This weekend was the PIT improv auditions. A lot of my team mates on Decent Proposal and Adorable ended up getting on teams. As a matter of fact, a majority of the people I knew who have gone through the program at least got called back.
This kind of bummed me out. I'd love to be able to audition for PIT teams but I am way behind in my classes. I just finished level two.
Here's a little note that hit me hard this week. Put me on edge for about two shows. I did the PIT level 2 show. Before the show, a classmate said I was the "King of Walk Ons". First off, as much as I like being the KING of anything, this doesn't rub me the right way.
I hate meaningless walk ons. I've always been the guy who doesn't stay on. Or at least TRIES not to. I've seen people watch the relationship start then just jump in and just plant there. I hate that. Unfortunately, the phrase KING of walk ons probably means I do that. So, I gotta put myself in check.
Walk ons are kind of a mixed bag with me. The foundation is FUN, I'm waiting to pounce like a cat on the fun stuff. If it's people in a restaurant and they are standing I offer a chair, if people are looking at cars I should at least welcome them as a salesman. I always try to leave. Sometimes I try to justify why things are the way they are. I think it usually has a good outcome a majority of the time.
I have gotten the note from my Level 2 teacher that "Does it really need it? It was funny, but did it really need that?"
I think it comes down to dynamic. With my Level 2, the improvisers are not as experienced so I feel the need to make it active, make stage pictures, be objects. Maybe just so I can have fun, but maybe to get kind of a group mind going so we can all jump on board. I also, jump in Alvarez a lot to maybe make an energy.
With decent proposal or maybe monogamous, I'm less hectic. I pick and choose my walk-ons wisely. I maybe focus on a good edit point or just try and think of second beats. I don't know why, maybe I'm a scene hog in some places. But, honestly, I'm having fun. Some times I go off the mark and shoot and fail, but I never limp in. If I put something out there that is weird or crazy, it's wholehearted and I love it. So, the failure is a lot of times fun and I'll smile thinking, "Fucked that one up but that was funny".
I did a workshop with Jon Bander. An amazing musical and regular improviser at Magnet and Pit. It was a relief to work on structure in musical improv and get the simplicity out of songs.
Here's some great notes from the class:
1) Make up a chorus in a your mind and open the scene working toward that. Try to inspire the accompanist to play something. If you think that you want to sing a reggae song entitled, "I got love", then come out with that feeling, that look and just play that feeling. You can take on any initiation, any physical thing and you're moving in the right direction. There is no stagnant confusion.
2) There was an exercise where we were given a tribute musical and artist and we had to go off of that alone. It was basically a spot song but it was so easy. I had a Tupac musical. All I could think about is the sadness of tupac dying and the need for revenge. After a sentence or two, I thought "Pop pop he's going down" It felt great. I hit that chorus hard.
In conclusion, the combination of all these things inspired me. I've gotta get the classes going. PIT isn't offering a 3 yet so I signed up for the UCB intensive 201 which will be the week after 101. I'll be done with 2 UCB classes in 4 weeks. Here we GO!!!!!
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