By Sonnjea Blackwell
By now most of you know that improv depends on the audience giving the improvisors suggestions. But I'm wondering, rhetorically of course, if you know why we need your suggestions. Ha, you weren't expecting a quiz on a holiday, were you?
I'll tell you why. Cuz, you know...
Sure, we could just decide amongst ourselves, "I know! Let's be at Panda Express!" or "Hey, let's pretend we're sisters!" And we could still improvise based on that.
But the thing is, improv is totally interactive. The point is that the audience is an integral part of the performance. When you suggest a Western as a genre of a play (really, are there any other types of plays?) part of the game is to make that work. If you say we're zombies, we're zombies.
Sometimes, we have trouble staying with the suggestion. That's our bad, and we're sorry. You might tell us we're at a volcano, and we might say something about the nice volcano scenery and then proceed to have a scene that could have taken place anywhere - my living room, a funeral home or, you know, Panda Express, where most things in the world occur. What we're supposed to do is have whatever transpires between our characters happen as a result of the suggestion you give us - where we are, who we are or what we're doing.
An improv guru recently put it this way: The audience has to feel like that scene could not have taken place without their suggestion.
At H2G, we are more than happy to be Western zombies at Panda Express if that's what you want to see. So start working on your suggestions, cuz we have a First Fridays improv show coming up this Friday at Elise's Tea Room. And we can't do it without you!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Improv Ain't Easy
By Sonnjea Blackwell
My dad was a fire fighter back in the day, and I remember one time I said something along the lines of, "Being a fireman seems hard," to which dad replied, "Well, if it was easy, everyone would do it." Then he said something like, "It looks like that guy got whupped on with an ugly stick."
Yes, I come by my brilliant wit quite naturally. Thanks.
But back to the if it was easy, everyone would do it part, which was my original point before I got sidetracked by unicorns. Of course, no matter how easy putting out fires might become at some point in the future when we discover how to shoot water from our eyeballs, not everyone will choose to do it. Dad wasn't long on logic.
But he did have a point before he got sidetracked by ugly guys, and that was that if things were all easy as pie, nothing anyone did would be special. Putting effort into learning a skill gives you a sense of accomplishment and pride in having overcome something - perhaps simply overcoming a lack of knowledge of the subject, or perhaps something far greater like overcoming personal obstacles such as fear or lack of confidence or an inability to express yourself or what have you.
Anytime you take a class in any subject, you are taking a risk. When the subject is something as revealing as improv, the risk goes up exponentially. You're literally exposing yourself - your strengths and weaknesses are all right out there for the rest of the class to see. It's terrifying and exhilarating and enlightening and mind-expanding all at once. Of course, the beauty is that everyone in the class is in the same position. They all have different strengths and weaknesses, but they all have them.
The trick is to learn not to compare yourself to others, and to just decide: I'm going to learn as much as I can and have fun doing it. If you simply must compete and compare yourself, compare yourself to how you were last class. Compete with the past you and see if you can make the present you better than that. Trust me, you'll be better than some people at some things, and you'll be worse than some people at other things. Just like life.
Pushing yourself is the only way to grow. The great news is, Held2gether improv classes are safe, encouraging and designed to be so much fun you forget you're terrified. Yes, it's hard. If it was easy, everyone would do it. But it's not, so most people don't even try. And those who do should be incredibly proud of putting themselves out there and learning a new skill that involves so much of themselves.
If you want to push yourself, sign up for the next Held2gether Intro Class - we have 6-week classes and 1-day workshops. C'mon. Dad would be proud!
My dad was a fire fighter back in the day, and I remember one time I said something along the lines of, "Being a fireman seems hard," to which dad replied, "Well, if it was easy, everyone would do it." Then he said something like, "It looks like that guy got whupped on with an ugly stick."
Yes, I come by my brilliant wit quite naturally. Thanks.
But back to the if it was easy, everyone would do it part, which was my original point before I got sidetracked by unicorns. Of course, no matter how easy putting out fires might become at some point in the future when we discover how to shoot water from our eyeballs, not everyone will choose to do it. Dad wasn't long on logic.
But he did have a point before he got sidetracked by ugly guys, and that was that if things were all easy as pie, nothing anyone did would be special. Putting effort into learning a skill gives you a sense of accomplishment and pride in having overcome something - perhaps simply overcoming a lack of knowledge of the subject, or perhaps something far greater like overcoming personal obstacles such as fear or lack of confidence or an inability to express yourself or what have you.
Anytime you take a class in any subject, you are taking a risk. When the subject is something as revealing as improv, the risk goes up exponentially. You're literally exposing yourself - your strengths and weaknesses are all right out there for the rest of the class to see. It's terrifying and exhilarating and enlightening and mind-expanding all at once. Of course, the beauty is that everyone in the class is in the same position. They all have different strengths and weaknesses, but they all have them.
The trick is to learn not to compare yourself to others, and to just decide: I'm going to learn as much as I can and have fun doing it. If you simply must compete and compare yourself, compare yourself to how you were last class. Compete with the past you and see if you can make the present you better than that. Trust me, you'll be better than some people at some things, and you'll be worse than some people at other things. Just like life.
Pushing yourself is the only way to grow. The great news is, Held2gether improv classes are safe, encouraging and designed to be so much fun you forget you're terrified. Yes, it's hard. If it was easy, everyone would do it. But it's not, so most people don't even try. And those who do should be incredibly proud of putting themselves out there and learning a new skill that involves so much of themselves.
If you want to push yourself, sign up for the next Held2gether Intro Class - we have 6-week classes and 1-day workshops. C'mon. Dad would be proud!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Improv Parties!
By Sonnjea Blackwell
It's Memorial Day weekend, peeps! I'm not implying you can't read a calendar, I'm just mentioning it because it totally snuck up on me. I seriously cannot believe it's the kick-off weekend of summer already.
Which can only mean one thing: parties. Summer in SoCal is... well, it's pretty much the same as winter in SoCal, now that I think about it. We do live in weather Utopia here. But still, there's a summer vibe that suggests relaxation, vacation, fun and, duh, parties.
In case you haven't noticed, we at H2G are party people. And we're improv people. And, like the peanut butter and chocolatey goodness of Reese's, we think parties and improv are two great things that go great together.
We do a variety of party events: we can perform at your party and let you sit around doing jell-o shots while you shout out suggestions, or we can help you throw an interactive party where we facilitate games for your guests to play while doing jell-o shots, or we can do a combination where we do a show and include you and your guests and their jell-o shots in the show.
Of course, we also do parties that don't include jell-o shots (or alcohol of any kind, if that's your pref), including lunch-time work parties for stress reduction and morale boosting. I don't mean to make it sound like the only parties that don't include alcohol are at the office. Duh. Those are the ones that usually have the MOST booze. I just mean that we work within your definition of party and help you achieve whatever goal you're looking for: Ice breakers. Entertainment. Something different than the same old backyard bar-b-q. A Friday lunchtime reward for a hard week at the office. Block party get-to-know-your-neighbors better. You name it.
These events are totally customized, so email Darren if you're interested and he will give you a call to hammer out the deets. Oh, it does cost extra if we have to provide the jell-o. C'mon, people, we can't do everything for you.
It's Memorial Day weekend, peeps! I'm not implying you can't read a calendar, I'm just mentioning it because it totally snuck up on me. I seriously cannot believe it's the kick-off weekend of summer already.
Which can only mean one thing: parties. Summer in SoCal is... well, it's pretty much the same as winter in SoCal, now that I think about it. We do live in weather Utopia here. But still, there's a summer vibe that suggests relaxation, vacation, fun and, duh, parties.
In case you haven't noticed, we at H2G are party people. And we're improv people. And, like the peanut butter and chocolatey goodness of Reese's, we think parties and improv are two great things that go great together.
We do a variety of party events: we can perform at your party and let you sit around doing jell-o shots while you shout out suggestions, or we can help you throw an interactive party where we facilitate games for your guests to play while doing jell-o shots, or we can do a combination where we do a show and include you and your guests and their jell-o shots in the show.
Of course, we also do parties that don't include jell-o shots (or alcohol of any kind, if that's your pref), including lunch-time work parties for stress reduction and morale boosting. I don't mean to make it sound like the only parties that don't include alcohol are at the office. Duh. Those are the ones that usually have the MOST booze. I just mean that we work within your definition of party and help you achieve whatever goal you're looking for: Ice breakers. Entertainment. Something different than the same old backyard bar-b-q. A Friday lunchtime reward for a hard week at the office. Block party get-to-know-your-neighbors better. You name it.
These events are totally customized, so email Darren if you're interested and he will give you a call to hammer out the deets. Oh, it does cost extra if we have to provide the jell-o. C'mon, people, we can't do everything for you.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Intro to Improv Workshop Brightens Up June Gloom
By Sonnjea Blackwell
A half-day Intro to Improv Workshop in Long Beach sounds like a great way to kick off the summer, don't you think?
Well, you're in luck! It just so happens that Held2gether had the same idea. We were sitting around, talking about how dreary June Gloom is and wondering what could be done about it, when suddenly it occurred to us: nothing brightens the day like laughing your ass off. So we decided to offer another one of our wildly popular 1/2 day improv workshops! You're welcome.
It's Sunday, June 12th from noon - 4 p.m. at the EXPO Art Center in Long Beach. These workshops are awesome for:
Of course, you can sign up at the H2G website.
A half-day Intro to Improv Workshop in Long Beach sounds like a great way to kick off the summer, don't you think?
Well, you're in luck! It just so happens that Held2gether had the same idea. We were sitting around, talking about how dreary June Gloom is and wondering what could be done about it, when suddenly it occurred to us: nothing brightens the day like laughing your ass off. So we decided to offer another one of our wildly popular 1/2 day improv workshops! You're welcome.
It's Sunday, June 12th from noon - 4 p.m. at the EXPO Art Center in Long Beach. These workshops are awesome for:
- People who love the idea of improv but have been scared to actually commit to a 6-week class
- People who don't have time for a 6-week class
- People who have taken the intro class and want extra practice
- People who have a Sunday afternoon with nothing to do
- People who are as crazy about improv as I am
Of course, you can sign up at the H2G website.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Long Form Improv Show: Trixie Keeps the Books
By Sonnjea Blackwell
Just in time for our Tag Team Improv Show this Saturday, we wanted to give you a little taste of what you've been missing lately! Check out our last long form improv show, Trixie Keeps the Books. If you have either a yo-yo competition or a history final coming up, it can totally help. Enjoy!
Just in time for our Tag Team Improv Show this Saturday, we wanted to give you a little taste of what you've been missing lately! Check out our last long form improv show, Trixie Keeps the Books. If you have either a yo-yo competition or a history final coming up, it can totally help. Enjoy!
Trixie, Part 1
Trixie, Part 2
Monday, May 23, 2011
Just F*ck Up, Already
By Sonnjea Blackwell
There are times in life when you should stick with what you're good at. And there are times when you should push yourself to do stuff you suck at.
It's good to know the difference.
For example, if you do the samba better than everyone on Dancing With the Stars but you trip over your own feet when you do a waltz, it make sense to do the samba when you're auditioning for a job as an Arthur Murray dance instructor.
Of course the same is true of improv. There are things each of the Held2gether troupe members rock at. And there are things that we struggle with. During a show, when people have come out to be entertained, we are going to do our best and trot out the things each of us excels at. If you come to see Tag Team Improv next weekend, you'll see: Paul will have outstanding characters, Viet will take care of every scene he's in, Robert will having amazing energy, Barbi will be hilariously inappropriate, Andy will justify anything and everything and I will spew information. That's what the audience wants to see us do - be our collective best by each individual being his or her best.
But in class - that's a whole other story. In class, the best thing to do is focus on the things you know you struggle with. I know I'm not going to have trouble coming up with information when I need to, so in class I should just let go of that and go balls-to-the-wall with characters and emotion.
Easier said than done, of course. But the great thing about H2G improv classes is that they are uber encouraging, providing a totally safe place to experiment and try stuff you know you're not so good at. Yet. The whole point of class is to learn, after all, and it would be silly to spend all your time in class doing the stuff you're already good at. So come on out to a class and f*ck up with the rest of us. You can be perfect on your own time.
There are times in life when you should stick with what you're good at. And there are times when you should push yourself to do stuff you suck at.
It's good to know the difference.
For example, if you do the samba better than everyone on Dancing With the Stars but you trip over your own feet when you do a waltz, it make sense to do the samba when you're auditioning for a job as an Arthur Murray dance instructor.
Of course the same is true of improv. There are things each of the Held2gether troupe members rock at. And there are things that we struggle with. During a show, when people have come out to be entertained, we are going to do our best and trot out the things each of us excels at. If you come to see Tag Team Improv next weekend, you'll see: Paul will have outstanding characters, Viet will take care of every scene he's in, Robert will having amazing energy, Barbi will be hilariously inappropriate, Andy will justify anything and everything and I will spew information. That's what the audience wants to see us do - be our collective best by each individual being his or her best.
But in class - that's a whole other story. In class, the best thing to do is focus on the things you know you struggle with. I know I'm not going to have trouble coming up with information when I need to, so in class I should just let go of that and go balls-to-the-wall with characters and emotion.
Easier said than done, of course. But the great thing about H2G improv classes is that they are uber encouraging, providing a totally safe place to experiment and try stuff you know you're not so good at. Yet. The whole point of class is to learn, after all, and it would be silly to spend all your time in class doing the stuff you're already good at. So come on out to a class and f*ck up with the rest of us. You can be perfect on your own time.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Improv for, uh, Life
By Sonnjea Blackwell
Despite all evidence to the contrary, I'm not actually crazy. No, really. There've been tests.
All these posts where I constantly insist that stuff you learn in Held2gether improv classes can actually help you in real life? They're true. Not only that, but all those ways that improv helps you in real life is the entire point of H2G.
See, the second part of our name is "Improv for Life." People forget that part. It's not "Improv for Actors" or "Improv for Killing Time" or "Improv for No Particular Reason" or "Improv for Sandwiches." It's improv for life because the mission of Held2gether is to make improv comedy and the myriad skills it offers accessible to regular folks like you and me so we can improve our lives and have fun doing it.
I mean, I could perhaps improve my life by going to 13 therapy sessions in 12 days. That might help, and many of you have gently suggested it. Thank you for your concern, by the way. BUT... I can improve my life and have fun and make people laugh if I go to 13 improv activities in 12 days instead. So really, there's way more bang for the buck with improv.
Still not convinced (about improv, I mean; I know I'll never convince you that I'm not certifiable)? We've got a lot coming up, so you can check out a show either in LA or the LBC, or try a get-your-feet-wet type of class to see if improv's really all that and a bag o' chips. All the deets are at the Held2gether: improv for life website. Or you can always email the boss with any questions you have about H2G improv classes, as well as any comments about how fabulous these blogs are.
Despite all evidence to the contrary, I'm not actually crazy. No, really. There've been tests.
All these posts where I constantly insist that stuff you learn in Held2gether improv classes can actually help you in real life? They're true. Not only that, but all those ways that improv helps you in real life is the entire point of H2G.
See, the second part of our name is "Improv for Life." People forget that part. It's not "Improv for Actors" or "Improv for Killing Time" or "Improv for No Particular Reason" or "Improv for Sandwiches." It's improv for life because the mission of Held2gether is to make improv comedy and the myriad skills it offers accessible to regular folks like you and me so we can improve our lives and have fun doing it.
I mean, I could perhaps improve my life by going to 13 therapy sessions in 12 days. That might help, and many of you have gently suggested it. Thank you for your concern, by the way. BUT... I can improve my life and have fun and make people laugh if I go to 13 improv activities in 12 days instead. So really, there's way more bang for the buck with improv.
Still not convinced (about improv, I mean; I know I'll never convince you that I'm not certifiable)? We've got a lot coming up, so you can check out a show either in LA or the LBC, or try a get-your-feet-wet type of class to see if improv's really all that and a bag o' chips. All the deets are at the Held2gether: improv for life website. Or you can always email the boss with any questions you have about H2G improv classes, as well as any comments about how fabulous these blogs are.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Improv Is Cool. I Am Not. Just Sayin'.
By Sonnjea Blackwell
A very wise person who prefers to remain anonymous once told me, "You can't be cool doing improv." Of course, we all know that improv itself is awesomely cool, and people who do improv are awesomely cool, and people who teach improv are awesomely cool. So it would appear that this very wise and anonymous person was, in fact, a doofus.
But no. What he was trying to get me to understand was that, in trying stuff in improv scenes - characters, emotions, voices, ideas, whatever - you have to be totally fearless and not worry about what you look or sound like. In other words, you can't worry about looking cool.
Good advice, but very hard to put into practice. And yes, I am now going to make a connection between improv and real life. Cuz that's just how I roll. But just imagine how much happier and less stressed we would be if we went through life not worried about making a good impression or being [insert favorite adjective here] enough or, you know, looking cool. I don't mean we should do whatever we feel like with no impulse control, like stealing candy bars or driving backwards or pretending to have Tourette's in church. Well, maybe the last one. But if we eliminated the need to appear cool to our friends, coworkers, family, strangers, pets, neighbors and mail carriers, imagine how brave we would be!
Do you sing at the top of your lungs in the shower? Then why are you afraid to belt out a song in public? Trust me, no one thinks you're going to open your mouth and sound like Lady Gaga or Bruno Mars. You'll be off-key and flat, and you'll probably mangle the words. And...? Will the world end? I suppose it's theoretically possible, but really, the odds are very, very small. So you'll sing badly and have a great time and probably encourage someone else to bust out and you'll all laugh. Which in my book is just about the best possible outcome in any situation.
Do you talk in crazy voices in the car? Dance like you're on SoulTrain alone in your kitchen? Perform stand-up routines for your dog? Make goofy faces in the mirror? Don't even try to tell me you don't! And if you're determined to be cool all the time, you're depriving the world of all that pent-up, private creativity you've got going on. That's just plain selfish of you, if you wanna know my opinion.
Lucky for you, the Held2gether Intro to Improv Workshop is coming up in a coupla weeks. We'll help you with your selfish streak. And two minutes into class, you'll be laughing so hard you won't even care if you look cool anymore. Which is, you know, pretty damn cool.
A very wise person who prefers to remain anonymous once told me, "You can't be cool doing improv." Of course, we all know that improv itself is awesomely cool, and people who do improv are awesomely cool, and people who teach improv are awesomely cool. So it would appear that this very wise and anonymous person was, in fact, a doofus.
But no. What he was trying to get me to understand was that, in trying stuff in improv scenes - characters, emotions, voices, ideas, whatever - you have to be totally fearless and not worry about what you look or sound like. In other words, you can't worry about looking cool.
Good advice, but very hard to put into practice. And yes, I am now going to make a connection between improv and real life. Cuz that's just how I roll. But just imagine how much happier and less stressed we would be if we went through life not worried about making a good impression or being [insert favorite adjective here] enough or, you know, looking cool. I don't mean we should do whatever we feel like with no impulse control, like stealing candy bars or driving backwards or pretending to have Tourette's in church. Well, maybe the last one. But if we eliminated the need to appear cool to our friends, coworkers, family, strangers, pets, neighbors and mail carriers, imagine how brave we would be!
Do you sing at the top of your lungs in the shower? Then why are you afraid to belt out a song in public? Trust me, no one thinks you're going to open your mouth and sound like Lady Gaga or Bruno Mars. You'll be off-key and flat, and you'll probably mangle the words. And...? Will the world end? I suppose it's theoretically possible, but really, the odds are very, very small. So you'll sing badly and have a great time and probably encourage someone else to bust out and you'll all laugh. Which in my book is just about the best possible outcome in any situation.
Do you talk in crazy voices in the car? Dance like you're on SoulTrain alone in your kitchen? Perform stand-up routines for your dog? Make goofy faces in the mirror? Don't even try to tell me you don't! And if you're determined to be cool all the time, you're depriving the world of all that pent-up, private creativity you've got going on. That's just plain selfish of you, if you wanna know my opinion.
Lucky for you, the Held2gether Intro to Improv Workshop is coming up in a coupla weeks. We'll help you with your selfish streak. And two minutes into class, you'll be laughing so hard you won't even care if you look cool anymore. Which is, you know, pretty damn cool.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Talk to Strangers!
By Sonnjea Blackwell
My mom always told me never to talk to strangers. Excellent advice for a five year old. The problem is, I didn't know there was an expiration date on that rule and I never got over not talking to strangers. So I grew up to be shy and awkward in social situations. Awww, poor me.
I do have a point. And, before you think you're all that in the smarty-pants department, my point is NOT that improv changed all that. It did, of course, but that's not my point. Ha.
My point is that now not only do I talk to strangers, I even look forward to playing with them! We often have a Held2gether drop-in improv class for anyone who has completed the Intro class on up. The drop-ins are always super fun because they are TRUE improv - since you never know who's going to show up, you literally can't count on anything and preplanning would be even more of an exercise in futility than normal.
See, when you play with people as long as some of us have played together, you learn to count on certain things. I don't know what Andy is going to say, but I know it's going to be loaded with information. So maybe if I'm doing a scene with Andy I'll focus on something else, like character or emotion because I can trust 100% that he will take care of the information. If I'm doing a scene with Robert, I know that he'll be ultra-high energy so I can do a quieter character to balance it out and save my voice.
But at the drop-ins, I haven't even met some of these people before, so I don't know what their strengths and weaknesses are. It means I can't take anything for granted and I have to push myself to be my best in every area. It's an awesome challenge. Last month, I had a rough night at the drop-in, which is okay too. Class is about trying stuff and feeling safe enough to make mistakes, and Held2gether classes always feel totally safe and encouraging, even when it's a group of total strangers.
So if you have trouble talking to people - strangers or otherwise - consider a Held2gether improv comedy class in Long Beach. We can help you with that. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go play in traffic.
My mom always told me never to talk to strangers. Excellent advice for a five year old. The problem is, I didn't know there was an expiration date on that rule and I never got over not talking to strangers. So I grew up to be shy and awkward in social situations. Awww, poor me.
I do have a point. And, before you think you're all that in the smarty-pants department, my point is NOT that improv changed all that. It did, of course, but that's not my point. Ha.
My point is that now not only do I talk to strangers, I even look forward to playing with them! We often have a Held2gether drop-in improv class for anyone who has completed the Intro class on up. The drop-ins are always super fun because they are TRUE improv - since you never know who's going to show up, you literally can't count on anything and preplanning would be even more of an exercise in futility than normal.
See, when you play with people as long as some of us have played together, you learn to count on certain things. I don't know what Andy is going to say, but I know it's going to be loaded with information. So maybe if I'm doing a scene with Andy I'll focus on something else, like character or emotion because I can trust 100% that he will take care of the information. If I'm doing a scene with Robert, I know that he'll be ultra-high energy so I can do a quieter character to balance it out and save my voice.
But at the drop-ins, I haven't even met some of these people before, so I don't know what their strengths and weaknesses are. It means I can't take anything for granted and I have to push myself to be my best in every area. It's an awesome challenge. Last month, I had a rough night at the drop-in, which is okay too. Class is about trying stuff and feeling safe enough to make mistakes, and Held2gether classes always feel totally safe and encouraging, even when it's a group of total strangers.
So if you have trouble talking to people - strangers or otherwise - consider a Held2gether improv comedy class in Long Beach. We can help you with that. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go play in traffic.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Into The Great Wide Open
By Sonnjea Blackwell
I was at a meeting the other day (no, so far there are no Improv-a-holics 12-step programs; this was a Buddhist meeting) where a smart person said that strategizing could get you into trouble. A few of us needed some clarification on that, because planning and creating strategies are necessary to build a business. They call them "marketing strategies," after all, not "marketing let's just see what happensies." Anyway, the smart person clarified that having a strategy wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but being married to that strategy to the exclusion of any other possibilities would inevitably lead to problems.
I pondered that for a while. Then I got distracted by wind chimes. Shiny AND musical. But in the 7.5 seconds I focused on that thought, I realized that living in the gray area as much as possible would be an awesome goal.
We do exercises in Held2gether improv classes in Long Beach that help students get comfortable in the so-called "gray area." The gray area is, to quote Tom Petty, "The great wide open," the space where anything can happen because absolutely nothing is planned. It's amazingly hard for most people to learn to get comfortable with not knowing. We want everything laid out so we know what to expect, so we can prepare our responses, so we aren't caught unawares. Nobody likes to make a fool of themself, and being prepared can help prevent that to a certain extent.
But life doesn't go according to our plans, and that's where we get ourselves into trouble. We've planned to the hilt for Scenario A. Only life deals us Scenario B. When we are so committed to what we plan for, it's really difficult to switch gears and cope with a whole other scenario that we never saw coming.
But improv helps you get accustomed to going with the flow and embracing the surprise that Scenario B inevitably offers. You'll be standing on a stage doing some kind of pretend activity - let's say raking leaves - and you think, "well, we're raking leaves so we must be a married couple in our front yard doing fall chores," only suddenly your scene partner says, "Brilliant idea getting these jobs as gardeners at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Susan. Now we can hunt zombies while we work!" Because you are comfortable in the gray area, you don't freak out and you definitely don't deny the information! You agree with the information, add some of your own, and you have the makings of a hilarious scene.
Staying open to life's possibilities is a great way to live - sure, you have a road map in your mind of where you're headed, but nobody says you have to take the 405 to get there. You could take surface streets. Or ride a bike. You could take the scenic route, or a short cut. You could stop to visit friends on the way. Or you could, you know, kill a few zombies here and there. It's totally your call.
I was at a meeting the other day (no, so far there are no Improv-a-holics 12-step programs; this was a Buddhist meeting) where a smart person said that strategizing could get you into trouble. A few of us needed some clarification on that, because planning and creating strategies are necessary to build a business. They call them "marketing strategies," after all, not "marketing let's just see what happensies." Anyway, the smart person clarified that having a strategy wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but being married to that strategy to the exclusion of any other possibilities would inevitably lead to problems.
I pondered that for a while. Then I got distracted by wind chimes. Shiny AND musical. But in the 7.5 seconds I focused on that thought, I realized that living in the gray area as much as possible would be an awesome goal.
We do exercises in Held2gether improv classes in Long Beach that help students get comfortable in the so-called "gray area." The gray area is, to quote Tom Petty, "The great wide open," the space where anything can happen because absolutely nothing is planned. It's amazingly hard for most people to learn to get comfortable with not knowing. We want everything laid out so we know what to expect, so we can prepare our responses, so we aren't caught unawares. Nobody likes to make a fool of themself, and being prepared can help prevent that to a certain extent.
But life doesn't go according to our plans, and that's where we get ourselves into trouble. We've planned to the hilt for Scenario A. Only life deals us Scenario B. When we are so committed to what we plan for, it's really difficult to switch gears and cope with a whole other scenario that we never saw coming.
But improv helps you get accustomed to going with the flow and embracing the surprise that Scenario B inevitably offers. You'll be standing on a stage doing some kind of pretend activity - let's say raking leaves - and you think, "well, we're raking leaves so we must be a married couple in our front yard doing fall chores," only suddenly your scene partner says, "Brilliant idea getting these jobs as gardeners at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Susan. Now we can hunt zombies while we work!" Because you are comfortable in the gray area, you don't freak out and you definitely don't deny the information! You agree with the information, add some of your own, and you have the makings of a hilarious scene.
Staying open to life's possibilities is a great way to live - sure, you have a road map in your mind of where you're headed, but nobody says you have to take the 405 to get there. You could take surface streets. Or ride a bike. You could take the scenic route, or a short cut. You could stop to visit friends on the way. Or you could, you know, kill a few zombies here and there. It's totally your call.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Think About Baseball
By Sonnjea Blackwell
Darren said something in the Saturday beginning improv class last week that was really interesting. I don't mean to make that sound noteworthy or anything - Darren is always saying interesting things in classes. That's pretty much his job, you know. And he's quite brilliant at it. I just meant, he phrased something in a way I hadn't heard or thought about before, and it stuck with me. So now I'm going to share it with you, as I am wont to do.
He was explaining the rules of agreement to the new students, and in stressing the importance of those rules he said something along the lines of, "The fun of watching improv is that it looks effortless. But the reason it looks effortless is because it's based on very structured, specific rules."
In other words, it's not effortless. Let's compare improv to baseball, since that's an analogy I haven't annoyed you with before. If the baseball players didn't follow specific rules, there'd be guys running all over the field with bats, balls flying overhead willy-nilly and runners crashing into each other. You just can't play a game without rules. But with rules, baseball runs smoothly... and it looks effortless.
Same with improv. When the players play by the rules, improv is funny as hell and looks like it just "happened." But it's really NOT magic. Like baseball, improv is a game that can be learned. And improv doesn't involve any (alleged) illegal performance enhancing drugs! So come to the 1/2 day Intro to Improv Workshop and we'll teach you the rules of the game. (NOTE: Please leave your bats and gloves at home.)
Darren said something in the Saturday beginning improv class last week that was really interesting. I don't mean to make that sound noteworthy or anything - Darren is always saying interesting things in classes. That's pretty much his job, you know. And he's quite brilliant at it. I just meant, he phrased something in a way I hadn't heard or thought about before, and it stuck with me. So now I'm going to share it with you, as I am wont to do.
He was explaining the rules of agreement to the new students, and in stressing the importance of those rules he said something along the lines of, "The fun of watching improv is that it looks effortless. But the reason it looks effortless is because it's based on very structured, specific rules."
In other words, it's not effortless. Let's compare improv to baseball, since that's an analogy I haven't annoyed you with before. If the baseball players didn't follow specific rules, there'd be guys running all over the field with bats, balls flying overhead willy-nilly and runners crashing into each other. You just can't play a game without rules. But with rules, baseball runs smoothly... and it looks effortless.
Same with improv. When the players play by the rules, improv is funny as hell and looks like it just "happened." But it's really NOT magic. Like baseball, improv is a game that can be learned. And improv doesn't involve any (alleged) illegal performance enhancing drugs! So come to the 1/2 day Intro to Improv Workshop and we'll teach you the rules of the game. (NOTE: Please leave your bats and gloves at home.)
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Improv vs. Stand-Up
By Sonnjea Blackwell
First, let me just assure you all, I love them both. Comedy is comedy, and I'm a big fan of anything that makes me laugh. So I'm not setting out to dis stand-up or anything.
It's just that we frequently get questions from:
The long answers go something like this:
First, let me just assure you all, I love them both. Comedy is comedy, and I'm a big fan of anything that makes me laugh. So I'm not setting out to dis stand-up or anything.
It's just that we frequently get questions from:
- people who want to know if improv is the same as stand-up
- people who want to know if taking Held2gether improv classes in Long Beach will help them with stand-up
- people who say they've taken stand-up and want to know if that background allows them to skip H2G's Intro to Improv class
The long answers go something like this:
- No. Improv and stand-up are both hilarious forms of comedic entertainment, but they are the same only in the sense that pizza and filet mignon are both delicious forms of dinner. Improv, most famous as a result of Whose Line Is It Anyway, is a team sport that is completely unscripted and created entirely in the moment. Stand-up consists of an individual performing pre-written and rehearsed material. Neither is better or worse, easier or harder. At H2G, we teach improv exclusively. Cuz it's better. Duh.
Okay, okay. I'm just kidding. Moving on. - Maybe. The rules of improv - mainly agreement, adding information and commitment - obviously apply in every life situation, so technically they will help with stand-up. But there's nothing we do in improv classes that applies directly to doing stand-up per se. I did have an up-and-coming, almost-getting-successful stand-up comic in a Groundlings class; she was there because NBC sent her to improv to improve her bantering ability for a show they were considering doing that required her to interact with the audience and other comics and guests. So improv was helping her with her career, though not specifically with her stand-up.
- No. Doing stand-up helps you become comfortable performing in front of an audience. But the whole stand-up concept of going for one-liners and delivering a punchline are sort of the opposite of improv, where you want to avoid being jokey and instead play the reality of a made-up situation. And since stand-up is flying solo while improv is flying in formation, it's important to learn the rules of improv that help everyone avoid crashing into each other or smashing into the ground in a spectacular fireball of destruction. Or, you know, something like that.
Improv and Other Cheesy 80s Movies
By Sonnjea Blackwell
I'm not sure if Lisa was egging me on, or in some way insinuating that I would be unable to tie Breakfast Club and Beverly Hills Cop to improv, but in any event I certainly don't want to let her down. So here are important improv skills found in 80s movies, and ways to apply those important skills to your own life. Of course, Held2gether improv classes in Long Beach are probably a better way to learn these skills, but consider this a preview.
Beverly Hills Cop
Premise: A hilarious Detroit detective is a fish-out-of-water in uptight Beverly Hills and uses his unorthodox approach to solve crimes the by-the-book cops can't solve. Lots of shooting and swearing.
Improv skill: Thinking on your feet. Axel Foley was never at a loss in any situation. Being staked out? Put a banana in the tailpipe. Notice a guy in a long jacket on a warm day? Assume he's a robber and pull a gun on him.
How it applies to daily life: Not that we're advocating either of those exact actions, but improv classes teach you to think quickly and respond in the moment to whatever random action or information comes at you. When your boss makes an unreasonable demand, you have a quick and logical reply. When your 2-year-old throws a tantrum in Target, you handle it with aplomb. When the idiot in front of you swerves for no good reason, you react quickly and safely. All because you've been taught skills in staying present and thinking quickly. You're welcome.
Dirty Dancing
Premise: The guy from the wrong side of the tracks and the sheltered girl overcome obstacles to their relationship by, um, dancing. At summer camp.
Improv skill: Commitment. Johnny stands by Penny and helps her after the botched abortion, even though he wasn't the father. And he never outs Robbie as the father, even when Baby's dad blames Johnny for everything.
How it applies to daily life: We talked about commitment yesterday. Learning to commit to an improv scene is helpful in learning how to commit in real life. Seriously, I've been in scenes that were painful to perform AND painful to watch, and you just pray for a meteor to strike you. If you can learn to stick it out when you're that uncomfortable, you can learn to stick it out in pretty much any situation.
The Breakfast Club
Premise: A group of high schoolers with nothing in common spends a day in the library for detention and learns that they aren't so different from each other after all. Wow, what a brilliant concept! Anyway.
Improv skill: Labeling. In improv, you want to label your partner early on with specific traits and characteristics that will help them play their part in the scene. The kids in The Breakfast Club all felt stifled and constrained by their labels - the jock, the brain, the princess, the criminal, the basket case - but giving your scene partner labels like those is the best gift you can give them, and the audience!
How it applies to daily life: Um, well... In real life, of course, none of us likes to be reduced to labels or stereotypes. HOWEVER, I promised that I can justify anything, and I will not let you (or Lisa) down. Labeling essentially comes down to giving information, and learning to be comfortable sharing information is a skill that is useful in the workplace ("Mr. Williams, we can increase productivity and profits and reduce waste by eliminating toilet paper in the bathrooms") or on blind dates ("I'm the opposite of a vegetarian: I only eat meat").
Of course, you can always feel free to use your REAL improv labeling skills in the workplace ("Mr. Williams, you are a pompous ass and you wink your eye whenever you say something you think is smart") or on blind dates ("I actually hate dating, and you, and this restaurant. Just sayin'"). But we won't be held liable for the results. Just sayin'.
I'm not sure if Lisa was egging me on, or in some way insinuating that I would be unable to tie Breakfast Club and Beverly Hills Cop to improv, but in any event I certainly don't want to let her down. So here are important improv skills found in 80s movies, and ways to apply those important skills to your own life. Of course, Held2gether improv classes in Long Beach are probably a better way to learn these skills, but consider this a preview.
Beverly Hills Cop
Premise: A hilarious Detroit detective is a fish-out-of-water in uptight Beverly Hills and uses his unorthodox approach to solve crimes the by-the-book cops can't solve. Lots of shooting and swearing.
Improv skill: Thinking on your feet. Axel Foley was never at a loss in any situation. Being staked out? Put a banana in the tailpipe. Notice a guy in a long jacket on a warm day? Assume he's a robber and pull a gun on him.
How it applies to daily life: Not that we're advocating either of those exact actions, but improv classes teach you to think quickly and respond in the moment to whatever random action or information comes at you. When your boss makes an unreasonable demand, you have a quick and logical reply. When your 2-year-old throws a tantrum in Target, you handle it with aplomb. When the idiot in front of you swerves for no good reason, you react quickly and safely. All because you've been taught skills in staying present and thinking quickly. You're welcome.
Dirty Dancing
Premise: The guy from the wrong side of the tracks and the sheltered girl overcome obstacles to their relationship by, um, dancing. At summer camp.
Improv skill: Commitment. Johnny stands by Penny and helps her after the botched abortion, even though he wasn't the father. And he never outs Robbie as the father, even when Baby's dad blames Johnny for everything.
How it applies to daily life: We talked about commitment yesterday. Learning to commit to an improv scene is helpful in learning how to commit in real life. Seriously, I've been in scenes that were painful to perform AND painful to watch, and you just pray for a meteor to strike you. If you can learn to stick it out when you're that uncomfortable, you can learn to stick it out in pretty much any situation.
The Breakfast Club
Premise: A group of high schoolers with nothing in common spends a day in the library for detention and learns that they aren't so different from each other after all. Wow, what a brilliant concept! Anyway.
Improv skill: Labeling. In improv, you want to label your partner early on with specific traits and characteristics that will help them play their part in the scene. The kids in The Breakfast Club all felt stifled and constrained by their labels - the jock, the brain, the princess, the criminal, the basket case - but giving your scene partner labels like those is the best gift you can give them, and the audience!
How it applies to daily life: Um, well... In real life, of course, none of us likes to be reduced to labels or stereotypes. HOWEVER, I promised that I can justify anything, and I will not let you (or Lisa) down. Labeling essentially comes down to giving information, and learning to be comfortable sharing information is a skill that is useful in the workplace ("Mr. Williams, we can increase productivity and profits and reduce waste by eliminating toilet paper in the bathrooms") or on blind dates ("I'm the opposite of a vegetarian: I only eat meat").
Of course, you can always feel free to use your REAL improv labeling skills in the workplace ("Mr. Williams, you are a pompous ass and you wink your eye whenever you say something you think is smart") or on blind dates ("I actually hate dating, and you, and this restaurant. Just sayin'"). But we won't be held liable for the results. Just sayin'.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Improv and Top Gun
By Sonnjea Blackwell
Top Gun is a great movie. No, really.
Okay, fine. It's a crappy movie. But it's one of my favorites, and I love to pretend that I could fly fighter jets like that even though the reality is I get motion sick in an elevator. Something else about me that you really didn't need to know, I suppose.
I know by now you're used to my questionable leaps of logic, but in case you haven't followed this one, I'll elaborate. In the scene after Mav and Goose have ditched Ice Man and flown too low and done a little showboating, Jester gives them a lecture that includes the line, "That was some of the best flying I've seen yet, right up till the time you got killed. You never, ever leave your wingman."
That's the third rule of improv, by the way: never leave your wingman. See? I did have a point! I've mentioned agreement and information many times; commitment is the topic for today.
In an improv scene, you are going to live or die (so to speak - I've never seen an actual improv fatality) TOGETHER. So you have to commit. That means you stay in the location you started in. You have emotional reactions and responses to the information that comes up. You stay in character and don't judge yourself, your partner or the scene you're doing. You don't giggle or make faces or shrug as if to say, "Well, I don't really think that's funny, but I've got nothing else." You never give up, EVER, until the director or instructor ends the scene. And you never throw your scene partner under the bus in an effort to get a laugh for yourself - either by going for the obvious joke or one-liner, or by denying their information in order to create a story you like better, or by hinting to the audience with your words or actions that you think your partner is an idiot.
In other words, you never leave your wingman. I've taken classes at places that aren't as incredibly supportive and encouraging as Held2gether classes and I've seen people do all of those things. I've even had some of them done to me. It isn't very pleasant.
And once again, I'll use my infamous logic to connect improv to real life: sticking with your wingman will get you a lot farther in life than ditching people left and right and trying to make it on your own. Whether it's at work, or in family relationships or with friends - committing, giving the other person 100%, not judging them or yourself, and working to create a balanced, harmonious, mutually beneficial situation will make things easier in the long run.
Of course, H2G can help you with that. In fact, you could say we're committed to helping you with that. And we've got the perfect Intro to Improv 1/2 Day Workshop to teach you all about staying with your wingman.
Stay tuned tomorrow when I somehow turn other 80s classic movies into improv analogies. I warned you, I can justify anything.
Top Gun is a great movie. No, really.
Okay, fine. It's a crappy movie. But it's one of my favorites, and I love to pretend that I could fly fighter jets like that even though the reality is I get motion sick in an elevator. Something else about me that you really didn't need to know, I suppose.
I know by now you're used to my questionable leaps of logic, but in case you haven't followed this one, I'll elaborate. In the scene after Mav and Goose have ditched Ice Man and flown too low and done a little showboating, Jester gives them a lecture that includes the line, "That was some of the best flying I've seen yet, right up till the time you got killed. You never, ever leave your wingman."
That's the third rule of improv, by the way: never leave your wingman. See? I did have a point! I've mentioned agreement and information many times; commitment is the topic for today.
In an improv scene, you are going to live or die (so to speak - I've never seen an actual improv fatality) TOGETHER. So you have to commit. That means you stay in the location you started in. You have emotional reactions and responses to the information that comes up. You stay in character and don't judge yourself, your partner or the scene you're doing. You don't giggle or make faces or shrug as if to say, "Well, I don't really think that's funny, but I've got nothing else." You never give up, EVER, until the director or instructor ends the scene. And you never throw your scene partner under the bus in an effort to get a laugh for yourself - either by going for the obvious joke or one-liner, or by denying their information in order to create a story you like better, or by hinting to the audience with your words or actions that you think your partner is an idiot.
In other words, you never leave your wingman. I've taken classes at places that aren't as incredibly supportive and encouraging as Held2gether classes and I've seen people do all of those things. I've even had some of them done to me. It isn't very pleasant.
And once again, I'll use my infamous logic to connect improv to real life: sticking with your wingman will get you a lot farther in life than ditching people left and right and trying to make it on your own. Whether it's at work, or in family relationships or with friends - committing, giving the other person 100%, not judging them or yourself, and working to create a balanced, harmonious, mutually beneficial situation will make things easier in the long run.
Of course, H2G can help you with that. In fact, you could say we're committed to helping you with that. And we've got the perfect Intro to Improv 1/2 Day Workshop to teach you all about staying with your wingman.
Stay tuned tomorrow when I somehow turn other 80s classic movies into improv analogies. I warned you, I can justify anything.
Monday, May 9, 2011
We Have Friends! No, Really!
By Sonnjea Blackwell
It's time to unveil the newest addition to the Held2gether website, the section devoted to our friends.
Okay, before you get your knickers in a twist over the fact that you aren't included on our H2G Friends & Partners page, let me explain that our "friends" are actually not humans for the most part. That's not to say we have no human friends. We do. It's just that on the Friends page, we have included primarily organizations... which are actually collections of humans all smushed together under one name, if you think about it. So I suppose technically our friends are human after all.
If you ARE one of our friends (or a human contained within the umbrella of an organization that is one of our friends), YAY! Thanks for being our friend. We really appreciate it. Improv is totally a team sport, and we can't get by without you!
Anyway. The page isn't complete - we'll be adding more friends continually - but it's a decent start. And all of the pretty little pictures are links to our friends' websites. Please click on them!
It's time to unveil the newest addition to the Held2gether website, the section devoted to our friends.
Okay, before you get your knickers in a twist over the fact that you aren't included on our H2G Friends & Partners page, let me explain that our "friends" are actually not humans for the most part. That's not to say we have no human friends. We do. It's just that on the Friends page, we have included primarily organizations... which are actually collections of humans all smushed together under one name, if you think about it. So I suppose technically our friends are human after all.
If you ARE one of our friends (or a human contained within the umbrella of an organization that is one of our friends), YAY! Thanks for being our friend. We really appreciate it. Improv is totally a team sport, and we can't get by without you!
Anyway. The page isn't complete - we'll be adding more friends continually - but it's a decent start. And all of the pretty little pictures are links to our friends' websites. Please click on them!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Improv and Eating Out (or, I Was a Cosmonaut)
By Sonnjea Blackwell
I like to eat out. A lot. In fact, next to improv it's one of my favorite things to do. Until recently, however, it had never really occurred to me to combine the two - I mean, just because you like two things doesn't mean you like those things together. I like vodka, and I like scrambled eggs. But I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like a vodka scramble.
Anyway. The spouse-man and I went to lunch last week and the small restaurant was nearly empty because it was past lunch hour. There was our booth, a booth directly behind me with two totally normal-sounding people, and a table across the room from us with two men. One of them seemed normal. The other one was one of those annoying, rambling, loud-talking people with nothing of interest to say. He explained in mind-numbing detail the fact that, should his wife quit working, they would then be without her salary. Really? You mean her boss isn't going to continue paying her once she's no longer employed? Shocking.
It was so loud and so boring, that it was hard to have our own conversation. Until I remembered I do improv. Luckily, hubby has been subjected to countless hours of improv talk over the past couple of years, and he's happily attended a Held2gether 1/2-day Intro to Improv Workshop so, although he's not the amazingly brilliant improv wiz that I am (yes, that was sarcasm, people), he knows the basics.
So I said, in my performing voice no less, "Remember when I was an astronaut?" And he played right along, reminding me that since I was working for the USSR (that's what we called Russia back then, youngsters) at the time, I was technically a cosmonaut. And we had about a 20 minute conversation about the muscular atrophy and other health problems I endured as a result of the weightlessness in the space craft, how I became an ice skater after the space career ended, how he worked at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and managed not to get radiation poisoning and how I would like to go back and visit Russia, but I can't. Or rather, I could go back, but they wouldn't let me out again since they are still pissed off that I stole Catherine the Great's solid gold comb and brush from the Hermitage.
As amused as we were with ourselves, we stayed committed and didn't break character, even while drinking our chai. We paid and left, and loud talker man was still rambling away about his wife's health insurance co-pay. But we weren't annoyed with him anymore, and that's what improv's all about: amusing yourself and not being annoyed at others. Or, you know, something like that.
There are only a couple spaces available in the Tuesday night H2G Intro to Improv Comedy Class, so I suggest you register right away! You don't want to be caught unprepared the next time you eat out, do you?
I like to eat out. A lot. In fact, next to improv it's one of my favorite things to do. Until recently, however, it had never really occurred to me to combine the two - I mean, just because you like two things doesn't mean you like those things together. I like vodka, and I like scrambled eggs. But I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like a vodka scramble.
Anyway. The spouse-man and I went to lunch last week and the small restaurant was nearly empty because it was past lunch hour. There was our booth, a booth directly behind me with two totally normal-sounding people, and a table across the room from us with two men. One of them seemed normal. The other one was one of those annoying, rambling, loud-talking people with nothing of interest to say. He explained in mind-numbing detail the fact that, should his wife quit working, they would then be without her salary. Really? You mean her boss isn't going to continue paying her once she's no longer employed? Shocking.
It was so loud and so boring, that it was hard to have our own conversation. Until I remembered I do improv. Luckily, hubby has been subjected to countless hours of improv talk over the past couple of years, and he's happily attended a Held2gether 1/2-day Intro to Improv Workshop so, although he's not the amazingly brilliant improv wiz that I am (yes, that was sarcasm, people), he knows the basics.
So I said, in my performing voice no less, "Remember when I was an astronaut?" And he played right along, reminding me that since I was working for the USSR (that's what we called Russia back then, youngsters) at the time, I was technically a cosmonaut. And we had about a 20 minute conversation about the muscular atrophy and other health problems I endured as a result of the weightlessness in the space craft, how I became an ice skater after the space career ended, how he worked at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and managed not to get radiation poisoning and how I would like to go back and visit Russia, but I can't. Or rather, I could go back, but they wouldn't let me out again since they are still pissed off that I stole Catherine the Great's solid gold comb and brush from the Hermitage.
As amused as we were with ourselves, we stayed committed and didn't break character, even while drinking our chai. We paid and left, and loud talker man was still rambling away about his wife's health insurance co-pay. But we weren't annoyed with him anymore, and that's what improv's all about: amusing yourself and not being annoyed at others. Or, you know, something like that.
There are only a couple spaces available in the Tuesday night H2G Intro to Improv Comedy Class, so I suggest you register right away! You don't want to be caught unprepared the next time you eat out, do you?
Thursday, May 5, 2011
I Have an Idea!
By Sonnjea Blackwell
As promised, a blog about how improv can help you in your job! And not by providing clever ways to tell your boss he's an idiot. You're on your own there.
But it occurred to us that some of you out there work for real companies that require you to show up, wear something other than PJs and, I dunno, do stuff. We've heard about jobs like that, and we're not sure we approve. Nevertheless, they seem to be here to stay, so we'll help you make the most of them!
There are literally thousands (okay, a few dozen) of ways improv can help you in your workplace, but the thing that struck me this week was that people are often afraid to share their ideas for making improvements. I did a little Googling and I learned that there are a couple of reasons for this. One is that people are so used to their ideas being shot down in all areas of life, that they finally stop having them. And when a random idea does float through their brain, they dismiss it as being too weird, or not original enough or just plain dumb. The other reason is that the corporate culture in America tends to reward the "Big Idea" - giving rise to the notion that smaller ideas are unimportant. Employees get the message that, unless they come up with a billion-dollar idea that revolutionizes the world, there's really nothing they can do to improve things in their company.
Fortunately, improv can help with both of those problems. We only have space to address the first one today; we'll tackle the "Big Idea" problem another time. Now, in a perfect world, you would bring your entire company (or at least the department) along with you to a Held2gether Corporate Workshop. But if that's not possible, you can still at least get yourself to a Held2gether improv class and learn some stuff.
The basic premise of improv is "Yes, and" which means you agree with what the other person just said, and then you add on to that idea. After a little while of people agreeing with your kooky ideas and adding their own kooky thoughts to yours, you start to feel more comfortable having kooky ideas. And like any muscle, when you start to exercise your creative kooky idea muscle, it gets stronger and you start to have more and more creative kooky ideas.
And because you know what it feels like to have your ideas accepted, you get braver in sharing them. And when your department or company implements your idea and it saves money or reduces waste or increases productivity, you are a hero and you get even braver in sharing ideas. Of course, if the rest of your department is still stuck in the "No, but" way of thinking, you might be facing an uphill battle. But since you have this newfound creative spark, we're sure you can come up with a way around the naysayers!
And if not, you will have at least learned some very important interviewing skills for landing a better job with a company who will appreciate you and your kooky ideas. You're welcome.
As promised, a blog about how improv can help you in your job! And not by providing clever ways to tell your boss he's an idiot. You're on your own there.
But it occurred to us that some of you out there work for real companies that require you to show up, wear something other than PJs and, I dunno, do stuff. We've heard about jobs like that, and we're not sure we approve. Nevertheless, they seem to be here to stay, so we'll help you make the most of them!
There are literally thousands (okay, a few dozen) of ways improv can help you in your workplace, but the thing that struck me this week was that people are often afraid to share their ideas for making improvements. I did a little Googling and I learned that there are a couple of reasons for this. One is that people are so used to their ideas being shot down in all areas of life, that they finally stop having them. And when a random idea does float through their brain, they dismiss it as being too weird, or not original enough or just plain dumb. The other reason is that the corporate culture in America tends to reward the "Big Idea" - giving rise to the notion that smaller ideas are unimportant. Employees get the message that, unless they come up with a billion-dollar idea that revolutionizes the world, there's really nothing they can do to improve things in their company.
Fortunately, improv can help with both of those problems. We only have space to address the first one today; we'll tackle the "Big Idea" problem another time. Now, in a perfect world, you would bring your entire company (or at least the department) along with you to a Held2gether Corporate Workshop. But if that's not possible, you can still at least get yourself to a Held2gether improv class and learn some stuff.
The basic premise of improv is "Yes, and" which means you agree with what the other person just said, and then you add on to that idea. After a little while of people agreeing with your kooky ideas and adding their own kooky thoughts to yours, you start to feel more comfortable having kooky ideas. And like any muscle, when you start to exercise your creative kooky idea muscle, it gets stronger and you start to have more and more creative kooky ideas.
And because you know what it feels like to have your ideas accepted, you get braver in sharing them. And when your department or company implements your idea and it saves money or reduces waste or increases productivity, you are a hero and you get even braver in sharing ideas. Of course, if the rest of your department is still stuck in the "No, but" way of thinking, you might be facing an uphill battle. But since you have this newfound creative spark, we're sure you can come up with a way around the naysayers!
And if not, you will have at least learned some very important interviewing skills for landing a better job with a company who will appreciate you and your kooky ideas. You're welcome.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
You Guys Are Pissing Me Off
By Sonnjea Blackwell
I have a few bones to pick with a few Held2gether troupe-mates and classmates, and what better place to air dirty laundry than on the internet. I mean, it works for the Kardashians, right? So here goes, with all appropriate credit to Kim, Khloe and whoever the hell the rest of them are.
First of all, I'm a little miffed at Viet. I've known him forever. Okay, like almost 2 years, anyway. And we're very close. Or so I thought. But in all this time, has he ever made me an Honorary Asian? No. Not even when my eyes came out slanted in our NoH8 photo. Not even when I went with him to weird Asian markets to buy a live eel. You think you know someone.
Lisa, my lizard sister and sometime running partner, DID make me an Honorary Asian, with all the rights, responsibilities and privileges associated with being Asian. Well, some of them, anyway. Which brings me to my beef with Lisa: Where exactly is the Ancient Chinese Secret Explanation I was promised upon my Asian conferral? How can I be Asian without knowing the secret? Sheesh.
Next: Andy, Co-Dependent and Neighbor. Andy shares my improv addiction and he gives me wine. So naturally, I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. In response to my recent insomnia-induced ramblings, Andy suggested I could come over sometime and kill ZOMBIES. FAKE ZOMBIES!!! Of course I said yes. It's important to kill things that eat brains - this world has enough people walking around without brains as it is, we can't afford any more. But have we had a zombie-killing-a-thon? Um, no.
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest; I feel much better now. I promise to return you to your regularly-scheduled-blogging tomorrow, where I will regale you with tales of how improv can actually help you in your job! That's even more important than killing zombies.
Oh, and just in case you wanted some useful information today, the Held2gether Intro to Improv Comedy classes starting this coming Saturday and Tuesday in Long Beach are almost full, so register now and then you can go kill a zombie or two.
I have a few bones to pick with a few Held2gether troupe-mates and classmates, and what better place to air dirty laundry than on the internet. I mean, it works for the Kardashians, right? So here goes, with all appropriate credit to Kim, Khloe and whoever the hell the rest of them are.
First of all, I'm a little miffed at Viet. I've known him forever. Okay, like almost 2 years, anyway. And we're very close. Or so I thought. But in all this time, has he ever made me an Honorary Asian? No. Not even when my eyes came out slanted in our NoH8 photo. Not even when I went with him to weird Asian markets to buy a live eel. You think you know someone.
Lisa, my lizard sister and sometime running partner, DID make me an Honorary Asian, with all the rights, responsibilities and privileges associated with being Asian. Well, some of them, anyway. Which brings me to my beef with Lisa: Where exactly is the Ancient Chinese Secret Explanation I was promised upon my Asian conferral? How can I be Asian without knowing the secret? Sheesh.
Next: Andy, Co-Dependent and Neighbor. Andy shares my improv addiction and he gives me wine. So naturally, I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. In response to my recent insomnia-induced ramblings, Andy suggested I could come over sometime and kill ZOMBIES. FAKE ZOMBIES!!! Of course I said yes. It's important to kill things that eat brains - this world has enough people walking around without brains as it is, we can't afford any more. But have we had a zombie-killing-a-thon? Um, no.
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest; I feel much better now. I promise to return you to your regularly-scheduled-blogging tomorrow, where I will regale you with tales of how improv can actually help you in your job! That's even more important than killing zombies.
Oh, and just in case you wanted some useful information today, the Held2gether Intro to Improv Comedy classes starting this coming Saturday and Tuesday in Long Beach are almost full, so register now and then you can go kill a zombie or two.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Held2gether and 3 Square
By Sonnjea Blackwell
I've mentioned 3 Square before, which is a sketch comedy troupe made up of a few Held2gether troupe folks and a lot of Held2gether friends. This past weekend was 3 Square shooting weekend, and I got to help again. "Help" in this case doesn't mean I had to wear a nightie and undress the BFF. No, this time around I grilled about a side of beef's worth of steaks for a sketch involving - of course - vegans. And, even more fun, I got to hold the boom mic.
That's not any kind of weird-slash-perverted euphemism, either. I was all technical with my headphones and everything. Check me out.
See, it's true! You can mention my biceps to the Evil Trainer, btw. Maybe he'll go easy on me.
I helped with continuity things as well, like covering and uncovering the platter of beef at appropriate times and picking lettuce leaves up off the table, the floor, Brenda, you name it. Seriously, I'm totally indispensable.
It'll be a little while before this weekend's sketches are edited and up at their website, but in the meantime, please check out the 2 episodes that are up at 3 Square's YouTube Channel. Thanks! You won't be sorry.
I've mentioned 3 Square before, which is a sketch comedy troupe made up of a few Held2gether troupe folks and a lot of Held2gether friends. This past weekend was 3 Square shooting weekend, and I got to help again. "Help" in this case doesn't mean I had to wear a nightie and undress the BFF. No, this time around I grilled about a side of beef's worth of steaks for a sketch involving - of course - vegans. And, even more fun, I got to hold the boom mic.
That's not any kind of weird-slash-perverted euphemism, either. I was all technical with my headphones and everything. Check me out.
I helped with continuity things as well, like covering and uncovering the platter of beef at appropriate times and picking lettuce leaves up off the table, the floor, Brenda, you name it. Seriously, I'm totally indispensable.
It'll be a little while before this weekend's sketches are edited and up at their website, but in the meantime, please check out the 2 episodes that are up at 3 Square's YouTube Channel. Thanks! You won't be sorry.
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