Who Needs a Right Fielder, Anyway?

Improv is a team sport. Last night, the H2G Long Form class was way low on peeps because a bunch of players were out with various ailments. But we have a show coming up, so the 6 of us who were there pulled together and gave it our all.

And here's what we learned about doing a long form show with a really small group:

• you have to put your neck on the line even more because there's not a crowd for you to get lost in
• you have to listen extremely well and be ready to jump on everything that happens, because there's not the luxury of leaving it for someone else - because there is no one else
• there is no room for prima donnas looking for individual glory - the show will only work if everyone is working together for the good of the team
• well-differentiated characters are critical because with only a few people, it would be very easy for the audience to get confused about who's who

The all-for-one-and-one-for-all aspect of improv is even more pronounced in long form, so it's a little disconcerting to be missing 1/3 of the team! Try playing a baseball game with no third baseman, no catcher and no right fielder. Um, awkward.

Luckily, it's still a couple weeks until Snow Globes & Shotgun Weddings, and by then everyone should be all better. So go ahead and get your tickets now - they are going fast and when they're gone, they're gone.

By Sonnjea Blackwell