List of Emotions

This is one of those helpful blog posts. Well, that's my intention. Don't worry! I won't ramble very long. I'll let you know what's coming, and then step aside. I hope it's a revelation. I hope you do that thing scientists do in movies when they discover the world will never be the same again: the oh-my-god-glasses-removal-dramatic-stare-into-distance. This thing:
 

Improv students, remember...there are hundreds of emotions you can portray. The four core emotions, happiness, sadness, anger and fear, can assembled in seemingly endless combinations and degrees. Emotions are like a cocktail. A quart of sadness, with a pinch of anger, dissolve in fear, and you have something. Try it.

Trying all the combos can be challenging, if you don't have a list of emotions in front of you.

What's this? Oh joy! Here you go! A list of emotions. This is pretty extensive, and worth your time. In fact, it's worth downloading and perusing offline too. Sign up for the newsletter and receive these lists in the mail. 

If you have any emotions you'd like to add, please let me know. I'd love to make the list even more comprehensive.

Download the List

List of Emotions:

Able

Adequate

Adoration

Affection

Aggravation

Aggressiveness

agitation

Agonize

Agony

Alarm

Alienation

Amazement

Amusement

Anger

anguish

Annoyance

Annoyed

Anticipation

Anxiety

Anxious

Apathy

Apprehensive

Arousal

Assured

Astonishment

Attraction

Awe

Fascinated

Fear

Ferocity

Fondness

Friendliness

Fright

Frustrated

Frustration

Fury

Bitterness

Bliss

Bored

Boredom

Burdened

Gaiety

Glad

Gladness

Glamorous

Glee

Gloom

Glorious

Glumness

Good

Graceful

Great

Greed

Grief 

Grouchiness

Grumpiness

Guilt

Guilty

Calm

Capable

Caring

Cautious

Certain

Charmed

Cheerful

Cheerfulness

Comfortable

Compassion

Competitive

Concerned

Confidence

Confused

Contempt

Content

Contentment

Courage

Courageous

Crosspatch

Happiness

Happy

Harassed

Hate

Helplessness

Hesitant

Homesickness

Hope

Hopeful

Hopelessness

Horror

Hostile

Hostility

Humiliation

Humorous

Hurt

Hysteria

Defeat

Dejection

Delight

Delighted

Depressed

Depression

Desire

Despair

Destructive

Determined

Disappointed

Disappointment

Disgust

Disgusted

Dislike

Dismay

Displeasure

Distracted

Doubt

Doubtful

Ignored

Impatient

Indifferent

Infatuation

Insecurity

Inspired

Insult

Interest

Interested

Intimidated

Irritated

Irritation

Isolated

Isolation

Eager

Eagerness

Ecstasy

Elation

Embarrassment

Empathy

Energetic

Enjoyment

Enthrallment

Enthusiasm

Enthusiastic

Envy

Euphoria

Exasperated

Exasperation

Excellent

Excited

Excitement

Exhausted

Exhilarated

Exhilaration

Expectant

Jealous

Jealousy

Jolliness

Joviality

Joy

Joyful

Jubilation

Jumpy

Liking

Loathing

Loneliness

Lonely

Longing

Love

Lust

Lust/Sexual Desire

Mad

Magnificent

Manipulated

Melancholy

Miserable

Misery

Mortification

Sad

Sadness

Satisfaction

Satisfied 

Scared

Scorn

Sentimentality

Serene

Shame

Shock

Shocked

Sorrow

Spite

Stable

Stress

Sublime

Submission

Suffering

Superior

Surprise

Surprised

Suspicious

Sympathy

Neglect

Nervousness

Tenderness

Tension

Terror

Thrill

Thrilled

Tired

Torment

Triumph

Trust

Obnoxious

Optimism

Outrage

Overwhelmed

Uncomfortable

Uneasy

Unhappiness

Used

Panic

Passion

Peaceful

Pity

Playfulness

Pleasant

Pleasure   

Politeness

Positive

Powerful

Powerlessness

Pressured

Pride

Vengefulness

Rage

Rapture

Regret

Rejection

Relaxed

Relief

Relieved

Remorse

Resentment

Revenge

Revulsion

Wary

Wasteful

Weary

Woe

Worry

Wrath

Zeal

Zest

Improv Open Mic: The Underground

The Underground is back this Friday! The Underground is an improv open mic. Improv teams looking for stage time will have 15 minutes. Yep! Fifteen minutes! That's a lot of stage time at an open mic. That's our mission, to give new and fledgling groups an opportunity to innovate, work on improv format, discover exciting improv scenes, and explore new opportunities.

The awesomeness doesn't stop there. We also give away mix drinks (non-alcoholic of course). It's a classy open mic.

We encourage improv teams from blacktop and other cities, theaters, comedy clubs, colleges, and even high schools. This isn't a strictly Rocklin, Roseville, and Loomis thing. Outside of Placer County? Join us! In the past we have had improv teams from San Francisco, and students from Casa Roble high school perform, and they did an incredible job! We would love local colleges like Sierra College, American River College, and California State University Sacramento (CSUS) to jump in too!

There have been so many unique shows at the Underground, including Best Night Ever, Epic, Copycats, Cooky Pants, The Milby Twins, and Police Cops! That's just a handful of teams that have dropped in. Each teams mixes up improv in a unique way, trying to bring something fresh to the art form.

We even have teams of friends who met at The Playground, our Thursday drop-in class, who have jumped onstage to try a new show. It's fun watching everyone, but I'm most excited when I see new groups, visitng improv teams. I love that a new improv group feels so comfortable at Blacktop they're excited to get onstage and try something. They realize they're in a safe theater, a place everyone has their back, and will cheer them when the lights go up, and when they walk offstage.

If you thought "improv is this," you need to come out to our Underground show, and realize that improv can be so many different styles.

If you have a group, or maybe even you're a solo performer (we've have improvised solos in the past), signup and be part of the fun! The Underground is every other Friday. You can signup below. Just fill out the form and we will be in contact with you. And, this open mic won't leave you "hoping" you'll get stage time. If there is space we will guarantee you a spot.

Finally, we can also email you and let you know about submissions for the Underground through our newsletter. Just sign up here, and we'll send you information about upcoming Undergrounds. See you soon Rocklin!

Incredible Weekend of Shows

Thank you for making this weekend such an extraordinary one for Blacktop! We're glad you had such a fun time at Squeaky Clean!

We had wonderful volunteers during Squeaky Clean, who helped make Sound Effects, Lassie, and Hey Waiter memorable improv games.

Brooklyn, your instinct to slam on the brakes during that chase scene was fantastic!

Sarah, during Lassie you guessed Timmy was hanging out with Elvis Presley. Good job!

And,  Jacob, you were one of the funniest parts of Hey Waiter, because you were so frustrated they kept getting your order wrong. The audience loved it. 

Audience volunteers always makes our shows better! We go with the flow, and adapt to whatever the audience offers. We will never pick on an audience member, but we do encourage you to realize you have the ability to be an improv genius. I think kids can be better at improv, because they're less inhibited. They have fewer negative memories, fewer people telling them, "that's a bad idea," "be serious," "don't think that." That stuff adds up. It accumulates, and by adulthood we're filtering out so many great instincts. 

Adult volunteers can be great, but they play it much safer onstage then kids. You will see the adult check in with the improviser, and their eyes say, "is this ok? I don't want to ruin the show." Kids embrace their imagination, and as improvisers, we love the wild turns each scene can take. The mixed audience of children and adults love the twists and turns too. It's great seeing parents who enjoy the show as much as the kids.

It's also a great reminder, we can all take some risks. We should take some risks. Look how funny a scene can become when we embrace our instincts. I guess the danger is our measured thoughts keep us safe, and our instincts are new. Our instincts haven't been vetted. I always picture a new thought like a gangster who gets patted down before reaching the Don. Our filters are those guys patting down the new thought, checking for anything dangerous. When the thought is stripped of all danger, then it's permitted to hang out with the brain.

In fact, even that simile right there...my brain was saying, "don't write that. It's ridiculous. Just stick to something safer, like 'it's so nice to be able to offer family entertainment to Roseville and Rocklin.'" And, yes, while that is true, we're glad we can offer family entertainment, I've said it before. It's familiar territory. It's a safe thought, that won't be judged. But, it doesn't have the opportunity to be memorable either. 

Watching the families laugh on Saturday night at the volunteer antics, was a great reminder. Be brave, and try something new.

It means a lot the community loves the family shows we're producing. It's fun to see parents and kids sitting together, laughing about the same ridiculous stuff happening onstage. 

We always remind the players, "improv is for us, but a performance is for the audience."