Trajectory

Politics: what not to do #7

This is Sarah Palin pardoning at Thanksgiving turkey. A few seconds later she continues the interview outside... in front of a guy in the process of beheading turkeys in full view of the cameras. 

 

Attention World!

I have baked cookies and they are EDIBLE! (well, the second batch is edible)

BE AMAZED!

I'm going to go to my room, fashion a cape out of a beach towel, and revel in the sheer awesomeness of this life-altering accomplishment.

I like Tumblr better: exo gen eri an. tum blr. com (without the spaces)

I'll keep this blog for the more personal posts.

Improv is good for your soul

Level One – Fundamentals of Long Form Improv

Anonymous Student Feedback 

 

Please answer the following and please provide any additional comments or details. In other words, err on the side of being long winded if you feel inspired.

 

1. Would you recommend this class to others who were interested in taking an improv

class and/or possibly performing? (5 – Emphatic Yes; 4 – Yes; 3 – Maybe; 2 – Probably Not; 1 – Emphatic No) Why?

 

Absolutely. Originally I started out taking short form classes with another troupe, but I learned much more from this class... actually I learned more about communication from this class than I did in four years of college.  I learned how to listen and retain information, read people better, make decisions faster, adapt to any situation, and interact with others without contention and without feeling like I need to be right all the time. The class offers a supportive and non-judgmental atmosphere where I can express any weird or quirky side of my personality, and it’s perfectly ok. There’s a whole team that will accept the weirdness and run with it. In the end, we’re all here to laugh and play.

 

2. How would you rate your experience in taking the class? (Scale of 1 to 5: 5 being excellent, 1 being terrible)

 

5.

 

3. How would you rate the instructor? (Scale of 1 to 5: 5 being excellent, 1 being terrible)

What were the instructors strengths? What were the instructor's weaknesses, if any?

 

He manages to strike a weird balance between being supportive while being distant. It feels like he's more of a facilitator than an instructor, and that the class has the freedom to develop its own personality. He doesn’t try to shape our individual styles as performers and gives suggestions on how to develop what we naturally do rather than telling us to do it differently (which is very encouraging). His suggestions just serve as a springboard to expand our range and explore new directions.

 

It’s incredibly helpful to see how he performs with the troupe, how he interacts with the other performers on stage, and how the audience reacts to the techniques he teaches in the class. Then we can pick apart the performance during the next class and analyze what worked, what didn't, and why.

 

4. Why did you take the class and did it fulfill your expectation?

 

I became interested in improv during a dark period in my life when I just needed some sort of (healthy) distraction. I've always admired people who have the confidence to fully express themselves, people who are able to find humor in every situation, and people who can roll with the punches. After a while, I got tired of just being in the audience and wanted to see if I could become someone like that.

 

I've been toying around with music, art, and speaking/writing for as long as I can remember. The difference is that all of these art forms feel anonymous since the focus is always on the song, painting, or story rather than the person who created it. Improv showcases a person as a whole entity- voice, idea, movement, emotion, and reaction. This makes it both exhilarating and frightening because I can't hide from myself and I'm dependent on other people without knowing what they're going to do.

 

Am I comfortable with all of that now? No. It's a process and I'm still in the beginning, but I feel like I'm on track to become who I've always wanted to be.

 

5. What were your favorite parts of the class and why?

 

I liked getting to know the other players. The exercises exposed our vulnerabilities and created a type of intimacy that I haven't experienced in any other group setting. We're all a little crazy, we all have issues, and we all seem to like and accept each other anyway, and that's incredibly comforting.

 

6. What were your least favorite parts of the class and why?

 

The parking at the venue sucks.

 

7. What would you change about or add to the class and why?

 

I would add a few extra hours/days to the classes.

 

8. What are your goals going forward with improv (i.e. perform regularly, rehearse with the ensemble on occasion, nothing etc.)? Did taking the class influence your answer today and if so, how?

 

I honestly don't know where this is going to go. My first love is still short form. It's sort of like writing poetry- I find that I can be more creative when I have some parameters in place (meter, style, length) than when I'm given a blank page and told to "just go." The ultimate goal is still personal development.

 

9. Tell us anything else we should know.

 

I'm very grateful for this class and everything that I've learned so far.

 

Hallelujah

On my life bucket list: see/participate in a flash mob

 

Obligatory Christmas cheer

To get you in the holiday spirit.

 

 

 

 

 

Obligatory Christmas cheer

To get you in the holiday spirit.

 

 

 

 

 

A new year approacheth

2010 is nearly over.

Thank. GOD.

This will go down as one of the worst years in my life. 2011 better be better.

I've already started with the deep cleaning. All bills paid, old cosmetics thrown away, sponges replaced, clothes donate, papers shredded, etc. I'm nowhere close to finished, but it's progress and I have a deadline.

Remember that guy I took home for Thanksgiving? Well, it looks like we're spending Christmas together too, sans families.... 

Sweet sweet agony

The musician sent me one of his audition recordings today. It's one of those Bach solos that makes you want to beat your head against the wall. It's somber and elegant and it builds and builds and builds with absolutely no resolution or release. The frustration is maddening, but I can't stop listening to it.

This is why women love musicians.

 

 

This might be the hottest thing I've ever seen.