy and desirable, becomes a disease when the mind is obsessed with it. Bruce Lee  
• There is no erasing, starting over, time outs or re-dos. (unless it's in the scene…) 
• There are no certainties. Well there aren't, right? RIGHT?  
• What's funny today, may not be funny tomorrow. 
• Improv challenges should be fun, positive, and rewarding.  
• An amazing improv show doesn't necessarily translate to video all that well. 
• Inspiration is usually found when you aren't looking for it.  
• "You can't "yes and" without listening first." Tim Greger 
• "I am an improviser" Mario Gomez  
• "People who practice improv on a daily basis live 70% longer. Estimate founded in Italian institute of improv." Ollie 
• The beauty is in the imperfection and impermanence. 
• "Try to remember the audience wants to be on your side" Susie  
• Dads deserve more then one day. 
• The love of it makes you tired and happy  
• "It's all about flow" Jef while we sit at Annoyance 
• improvised Shakespeare isn't about the thou and thou art. It's about the timing. Great show tonight 
• Quote: "Real living is living for others." Bruce Lee 
• There are no true improv factoids. Just fun quips and and conversation starters  
• Really REALLY listening can sometimes hurt the brain 
• Going against the grain takes longer but can reap the biggest rewards.  
• You don't necessarily learn much about improv while working construction 
• A group of improvisers makes for a great second family.  
• You listen better with your ears, then you do with your mouth
• You can say a million things with just one look
• Sometimes you just gotta let go!
• Being strong also means giving in.
• You can't f@$k up something that you build from nothing. It will always be something.
• You can't dig yourself out of a hole. All you can do is wait and grow out of it.
• It takes team work to do a solo scene.
• Sometimes you have to commit to nothing.
• Anyone can attempt improv.
• Improv is able to open up many opportunities and positive things in your life. You just have to say yes to them.
• A good offer is a confident choice and or action.
• You'll continue to be surprised
• Spending time together off stage creates great dynamic onstage
• Inspiration is usually found when you aren't looking for it.
• It's equally as hard for those that do 2 much on stage 2 hold back as it is for those that stay in the back 2 push forward.
• To improvise you should try be controlled, alert and positive.
• You're only as good as what you're doing right now.
•  Improv is a fickle mistress.
• Improv is able to open up many opportunities and positive things in your life. You just have to say yes to them.
• Let your truth shine through each character.
• You can't be clever. You have to be smart.

Improv skills are like hockey skills. We learn to skate and handle the puck so we can play the game.

 Keep it simple.

Prepare for the worst so you can play your best.

Shut up and do it (please)

Through working with 20 talented and intelligent improvisers I have been challenged and tested a lot as a director. I have got 20 of the most wonderful caring cast members around. In fact the group we have sure feels more like a family then a group I improvise and work with. This has come with many hurdles as we developed a show format, workshopped, and advanced ourselves as a cast. It has been a great way for me to grow quickly as a director. Being pushed and challenged on my ideas is something that motivates me further to learn and attempt to perfect this imperfect uncertain art form. Improv is seen as the “fun, happy, silly, love-each-other performance art” What people don’t see is the hard work that goes into this process. We make it look easy when we get up there and do a great scene. What the audience doesn’t see or understand is the road blocks we hit as we work and push ourselves. Improvisers, who have been doing this for at least a couple years, know that point you get to where you just can’t seem to do a good show no matter what you do. There is the frustration and disappointment in yourself, the continued beating yourself up and wondering if you should bother to continue pursuing this thing. We all get past this but the ebbs and flows will continue throughout our inspiration to be better performers. The note below was written and never intended to be released but I do feel it is a good look into the frustration I was feeling at that time. What is amazing is that the piece is null and void at this point. We, as a cast, have come SO far and grown SO much. The trust is at a level I never expected. It’s simply a look into a rough workshop I had. (What is funny is that once the yelling settled we did have a great workshop. I just felt ganged up on. This is easy when you have 20 people looking to you for an answer that you can not give because there is no answer. This resistance is also expected because I want SO much from this group. We aren’t gonna settle for being just “okay” I expect AWESOMENESS from everyone involved) I should say that I do often say “Shut and do it” I stand by that. It’s because your brain gets in the way of letting your body improvise. So “Shut up and read it already” HAHA

Shut up and do it!

Something I say a lot is “Shut up and do it”. This may sound so negative when in fact it is intended to be a positive push towards freedom and success. When I am setting up a new exercise, improvisers sometimes ask a million questions before they are willing to attempt it.  I think this can be a case of improvisers not wanting to, or not trusting themselves enough, to jump headfirst into it. They wind up in their heads over thinking the exercise then create a block for themselves. Before they will jump in they have this need for all the answers. It’s safer if they don’t think they can fail. If they can play it right (or at least in their head attempt to play it right) they feel free of the possible judgment that may follow. I will say once again that there are no wrong ways to do an exercise. The exercises are simply a place to “fail” or attempt new things and to push further.

If you are looking for certainty in improv you are in the wrong art. Exercises and scenes, for the most part, need to be felt not explained. Each exercise needs to be done as if it is the only exercise you have ever done. If rules are set up, follow them and test yourself within that specific exercise, yet don’t restrict yourself to the rules because, as we all know, “rules are meant to be broken.” (As said in another post it’s all about the exercise not the outcome) I am never totally sure of what I need or want the outcome to be when setting up an exercise. I am hoping that some result will come from it and then, that once discovered it can be applied to our format or scene work. If people challenge the idea of the rules we may discover things we didn’t even know we were looking for.

A problem I face is that sometimes I appear to contradict myself. I feel there are a couple of reasons for this. Reason 1 being that I am always discovering new ideas and concepts. I may have thought one way and then literally the next day changed my mind completely on that idea. Reason number 2 may be that when I give an exercise to try, I want the improviser to ignore the ideas from all previous exercises so we can explore what the outcome will be with independent rules relevant to the new exercise. I have a million different things that I say are “The most important thing in Improv” and that’s because everything we learn is just as important as everything else. Nothing is more important then any other thing we learn. We all learn differently and need different things at different times. All these tools become essential and will be needed at different times during scenes, games or exercises. So learn them all and put equal value on them and tuck them in your improv toolbox. Then learn to let them go. (Rules when learned need to be worked on until they become second nature and no longer thought about). Something I really try to do is allow freedom for the improvisers to try new things and challenge themselves. Sometimes my uncertainty on specific rules to follow creates a misunderstanding and confusion. I am expecting faith where perhaps there are no grounds for any. I always know that an outcome will happen and that from it we will benefit. That is something I am VERY certain of. I never attempt something without a reason. Also the thought of no structure or concrete rules can be too overwhelming to attack confidently. The idea of freedom can seem scary. We like rules. I am the first to admit that I do not have all the answers. We are in a constant discovery mode in workshop. I am also finding that a lot of improvisers are very intellectual, or book smart as I call it. I am a very physical performer and go with my gut fairly easily. I relish in the uncertainty created in scenes and exercises. There is no bad outcome. Everything we discover is right because it happened. In all exercises I ever participate in I am asking myself what can we learn and take from it. I am always saying “There are no wrong answers or mistakes” To hear that is one thing but to truly believe it and trust yourself enough to jump off the cliff with no net is another. This is something I expect and perhaps I should learn to ease into it rather than applying the push-from-the-nest method. It will work differently for each individual group or performer.

As I get older (I know I’m not old but I am also far from a baby) I am starting to take more risks in my improv. I feel I can do this because I have cemented important rules and always have my partner in mind when I am performing. I try to never hurt them or the scene. I relish in freedom. I take this to exercises as well. I almost don’t want too many rules or restrictions because these holes will be filled as we go. Let’s try to build each exercise and experience organically. As we learn new material we are going to end up in our heads over thinking the new knowledge. This is all part of the process until these new ideas become muscle memory. The group dynamic is so important. Without a trusting caring group no one will feel safe or grow. Some improvisers are also just too damn smart for their own good. You know who you are. Continue to trust your gut and take a leap, or just shut up and do it! HA!

Our Truth

Let’s break down the walls and masks we all put up and wear in order to protect ourselves from getting hurt. It’s not just a confidence exercise anymore. Having confidence on stage is something that will allow you to be a more present actor, more entertaining to watch, and appear surer of all your decisions. I used to believe that a confident improviser was the main thing needed to find your way and take risks. This is partially true. We all have confidence buried inside us. All we can do is find ways to bring it out as we need it. I realize now that this is only half the battle. A lot of us use an air of confidence to cover our true feelings. It’s false confidence that hides our true intensions and emotions. It also creates a certain disconnect from our fellow improvisers on stage. We use it as a shield to protect ourselves from others. Most of us do it unknowingly in our day to day lives. This mask has no place on stage. We must lose it in the green room and come out open, ready and exposed.

How can we have emotional committed characters if we ourselves are not being emotionally available? As we go through life we develop tools to protect ourselves and to hide our insecurities. Exploring this is one scary idea. It is an idea that many will not want to explore within themselves. How can we teach ourselves to let our guard down on command? Sharing ourselves with our characters and yet feeling and showing confidence? The truth from our characters comes from us. We can’t fabricate realistic reactions to situations. We have to be present and open to hear and react to offers. The only true way this can happen is if we let our guard down and let ourselves be available. One thing I do NOT want to explore is emotional recall. Crying on stage because you remember a traumatic experience is something I do not find healthy. Instead if we can safely reveal something about our self and speak a truth about us we are opening ourselves up. We are letting our guard down for that moment. This could be as simple as a true story that we find funny about ourselves.

Fear is a factor in our creation of these “masks”. I hope though that people can realize it does not have to be a scary painful exercise to let others in. Have fun with the idea that you can be you and not be judged. Feel powerful as yourself. Proud to the core of whom you are and in what you believe in. You don’t have to drudge up painful or awful feelings to work on this. I think that’s why most avoid this kind of work. They are scared and assume that if they head down a road of removing the mask they fear they will get hurt emotionally by revealing themselves or will need to break down and cry to work at this. In actual fact it is SO freeing and wonderful to be you and not worry about judgment. How can we explore this idea safely? It will have to be in a safe and supportive group so that we can feel no judgment and yet at the same time do some real self evaluation.

I wonder if all the ways we attempt to be unique or original are actually just layers being added onto our masks. I am tattooed, 6’5”, 230lbs and have a shaved head. I am not a scary biker but rather a passionate, creative, caring, loving person who wants everyone around me to succeed and find out how amazing they are. My look does not represent my true self. I say that I get these tattoos because I like them but I do know that people see me in a different light because of them. I know that I do like people being a bit intimidated by me. I am making up for being picked on from a very early awkward age. I never played, or was good at, sports. I was quite nerdy and kept to myself. I started to over compensate with aggression and anger. I spent a long time angry. I took years to realize not everyone wanted to hurt me. I was actually a grown up and could just be myself. I was good enough just being myself. I could say how I felt about hockey and not worry that people wouldn’t like me. It’s been a long time since someone has picked on me yet I still have my guard up in a whole lot of situations in my life. If I don’t let em in they can’t hurt me.

However, on stage though I feel free to be myself and reveal bits to the audience. I am not sure if this is because I assume they think I am making it up or just because I have trained myself to be relaxed and comfortable in front of strangers. This is where I feel the best. (I have written about this in other posts) So we now need to explore the idea of breaking down these masks and walls we put up daily. Let’s love ourselves for who we are and know that we are all that is needed to be entertaining, wonderful performers. We should be confident because we are all amazing. Time to let the world see who we are and rock it like no one’s business. 

Creating Sudden Death Improv

It has been a long time since I have written a new post, partially because I have been a busy duder and partially because I haven’t known what else to write about. I assumed that if I started writing something would come to me and here it is. I did post something a little while ago but deleted it before anyone read it. It was a vent on my part rather then useful information. I may repost it in the future. The rollercoaster ride of taking over the theatre, casting 20+ people, logos, websites, tweeting, painting, cleaning, and creating a show has been a crazy ride. (None of this would have been possible without all the support around me. I hope you know who you are and know I am talking to you.)

It wasn’t until I was in Victoria that someone said to me, “Wow, you are basing your whole success and business on a show format that you haven’t even created yet! That’s ballsy.” I hadn’t really thought about that until it was said to me. I sure started freaking out after that. The name Sudden Death Improv came to me in Seattle when I was there for the Improv Festival in June 2011. (Thanks Trenton Shine of The Unscriptables for helping the inspiration) We cast the performers the last weekend of September and immediately threw up Vamprov for the month of October. This wasn’t too hard because it’s a format we have done before that uses short form games that pits humans against Vampires. Once Vamprov was up we were working on our scene work in workshop. I know the cast members were all wondering when they’d find out what Sudden Death Improv was going to be. The format came in a moment of being half asleep, half awake, and lying in bed stressed out of my mind. That was December 2011.

We started working the format seriously right after the idea for it came about. I was lucky and got to try it out on table23 during our Wednesday shows in December. I did it 3 times in its super early stage in front of an audience. It seemed to have a great feel. The improvisers loved playing it and the audience enjoyed it big time. I knew at this time it had elements missing. It was fun but nothing was on the line or important to keep you invested. With table23 we had great success because open scenes are where we feel most comfortable. I knew with newer improvisers this would be tricky to make it consistent and successful. So I went into the Xmas holidays still pretty unsure of what we were gonna do. I set the grand reopening for January 27^th/12. I attempted to take 2 weeks away from the theatre at this time. During these two weeks I surrounded myself with family and enjoyed the holiday season. It was great but it turned into the longest 2 weeks of my life HAHA. My OCD mind was in overdrive repeating all the things that needed to get done in a very short amount of time. I was losing sleep and a looked like a worried mess. Once we got back in there the work around the space started to come together. It was a relief to see things move along so quickly. Walls got painted, sets built, and LOTS of stuff got sold or thrown out.

Through lots of discussion and workshopping Sudden Death really started to take shape its elements of short form games squished between open scenes. You have 2 improvisers who will do an open scene not knowing what their suggestion is. Before the scene happens, the 3 remaining improvisers perform an improv game given to them by the host. The first 2 watch the game and then perform a scene inspired by it. They do the scene based only on what they see their 3 teammates do. After the scene they try guess the suggestion. (Thanks Richard Wiens for that one!) If they get it right they get a point. If they get it wrong the host gets a point. A very simple format to watch but a very hard format to explain. We have been attempting a few different ways and scripts to introduce the show. What we are finding works best is explaining it as it happens. The audience seems to be able to follow it more easily.

When we performed it the first weekend the scenes were too short (my bad) and there were no points being awarded yet. So it was game then scene, game then scene, etc. It was so fast paced that the night blew by like crazy and didn’t have that “thing” it needed yet. Once the point system between the host and improvisers was added the audience became more invested. We have had a couple audiences jump out of their seats when the improvisers have won the night. This is only week 6 at this point. We continue to tweak it and work it, all while doing scene work over and over. I love the openness and freedom of the open scenes and goofy element of the games. It has potential to grow and morph as we grow as a company and get more seasoned. I am really excited to be 10 years in the future and remembering how far we have come and yet I am soaking up and enjoying the hell out of right now. Maybe soon I can catch up on my sleep…………….Maybe!