Getting the hang of it

It's creeping closer to Showcase time, and I'm actually feeling sort of prepared. Well, as prepared as you can be for improv.

Last night, Jeff was AWOL again, so Jeffrey taught us. As he quizzed us on improv basics that we've covered the past few weeks, I finally felt the full realization that I have learned quite a bit. Such as:

• The one basic guideline of improv: "Yes, and..." which means you take what someone says, accept it, and add to it.
• Three pieces of info to get out within the first three lines: Who you are, where you're at, and what you're doing.
• Three ways to initiate a scene: Action, emotion, or words.
• Bring a brick, not a cathedral: You're a part of a team, so don't try to pre-plan the whole scene. Just bring a piece of info and build on it as you go.

I know that doesn't look like a lot of learning for five weeks of class. But there is a big difference between being able to state the principles and being able to incorporate them all into scenes, while making it look effortless. I definitely think the other improv-ers and I have improved by leaps and bounds. It's obvious that we're more comfortable with each other.

Oh, funny moment of the night.....the four of us that showed up were playing a game called "Buzz". Basically, 2 people are doing a scene, and another person can say "buzz" at anytime, and the person speaking in the scene has to change what they just said. But anyway, John and I were doing a scene about the Wright Brothers, of all things. He said something like, "I'll hop in, and you spin the propeller." And, stepping out of character, and legitimately confused, I said, "Wait, but where's the propeller?" And everyone thought it was hilarious! Yay for unintentional humor!