By Sonnjea Blackwell
While I spent many of the past 24 hours basking in the unseasonably warm sunshine at the Embarcadero in San Francisco, drinking several of something called a French Bulldog and eating food that was so good I almost didn't come home, Mr. Held2gether himself, Darren Held, was hard at work leading a Held2gether Corporate Workshop in Denver, Colorado.
Yes, besides being masters of improvisation, we are also quite the jet-setters around here.
Anyway. Darren was working with a national insurance company, helping train agents to be more spontaneous and more comfortable in their interactions with customers. Some research we've come across (this is actually real research, not Sonnjea-believes-it-so-it-must-be-true research) indicates that sales people who work from scripts convert significantly fewer potential buyers than those who are able to (gasp!) actually listen to their customers and react appropriately.
And no, we at Held2gether are NOT experts in sales. That's not our job. Our job is to help people - sales or otherwise - listen and respond and think quickly on their feet. How these skills apply in each particular workplace varies widely, but what is universal is that these skills do in fact apply in every workplace.
Do you need to help your group/team/office/family bond? Work better together? Communicate without shouting? Do you need to boost morale before things deteriorate into a scene from The Godfather? Do you need to increase sales or productivity? Would you love it if everybody loved to come to work... and actually showed up most of the time?
We have Group Workshops for every type and size of group with every conceivable goal. From a generic out-of-the-box workshop to a fully customized training session, we can help you build your own personal Dream Team. Our website has more information on an improv workshop for your group, or you can email Darren for a detailed quote.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Just Justify!
By Sonnjea Blackwell
One of the things you have to do in improv is justify stuff. You can throw out weird or seemingly-random information, but you have to justify it in terms of the emotions and everything else that's going on in the scene, otherwise you just look like crazy people. If the audience can't believe the information, they won't be invested in the scene or the characters or anything and then they'll get up and go to the bathroom or order a latte or make a phone call or smoke or... You get the idea. They WON'T be sitting in their chairs drooling with laughter, which is what we as improvisors want them to do. Well, maybe not so much the drool.
Last night at Held2gether's Level 2 Improv Class, we had to justify stuff. This, like everything else in improv, is a skill that can be learned. Unlike everything else in improv, this is a skill that comes naturally to me. I can justify ANYTHING, just ask my husband.
Sonnjea: "I think we should go out to dinner tonight."
Husband: "Why? We have food in the refrigerator we can cook."
Sonnjea: "It's Tuesday. I have class the next two nights, then Friday it'll take you forever to get home on the vanpool so we won't feel like going out. Saturday night I have a show. And Sunday is, well, Sunday. We have to go tonight."
Husband: "Do you hear a buzzing sound?"
Bad Sonnjea: "Let's not work today. It's sunny."
Good Sonnjea: "It's southern California. It's always sunny. If we don't work, we don't get paid."
Bad Sonnjea: "If we take today off to bask in the sun, we'll feel rejuvenated and we'll work twice as hard tomorrow and get even more work done. Studies show that rejuvenated workers are much more creative. We're creative types; we have to rejuvenate or we'll die. So really, it's a matter of life and death."
Good Sonnjea: "Well -- "
Bad Sonnjea: "Now where's that bottle of vodka?"
Right. Now I have to go to lunch. Um, yes, really. It's Friday. Tomorrow I'm working, and Sunday I'll be in San Francisco and Monday I have a meeting and Tuesday I have to pick up a friend from the airport. So I have to go to lunch. Now. Sorry I can't finish this post, but I'm sure you understand.
One of the things you have to do in improv is justify stuff. You can throw out weird or seemingly-random information, but you have to justify it in terms of the emotions and everything else that's going on in the scene, otherwise you just look like crazy people. If the audience can't believe the information, they won't be invested in the scene or the characters or anything and then they'll get up and go to the bathroom or order a latte or make a phone call or smoke or... You get the idea. They WON'T be sitting in their chairs drooling with laughter, which is what we as improvisors want them to do. Well, maybe not so much the drool.
Last night at Held2gether's Level 2 Improv Class, we had to justify stuff. This, like everything else in improv, is a skill that can be learned. Unlike everything else in improv, this is a skill that comes naturally to me. I can justify ANYTHING, just ask my husband.
Sonnjea: "I think we should go out to dinner tonight."
Husband: "Why? We have food in the refrigerator we can cook."
Sonnjea: "It's Tuesday. I have class the next two nights, then Friday it'll take you forever to get home on the vanpool so we won't feel like going out. Saturday night I have a show. And Sunday is, well, Sunday. We have to go tonight."
Husband: "Do you hear a buzzing sound?"
Bad Sonnjea: "Let's not work today. It's sunny."
Good Sonnjea: "It's southern California. It's always sunny. If we don't work, we don't get paid."
Bad Sonnjea: "If we take today off to bask in the sun, we'll feel rejuvenated and we'll work twice as hard tomorrow and get even more work done. Studies show that rejuvenated workers are much more creative. We're creative types; we have to rejuvenate or we'll die. So really, it's a matter of life and death."
Good Sonnjea: "Well -- "
Bad Sonnjea: "Now where's that bottle of vodka?"
Right. Now I have to go to lunch. Um, yes, really. It's Friday. Tomorrow I'm working, and Sunday I'll be in San Francisco and Monday I have a meeting and Tuesday I have to pick up a friend from the airport. So I have to go to lunch. Now. Sorry I can't finish this post, but I'm sure you understand.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Trixie Cares!
By Sonnjea Blackwell
We have an improv show in Long Beach coming up in a little over a week, in case you've somehow managed to miss my oh-so-subtle self promotions. It's called Held2gether presents: Trixie Keeps the Books and it's our newest long form extravaganza.
For those of you who haven't seen us do the long form thing, it goes like this: we do three short scenes based on your suggestions, and then we all jump in and out of the stories that those scenes have set up, going forward and backward in time and creating a whole cast of supporting characters to tell a big, intertwined 1/2-hour story. It's like a play with no script. And then... we do a whole second set! Whew!
If you think it sounds hard, you're right. It requires focus, memory, attention to details and the ability to keep the big picture in mind while focused on the minutiae. Oh, and a sense of humor. That's all.
Luckily, those are all skills that Darren Held teaches in Held2gether's Intro to Improv and Improv Level 2 classes. But he's sneaky - you learn all those things without realizing it because you think you're just playing hilarious games for a couple of hours a week. And then all of a sudden, you realize you've learned stuff. And whether you choose to apply your newfound ability to focus, remember stuff, pay attention to details and laugh your ass off to mundane things like getting everything you meant to get at Trader Joe's or calling your kids by their right names or even doing long form improv, at least you'll have the skills to fall back on. And Trixie would be pleased.
We have an improv show in Long Beach coming up in a little over a week, in case you've somehow managed to miss my oh-so-subtle self promotions. It's called Held2gether presents: Trixie Keeps the Books and it's our newest long form extravaganza.
For those of you who haven't seen us do the long form thing, it goes like this: we do three short scenes based on your suggestions, and then we all jump in and out of the stories that those scenes have set up, going forward and backward in time and creating a whole cast of supporting characters to tell a big, intertwined 1/2-hour story. It's like a play with no script. And then... we do a whole second set! Whew!
If you think it sounds hard, you're right. It requires focus, memory, attention to details and the ability to keep the big picture in mind while focused on the minutiae. Oh, and a sense of humor. That's all.
Luckily, those are all skills that Darren Held teaches in Held2gether's Intro to Improv and Improv Level 2 classes. But he's sneaky - you learn all those things without realizing it because you think you're just playing hilarious games for a couple of hours a week. And then all of a sudden, you realize you've learned stuff. And whether you choose to apply your newfound ability to focus, remember stuff, pay attention to details and laugh your ass off to mundane things like getting everything you meant to get at Trader Joe's or calling your kids by their right names or even doing long form improv, at least you'll have the skills to fall back on. And Trixie would be pleased.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Held2gether On YouTube!
By Sonnjea Blackwell
Hey! I'm back with an actual blog post (as opposed to a video of a freaky orgy). But the whole video thing brings me to my point for today. And yes, it's likely to be the only point I make all stinkin' day. Moving on.
Maybe you're not aware of it, but Held2gether has its own YouTube page. You can visit it any time you need a quick improv fix, or when you want to see girls kissing, or if it's been awhile since you practiced the alphabet. Seriously, our videos are educational and entertaining.
And if you have a favorite player, we can help you out there, as well. (Although if you have a favorite player, I don't want to know about it. It will just make me sad and then I won't write funny posts, and that's not good for any of us). Right. Say you're in the mood to see your favorite Held2gether performer in all of their improv-y glory. Well, then, you can Google that person + videos and get all of their scenes, minus all of everyone else's scenes. There are a couple of exceptions, because certain performers are bashful. No, really. Not everyone is the stage whore that I am. I mean, some of our players aren't even into filming orgy scenes with a dog, a clown and a werewolf. I know, weird.
Anyway, many thanks to Sean Cloutier for suggesting the YouTube tags so we can all be totally famous! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go watch myself.
Hey! I'm back with an actual blog post (as opposed to a video of a freaky orgy). But the whole video thing brings me to my point for today. And yes, it's likely to be the only point I make all stinkin' day. Moving on.
Maybe you're not aware of it, but Held2gether has its own YouTube page. You can visit it any time you need a quick improv fix, or when you want to see girls kissing, or if it's been awhile since you practiced the alphabet. Seriously, our videos are educational and entertaining.
And if you have a favorite player, we can help you out there, as well. (Although if you have a favorite player, I don't want to know about it. It will just make me sad and then I won't write funny posts, and that's not good for any of us). Right. Say you're in the mood to see your favorite Held2gether performer in all of their improv-y glory. Well, then, you can Google that person + videos and get all of their scenes, minus all of everyone else's scenes. There are a couple of exceptions, because certain performers are bashful. No, really. Not everyone is the stage whore that I am. I mean, some of our players aren't even into filming orgy scenes with a dog, a clown and a werewolf. I know, weird.
Anyway, many thanks to Sean Cloutier for suggesting the YouTube tags so we can all be totally famous! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go watch myself.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Tainted Mattress
Sorry. Busy. I have a long list of things I actually accomplished in the last 3 - 4 days, but I know you don't care. You just want your daily dose of laughter. As I've explained over and over and over, I am easy. You want laughter, I'll give it to ya.
This is the first episode from 3 Square the Series. It stars Held2gether's own Darren Held and our good friend Brenda Glim from Corporate Recess Players. And there's a few other familiar faces in there as well, some of whom prefer to remain "anonymous." Yeah, right.
Tainted Mattress, 3 Square the Series. Enjoy.
This is the first episode from 3 Square the Series. It stars Held2gether's own Darren Held and our good friend Brenda Glim from Corporate Recess Players. And there's a few other familiar faces in there as well, some of whom prefer to remain "anonymous." Yeah, right.
Tainted Mattress, 3 Square the Series. Enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)