Sunday, April 20, 2014

My Improv Weekly Challenge: New Characters


I've decided that each week I will give myself a challenge for improv class – something that is hard for me and will help me become a better improviser.
This week I challenged myself to:
  1. Initiate at least 3 scenes
  2. Create one new character (with a different voice!)
  3. Add a physical component to a scene.
Basically these challenges stemmed from feedback I got from my last improv teacher. He was totally right – I'm afraid to make bold moves, including initiating scenes and adding depth to characters.
So, how did I do?

1. Initiate at least 3 scenes

I get a pass on this one because we did not work on scenes this week. This class was about high and low status of characters (Are you the powerful boss or lowly, company pawn?), so we did exercises focused on establishing who was high/low status and how did their behavior show their status.
A big pat on my shoulder though for volunteering to do some of the exercises rather than quietly stare at my shoes until I am called. Man, I can be pathetic, but I think I was less pathetic during this class!

2. Create one new character (with a different voice!)

During this class I realized I tend to do characters who are "low status" – maybe they are just people pleasers, but they don't seem to be calling the shots usually. We did two person scenes at the end of class and the suggested location was "prison yard." I really regret not watching "Orange is the New Black" because I have zero concept about what happens in a prison yard or really, what a prison yard is. I decided to bring the "higher status" inmate, who demanded favors or gifts in exchange for protection. I made my voice lower than usual and in general tried to present myself with more confidence. I'm not sure if any of this worked or if lowering my voice counts as a different voice. Honestly, I didn't like this scene very much and wish I had chosen to do something more positive – like an inmate who is so excited about spending time with their best friend inmate in the prison yard. 

3. Add a physical component to a scene

I did this a few times, so I'm proud of that. In one scene I was in a community garden with my mother and boyfriend and the teacher instructed each of us to act like we are the lowest status of the group. Basically, we acted like a group of uncertain and insecure losers, which was very fun. As for the physical components, we all kept working in the garden as we spoke, which the instructor and classmates said made the scene seem natural. I broke out of my shell a bit about trying to rub ointment on my "boyfriend's" hands because he was getting a rash. (In the real world outside of improv, I am not a touchy-feely person, so it's even harder for me to get "physical" with my classmates since I probably wouldn't touch people in real life either. Geez, improv sure makes you realize all the strange hang-ups you have…) During this scene, I also ran off to cry about how "everything dies!" and rolled myself up in a ball. That got a good laugh and was a bit out of my comfort zone.

What I learned

Recognize your role, inside and outside of improv. Even low-status individuals can have a big impact on a conversation.
If you never fail, you won't learn or grow. This is applicable to so many aspects of life. You can play it safe and do what you're always done, which you know will bring you success. Stay in a job you are good at, but bored with. Run 3 miles, 3 times a week, at the same pace and never push yourself beyond that. But what if we took more risks? Applied for that promotion or asked for more challenging work? Signed up for a 5k or 10k or half marathon? Even if you fail, you still earn valuable knowledge by taking the chance.

 

Why do I want to blog, anyways?


For me

Mostly, I want to blog for myself (I know, totally selfish). Within the past year, I have finally gotten a handle on insecurities and anxious feelings and have accomplished many goals that before seemed unattainable. I got the promotion I wanted, beat my goal in my 4th half-marathon, and I reconnected with my love of performing and theater. 

So I want and need to record and process what I've learned about saying "no" to insecurity, "yes" to taking chances, and "possibly" to achieving crazy dreams. I want to continue setting new goals for myself and pushing myself to question limits I have set for myself. 

For her

When I was kid, I had no fear. When I went skiing with my family, I wanted to take on the black diamond slopes and the totally fun moguls, even though they were probably taller than me. I was never afraid to talk to strangers and brag about my accomplishments, such as owning a pound puppy (those toys were the coolest). I truly believed I was capable of anything and everything and did not care what the haterz had to say. (I'm pretty sure we didn't use the term "haterz" in the 90s, but I can't remember if there is an equivalent. I'll watch some Dawson's Creek and get back to you on this one).
I remember in the third or fourth grade we had to write an "essay" on who we wanted to be when we grew up. I was raised Catholic, attended Catholic schools, and at this age, I thought Catholicism was the coolest, right up there with Pound Puppies. I wrote that I wanted to be a priest when I grew up. My teacher informed that women could not be priests, which even then I knew was total BS and knocked down my love of Catholicism to the level of jelly shoes that give you blisters. So instead I wrote that I wanted to be President of the United States. This answer was deemed acceptable, but then my parents needed to point down that we'd never had a woman President.

I'm not sure when if that's when I started settling for less and dismissed my dreams, but it's a memory that has stayed with me. I want the kid version of myself to feel proud of herself as an adult. So it's time to dream big!

For you

Runners, improv performers/lovers, anyone with a dream they are or have been afraid to achieve.
If you have similar goals and/or similar challenges, we can connect, geek out together, and offer advice. What's the point of writing if it doesn't bring people together? (even if it's in debate). Improv lovers, theater nerds, runners, and anyone seeking peace – let's be friends!