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January 2001!

January 22, 2001

Twenty-something days into the new year... I think this year will be the Year of the Word for me. While still performing, teaching, directing and promoting improv in every room that can fit a soapbox, I am also proceeding with my various writing projects. In the forefront is a musical, which is to my family hiLARious since I have absolutely no musical ability whatsoever. My mother can sing and my sister has a Masters in Dance from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. I can recognize music and dancing like most primates and that's pretty much where I stop. I do know what I like however.... Ironically, out of some 13 shows I have done here in Chicago, about half that number have been musicals or contained big musical numbers.
Speaking of which, Mary Archbold did the choreography for most of those shows and she's great. She's offering a "dance/movement class" for teams now and it's really quite good. The Pat Shay Dancers decided to take it since our shows usually involve one spouse or parent yelling at the other spouse or child in one spot (but we're very good at it.) We did it and for most of it we all felt really stupid, but we ended up really having fun and committing to the exercises that she made us do. Even if you never end up using any of the techniques in a show, it's worth it just to see the rest of your team attempting various dance moves. Getting Mary to teach for two hours: $5 a head. Watching big improv dudes attempt a plie? Priceless.

After several years of working with Mary, it was the first time I was actually on stage for her lessons as opposed to making snide remarks to myself in the back of the theater as she attempts to teach yet another group of young'uns that friggin' Thriller dance. We should have taped my efforts and shown them to the TT3 cast; they would have enjoyed watching me squirm. I'm about as graceful as - I don't know. I can't think of anything funny...

I signed up for a Slug Fest (one-person show showcase at ImprovOlympic). I've been meaning to for some time, but I never actually signed up. I started writing several versions and I would get about a page in and then I would just throw it out. While watching the great performances of Craig Uhlir and Heather MacDermott I (think I) finally have my idea(s). Amber Tillett, who will be performing the same night as I am, will prevent me from procrastinating and will also be helping me out direction-wise. She's my lil Slug Fest angel. We have plenty of time; we're not up until May!

Dinner For Six got a very nice review from the Chicago Reader. Go to the Dinner for Six section to read more about that show.

I haven't seen the movie "O Brother Where Art Thou?" yet, but man I really dig the song, "Man of Constant Sorrow."

Phil Rosenthal, TV Columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times is overpaid. I don't know what he makes, but whatever it is I'm guessing it's more than minimum wage for his minimum of effort. As evidence, today's "column" with a little interview with Kathie Lee Gifford. It comes out to about 750 words. The rest of the space is just a listing of shows that are being broadcast tonight with a plot synopsis. No information is being relayed here that one could not read in the newspapers programming guide. Also, at least once a week his "column" consists of "What Are You Watching?" which is nothing more than a larger list of programming notes with occasional "witty" asides. No critical review or analysis; just a zinger after the synopsis. If you go on-line (at the Sun-Times site) and click on his name you get three stories today. The first is the aforementioned 1000(approx) word article with a quarter of it copied from TV Guide and the other two are from Associated Press. When Rosenthal first came on as the TV "guy" for the Sun-Times his first column dealt with the fact that he was a sports writer and that no one thought he could be a TV writer. I thought, "Hey, give the guy a chance to write some articles first..." Benefit of the doubt; it's the American Way. Okay, Phil, time's up. Your "columns"/ "articles" are lazy writing with no value that embarrass even the Sun-Times.

Whew. That's feels better.

A big improv weekend for me. I checked out "Trivium" over at the Performance Loft. It has PSDancers Angela Forfia and Dina Facklis and was directed by the PS his own self! It was a very interesting show with an emphasis on audience discussion that I enjoyed. I have always enjoyed the Performance Loft space. It's close to my house, and it's where I vote as well. Oh, and it's a church. If you look at the posters for "Trivium" you can see Powerpuff Jesus.

Then I jammied on over to ImprovOlympic for the midnight Harold shows. Growing from the mass team/coach/teachers meeting a few months ago, this midnight showcase was created to provide additional time slots for teams. It's working great. The opening weekend was very successful and this past weekend sold out (as did the downstairs Cage Match). The shows themselves, with new teams Under Oath and Mcguyver's Mullet, were really good. And not that "Good for A New Team Good" but actually really funny and fun to watch. The audience loved them. So, congratulations to everyone involved with that.

Saturday I had a show with the Pat Shay Dancers. Tough show, tough audience. Even the much-vaunted (deservedly) Preponderate failed to crack them... it was a toughie. I stayed for the ego-boosting Jam and I proceeded to stink up that joint as well. * sigh *

I slept on Sunday.

END OF LINE

"Right now, there is a whole, an entire generation that never knew anything that didn't come out of this tube! This tube is the gospel, the ultimate revelation; this tube can make or break presidents, popes, prime ministers; this tube is the most awesome goddamn propaganda force in the whole godless world, and woe is us if it ever falls into the hands of the wrong people, and that's why woe is us that Edward George Ruddy died. Because this company is now in the hands of CCA, the Communications Corporation of America; there's a new chairman of the board, a man called Frank Hackett, sitting in Mr. Ruddy's office on the twentieth floor. And when the 12th largest company in the world controls the most awesome goddamn propaganda force in the whole godless world, who knows what shit will be peddled for truth on this network!?" - Howard Beale, from Network, written by Paddy Chayefsky

"I told him once that his newly cut beard made him look intimidating and that his students would really be scared of him now. To my surprise,that hurt his feelings. 'I don't want to scare or intimidate anybody. I want respect, not fear. Fear never taught anything.' He said all of this very quietly and then added, 'Remind me to never trim my beard again. I'd rather look a homeless kook then a pretentious prick at some university.'" - Jeff Griggs' reminices about Del Close

"I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any

conscious entity can ever hope to do." - HAL 9000

January 2, 2001

Welcome to 2001. It's anticlimactic, really. According to the Chinese, this will be the year of the Snake and the year 4699. According to Hebrew calendar this will be AM (Anno Mundi, year of the world) 5761.
The Pat Shay Dancers had a show on the 27th. We had Peter Gwinn as a sit-in. Charna asked, "You played with Jazz Freddy, didn't you., Peter?"

"I did lights for Jazz Freddy."
The show went very well. My favorite part was when Peter did a walk-on as the snooty "Bartleby." He did that and it was funny. Later in the scene, he decided to "rowboat" on stage by sitting on a chair and "rowing" across the stage. He got to where John Mulhern and Dina Facklis were doing their scene, stopped and shook his fist at John (their characters were rivals) and said "Aha! Bartleby wins ag-" and promptly fell off his chair, knocking it over, as he attempted to row away. The combination of the "arrogant" aristocratic Bartleby falling into a river mid-boast and an improviser accidentally falling mid-sentence caused great mirth. I laughed. We all laughed, but not as much as Peter. Thanksfor sitting in!

I was invited to play with the Armando Diaz cast for the ImprovOlympic New Years show. I was very nervous because I had never done their new ("Mosaic") form before. Anyway, I got to the theater pretty early and it was very well decorated. The audience was already there for the food. I discovered that we weren't going to do the Mosaic form, but were reverted to the original Armando form (monologist/host, with scenes extrapolated thereof). I was nervous nonetheless and found myself on the sidelines at the beginning. Then I remembered what Susan Messing said in class- the longer you wait to enter the show, the harder it will be. So, I went out there and luckily found myself with John Mulhern. I also ended up doing a lot of scenes with Christina Gausas, which was a nice throwback to our "Bucket" days. Except that this was good.
I like the New Years Eve shows at ImprovOlympic. It's a testament to long-form. Here's this holiday, whether we like it or not, that most people HAVE TO HAVE PLANS for. "What do you have planned for New Years?" "What are you doing for New Year's Eve?" Lots of pressure TO HAVE FUN! When I see that IO shows are prebooked and people are not only paying like $80 (per couple, with dinner buffet and champagne toast) but are trusting long-form improvisation with their holiday it restores my faith. For all its stops and starts, I do think the audience really enjoyed itself this year.
I've been in Chicago for 5 New Years now. The first two years were at Second City where I worked in the souvenir booth/coat check. Hey, if you work over there or are planning to, ask to work the coat check on New Years- you clean up. I wonder if they still use the "karma cup" I made over there. Then 2 years ago, I really wanted to be asked to play on NYE; either by the upstairs Armando or by a downstairs team. Instead, the team I coached, Deep Schwa, was asked to do the show with Baby Wants Candy. That was just as good. Good team. Last year, the shows were cancelled because everyone thought the world was going to end. Sadly, it did not. This year I got to play. Yay.

Oh, hey, I got some cool/interesting e-mails about improv festivals here's what some people said/wrote:

Hey Jason,
>
> I thought I'd drop you a line with my perspective on the festival thing. I've gone to most of them at one time or another, as a Chicagoan and before
> I was a Chicagoan. For people outside of Chicago it is an amazing
> opportunity to see others improvise, meet improvisers from other places
> doing different things, and probably most importantly, learn from people you
> won't see in Aberdeen South Dakota. Yes the Chicago Improv festival is
> great, I love it and am staff on it. I came here to attend it before I moved
> here and loved it. BUT I also Loved Attending the Kansas City festivals,
> Enjoyed Austin a couple times, and others. New York's was fun because what
> better excuse to go to a NYC and enjoy it, while doing a show and taking
> some workshops from people you don't get to work with. CIF is awesome but is
> VERY Chicago-centric. Yes Chicago has great teachers, but there are good
> teachers outside of Chicago and they haven't been to CIF. Jeff Wirth has a
> great perspective on improv and teaches some great workshops. Dan O'Conner
> is great. I've really enjoyed meeting Keith Johnstone, yes I know CIF tried
> to arrange that a couple years back, but it didn't work out. I got to take a
> week long intensive from him in Austin a while back. When am I going to get
> that chance without going to Calgary? and who's gonna do that? For people
> outside of Chicago it can be an eye opening experience, I know it was for me
> as a college Sophomore at Purdue when I met Dennis Cahill (a Johnstone
> underling) and Charna at ImprovStock in Athens GA in jeez, was that 1993?
>
> My first trip to KC gave me the eye opening opportunity to take workshops
> form Del, Mick Napier and Joe Bill, while performing in a "Director's
> Showcase" By Del. I got to perform with TJ, Joe Bill, Mary Jo and others who
> were so much fun. That was great to be able to be in that show working with
> Del on an idea that would later become the Lindbergh Babies, "Talking to
> Ourselves" or whatever that double monologue thing is called. When would a
> Purdue grad living in Denver get that opportunity if I just came into
> Chicago for a weekend, or even a week. NEVER. Festivals offer opportunities
> to people they might never have.
>
> Festivals also allow groups to bond together and work together. get to know
> your improv neighbors. It is sometimes hard to get to Chicago, and some
> peoples calendars don't allow a fit. It can be easier to bring together a
> festival and bring in 6 groups and split up the cost of having some good
> teachers come in to teach you some new things or just show you some new
> ideas.
>
> It also can be easy to lose perspective on "good show" when you're the only
> show in town and killing with short form games played adequately. When I saw
> Orlando's SAK theatre at ImprovStock, I knew that games could be played on a
> different level. And when Charna taught long form, most of my class thought,
> huh? Never thought of that. One suggestion? OK I'll try that. I know we went
> back and did try it.
>
> I think Chicago really starts to take for granted, that there is improv at 5
> or 6 places nearly every night. You can go to a different show every night
> of the week and go for a long time without seeing a show twice. You can't
> even do that in NYC unless you sit at UCB and CCL a lot. Also, I think the
> Chicagoans that go to festivals without that Chicago chip on their
> shoulders, learn as well. I've been to festivals and seen/met Chicagoans who
> wouldn't go to workshops, cause "Hey, What can they teach me?", and they
> missed out. For the Chicagoans who watched the LA TheatreSports show at the
> New York festival, they got to see a show that was BETTER than most any show
> I've seen in Chicago this Year, and I saw JTS Brown a lot. They improvised a
> Shakespeare play for an hour, that was so touching and well done I was hard
> pressed to believe it was improvised. Only talking to them and listening to
> them discuss their show like notes, did I see how they work so well together
> and listened like mother fuckers. They made audience members tear up, it was
> fucking touching I tell ya. they also did a Chekov play that rocked the
> house on the closing night of the festival. They truly did improvise a play,
> not some scenes that happened to come together at the end.
>
> I'll take a risk and say, Every festival I've attended (like 10 or so) has
> shown me something I may never have the opportunity to see or do again,
> beside the fact that, of course, everything is improvised.

That was from Shaun Himmerick and he's great and to be thanked for his message. Thanks Shaun!

Alright, there were than that, but I lost a few and I'm waiting for permission to publish some of the others. My fault. Honest.

"This Website Sucks. There I Said It."
The inner-links don't work. Graphics aren't loaded. No images. It sucks and I know it and I feel like an ignorant slacker. This will all be rectified soon. I hope to get the message board up and running. There should be photos and sound from all the shows soon. And the old site should be dismantled and archived here. I hope.

Resolved: I will, this year,
- Listen more.
- Occasionally Shut the Fuck Up.
- Learn a new discipline.
- Finish what I start.
- Thank the people who help me more than I have.
- Go and Do more than I sit and watch.
- Channel the Anger instead of just venting it.
- Use time more effectively.

BTW, I just remembered this while I was thinking about improvisation and my role therein. I remember the exchange Del, Jeff Griggs and I had the last time I saw Del alive. It was the night of his big birthday party, the night before he died. Deep Schwa had a show at ImprovOlympic and Jeff and I had to get over there. We made our way to Del; he was in that weird wheelchair with all kinds of machinery hooked up to it. He had one of those clear tubes across his upper lip that extended two little things into his nostrils. We told him we were leaving-

"Del, we have to leave to continue your work, sir."

Del's reply, in all the time I knew him Del's replies were long in coming, came even slower than usual, but it came and it still holds, "Good. Go forth and have fun. See you tomorrow."

Alright. I hope your new year is going well. More stuff as warranted.

END OF LINE

"SUPERMAN is about someone trying their best to save the world, one day at a time; and it's about that person's love for that one whose intellect and emotion and sheer bloody humanity completes him. It's about Superman, and it's about Lois and Clark. And that's all there is. That's the spine. That must be protected to the death, not lost in a cannonade succession of continuing stories." - Warren Ellis



		Book of Jason!	HOME

	January 2001!
January 22, 2001 Twenty-something days into the new year... I think this year will be the Year of the Word for me. While still performing, teaching, directing and promoting improv in every room that can fit a soapbox, I am also proceeding with my various writing projects. In the forefront is a musical, which is to my family hiLARious since I have absolutely no musical ability whatsoever. My mother can sing and my sister has a Masters in Dance from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. I can recognize music and dancing like most primates and that's pretty much where I stop. I do know what I like however.... Ironically, out of some 13 shows I have done here in Chicago, about half that number have been musicals or contained big musical numbers. Speaking of which, Mary Archbold did the choreography for most of those shows and she's great. She's offering a "dance/movement class" for teams now and it's really quite good. The Pat Shay Dancers decided to take it since our shows usually involve one spouse or parent yelling at the other spouse or child in one spot (but we're very good at it.) We did it and for most of it we all felt really stupid, but we ended up really having fun and committing to the exercises that she made us do. Even if you never end up using any of the techniques in a show, it's worth it just to see the rest of your team attempting various dance moves. Getting Mary to teach for two hours: $5 a head. Watching big improv dudes attempt a plie? Priceless. After several years of working with Mary, it was the first time I was actually on stage for her lessons as opposed to making snide remarks to myself in the back of the theater as she attempts to teach yet another group of young'uns that friggin' Thriller dance. We should have taped my efforts and shown them to the TT3 cast; they would have enjoyed watching me squirm. I'm about as graceful as - I don't know. I can't think of anything funny... I signed up for a Slug Fest (one-person show showcase at ImprovOlympic). I've been meaning to for some time, but I never actually signed up. I started writing several versions and I would get about a page in and then I would just throw it out. While watching the great performances of Craig Uhlir and Heather MacDermott I (think I) finally have my idea(s). Amber Tillett, who will be performing the same night as I am, will prevent me from procrastinating and will also be helping me out direction-wise. She's my lil Slug Fest angel. We have plenty of time; we're not up until May! Dinner For Six got a very nice review from the Chicago Reader. Go to the Dinner for Six section to read more about that show. I haven't seen the movie "O Brother Where Art Thou?" yet, but man I really dig the song, "Man of Constant Sorrow." Phil Rosenthal, TV Columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times is overpaid. I don't know what he makes, but whatever it is I'm guessing it's more than minimum wage for his minimum of effort. As evidence, today's "column" with a little interview with Kathie Lee Gifford. It comes out to about 750 words. The rest of the space is just a listing of shows that are being broadcast tonight with a plot synopsis. No information is being relayed here that one could not read in the newspapers programming guide. Also, at least once a week his "column" consists of "What Are You Watching?" which is nothing more than a larger list of programming notes with occasional "witty" asides. No critical review or analysis; just a zinger after the synopsis. If you go on-line (at the Sun-Times site) and click on his name you get three stories today. The first is the aforementioned 1000(approx) word article with a quarter of it copied from TV Guide and the other two are from Associated Press. When Rosenthal first came on as the TV "guy" for the Sun-Times his first column dealt with the fact that he was a sports writer and that no one thought he could be a TV writer. I thought, "Hey, give the guy a chance to write some articles first..." Benefit of the doubt; it's the American Way. Okay, Phil, time's up. Your "columns"/ "articles" are lazy writing with no value that embarrass even the Sun-Times. Whew. That's feels better. A big improv weekend for me. I checked out "Trivium" over at the Performance Loft. It has PSDancers Angela Forfia and Dina Facklis and was directed by the PS his own self! It was a very interesting show with an emphasis on audience discussion that I enjoyed. I have always enjoyed the Performance Loft space. It's close to my house, and it's where I vote as well. Oh, and it's a church. If you look at the posters for "Trivium" you can see Powerpuff Jesus. Then I jammied on over to ImprovOlympic for the midnight Harold shows. Growing from the mass team/coach/teachers meeting a few months ago, this midnight showcase was created to provide additional time slots for teams. It's working great. The opening weekend was very successful and this past weekend sold out (as did the downstairs Cage Match). The shows themselves, with new teams Under Oath and Mcguyver's Mullet, were really good. And not that "Good for A New Team Good" but actually really funny and fun to watch. The audience loved them. So, congratulations to everyone involved with that. Saturday I had a show with the Pat Shay Dancers. Tough show, tough audience. Even the much-vaunted (deservedly) Preponderate failed to crack them... it was a toughie. I stayed for the ego-boosting Jam and I proceeded to stink up that joint as well. * sigh * I slept on Sunday. END OF LINE "Right now, there is a whole, an entire generation that never knew anything that didn't come out of this tube! This tube is the gospel, the ultimate revelation; this tube can make or break presidents, popes, prime ministers; this tube is the most awesome goddamn propaganda force in the whole godless world, and woe is us if it ever falls into the hands of the wrong people, and that's why woe is us that Edward George Ruddy died. Because this company is now in the hands of CCA, the Communications Corporation of America; there's a new chairman of the board, a man called Frank Hackett, sitting in Mr. Ruddy's office on the twentieth floor. And when the 12th largest company in the world controls the most awesome goddamn propaganda force in the whole godless world, who knows what shit will be peddled for truth on this network!?" - Howard Beale, from Network, written by Paddy Chayefsky "I told him once that his newly cut beard made him look intimidating and that his students would really be scared of him now. To my surprise,that hurt his feelings. 'I don't want to scare or intimidate anybody. I want respect, not fear. Fear never taught anything.' He said all of this very quietly and then added, 'Remind me to never trim my beard again. I'd rather look a homeless kook then a pretentious prick at some university.'" - Jeff Griggs' reminices about Del Close "I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do." - HAL 9000 January 2, 2001 Welcome to 2001. It's anticlimactic, really. According to the Chinese, this will be the year of the Snake and the year 4699. According to Hebrew calendar this will be AM (Anno Mundi, year of the world) 5761. The Pat Shay Dancers had a show on the 27th. We had Peter Gwinn as a sit-in. Charna asked, "You played with Jazz Freddy, didn't you., Peter?" "I did lights for Jazz Freddy." The show went very well. My favorite part was when Peter did a walk-on as the snooty "Bartleby." He did that and it was funny. Later in the scene, he decided to "rowboat" on stage by sitting on a chair and "rowing" across the stage. He got to where John Mulhern and Dina Facklis were doing their scene, stopped and shook his fist at John (their characters were rivals) and said "Aha! Bartleby wins ag-" and promptly fell off his chair, knocking it over, as he attempted to row away. The combination of the "arrogant" aristocratic Bartleby falling into a river mid-boast and an improviser accidentally falling mid-sentence caused great mirth. I laughed. We all laughed, but not as much as Peter. Thanksfor sitting in! I was invited to play with the Armando Diaz cast for the ImprovOlympic New Years show. I was very nervous because I had never done their new ("Mosaic") form before. Anyway, I got to the theater pretty early and it was very well decorated. The audience was already there for the food. I discovered that we weren't going to do the Mosaic form, but were reverted to the original Armando form (monologist/host, with scenes extrapolated thereof). I was nervous nonetheless and found myself on the sidelines at the beginning. Then I remembered what Susan Messing said in class- the longer you wait to enter the show, the harder it will be. So, I went out there and luckily found myself with John Mulhern. I also ended up doing a lot of scenes with Christina Gausas, which was a nice throwback to our "Bucket" days. Except that this was good. I like the New Years Eve shows at ImprovOlympic. It's a testament to long-form. Here's this holiday, whether we like it or not, that most people HAVE TO HAVE PLANS for. "What do you have planned for New Years?" "What are you doing for New Year's Eve?" Lots of pressure TO HAVE FUN! When I see that IO shows are prebooked and people are not only paying like $80 (per couple, with dinner buffet and champagne toast) but are trusting long-form improvisation with their holiday it restores my faith. For all its stops and starts, I do think the audience really enjoyed itself this year. I've been in Chicago for 5 New Years now. The first two years were at Second City where I worked in the souvenir booth/coat check. Hey, if you work over there or are planning to, ask to work the coat check on New Years- you clean up. I wonder if they still use the "karma cup" I made over there. Then 2 years ago, I really wanted to be asked to play on NYE; either by the upstairs Armando or by a downstairs team. Instead, the team I coached, Deep Schwa, was asked to do the show with Baby Wants Candy. That was just as good. Good team. Last year, the shows were cancelled because everyone thought the world was going to end. Sadly, it did not. This year I got to play. Yay. Oh, hey, I got some cool/interesting e-mails about improv festivals here's what some people said/wrote: Hey Jason, > > I thought I'd drop you a line with my perspective on the festival thing. I've gone to most of them at one time or another, as a Chicagoan and before > I was a Chicagoan. For people outside of Chicago it is an amazing > opportunity to see others improvise, meet improvisers from other places > doing different things, and probably most importantly, learn from people you > won't see in Aberdeen South Dakota. Yes the Chicago Improv festival is > great, I love it and am staff on it. I came here to attend it before I moved > here and loved it. BUT I also Loved Attending the Kansas City festivals, > Enjoyed Austin a couple times, and others. New York's was fun because what > better excuse to go to a NYC and enjoy it, while doing a show and taking > some workshops from people you don't get to work with. CIF is awesome but is > VERY Chicago-centric. Yes Chicago has great teachers, but there are good > teachers outside of Chicago and they haven't been to CIF. Jeff Wirth has a > great perspective on improv and teaches some great workshops. Dan O'Conner > is great. I've really enjoyed meeting Keith Johnstone, yes I know CIF tried > to arrange that a couple years back, but it didn't work out. I got to take a > week long intensive from him in Austin a while back. When am I going to get > that chance without going to Calgary? and who's gonna do that? For people > outside of Chicago it can be an eye opening experience, I know it was for me > as a college Sophomore at Purdue when I met Dennis Cahill (a Johnstone > underling) and Charna at ImprovStock in Athens GA in jeez, was that 1993? > > My first trip to KC gave me the eye opening opportunity to take workshops > form Del, Mick Napier and Joe Bill, while performing in a "Director's > Showcase" By Del. I got to perform with TJ, Joe Bill, Mary Jo and others who > were so much fun. That was great to be able to be in that show working with > Del on an idea that would later become the Lindbergh Babies, "Talking to > Ourselves" or whatever that double monologue thing is called. When would a > Purdue grad living in Denver get that opportunity if I just came into > Chicago for a weekend, or even a week. NEVER. Festivals offer opportunities > to people they might never have. > > Festivals also allow groups to bond together and work together. get to know > your improv neighbors. It is sometimes hard to get to Chicago, and some > peoples calendars don't allow a fit. It can be easier to bring together a > festival and bring in 6 groups and split up the cost of having some good > teachers come in to teach you some new things or just show you some new > ideas. > > It also can be easy to lose perspective on "good show" when you're the only > show in town and killing with short form games played adequately. When I saw > Orlando's SAK theatre at ImprovStock, I knew that games could be played on a > different level. And when Charna taught long form, most of my class thought, > huh? Never thought of that. One suggestion? OK I'll try that. I know we went > back and did try it. > > I think Chicago really starts to take for granted, that there is improv at 5 > or 6 places nearly every night. You can go to a different show every night > of the week and go for a long time without seeing a show twice. You can't > even do that in NYC unless you sit at UCB and CCL a lot. Also, I think the > Chicagoans that go to festivals without that Chicago chip on their > shoulders, learn as well. I've been to festivals and seen/met Chicagoans who > wouldn't go to workshops, cause "Hey, What can they teach me?", and they > missed out. For the Chicagoans who watched the LA TheatreSports show at the > New York festival, they got to see a show that was BETTER than most any show > I've seen in Chicago this Year, and I saw JTS Brown a lot. They improvised a > Shakespeare play for an hour, that was so touching and well done I was hard > pressed to believe it was improvised. Only talking to them and listening to > them discuss their show like notes, did I see how they work so well together > and listened like mother fuckers. They made audience members tear up, it was > fucking touching I tell ya. they also did a Chekov play that rocked the > house on the closing night of the festival. They truly did improvise a play, > not some scenes that happened to come together at the end. > > I'll take a risk and say, Every festival I've attended (like 10 or so) has > shown me something I may never have the opportunity to see or do again, > beside the fact that, of course, everything is improvised. That was from Shaun Himmerick and he's great and to be thanked for his message. Thanks Shaun! Alright, there were than that, but I lost a few and I'm waiting for permission to publish some of the others. My fault. Honest. "This Website Sucks. There I Said It." The inner-links don't work. Graphics aren't loaded. No images. It sucks and I know it and I feel like an ignorant slacker. This will all be rectified soon. I hope to get the message board up and running. There should be photos and sound from all the shows soon. And the old site should be dismantled and archived here. I hope. Resolved: I will, this year, - Listen more. - Occasionally Shut the Fuck Up. - Learn a new discipline. - Finish what I start. - Thank the people who help me more than I have. - Go and Do more than I sit and watch. - Channel the Anger instead of just venting it. - Use time more effectively. BTW, I just remembered this while I was thinking about improvisation and my role therein. I remember the exchange Del, Jeff Griggs and I had the last time I saw Del alive. It was the night of his big birthday party, the night before he died. Deep Schwa had a show at ImprovOlympic and Jeff and I had to get over there. We made our way to Del; he was in that weird wheelchair with all kinds of machinery hooked up to it. He had one of those clear tubes across his upper lip that extended two little things into his nostrils. We told him we were leaving- "Del, we have to leave to continue your work, sir." Del's reply, in all the time I knew him Del's replies were long in coming, came even slower than usual, but it came and it still holds, "Good. Go forth and have fun. See you tomorrow." Alright. I hope your new year is going well. More stuff as warranted. END OF LINE "SUPERMAN is about someone trying their best to save the world, one day at a time; and it's about that person's love for that one whose intellect and emotion and sheer bloody humanity completes him. It's about Superman, and it's about Lois and Clark. And that's all there is. That's the spine. That must be protected to the death, not lost in a cannonade succession of continuing stories." - Warren Ellis