Gorilla Games

Last week, we began the second season of Gorilla Comedy. Gorilla Comedy is the Sacramento improv competition for high school students. Blacktop Comedy coaches each school, preparing the students for the games, running drills, and offering tips. The students have made incredible strides. They're better listeners, create stronger characters, and say "yes, and," because they're excited to see where the seen will go. We're really proud!

It has been such a huge success, and we're excited to see what's going to happen this year! We've even expanded with a new school. Encina High School joins Mesa Verde, Casa Roble, Mira Loma, Bella Vista, and Del Campo, in the Gorilla Games battle. Who will stand victorious? Who will win the improv competition?

Last week, Mesa Verde was victorious. The scores were very close, but with a couple stand out performances in World's Worst, and Human Props, Mesa Verde nabbed the bananas. Yes, the winning team gets a bunch of bananas. Bragging rights, and potassium. What a night!

This Tuesday the competition moves to Blacktop Comedy. The Blacktop stage will be filled with students playing improv games like Freeze, Dating Game, Movie Review, and many more. Please come support these young actors and comedians. They're creating great work. I know staying home and binging on Netflix is appealing, but live comedy is pretty great too. You can't interact with an episode of Narcos, but you can through out suggestions at a Gorilla Games show! Trust us, as soon as you walk through these doors you'll be glad you did.

And, hey, give a round of applause to San Juan Unified School District (SJUSD). They're doing something very unique. They recognize the power of improv for these teens. Improv is performing arts that functions like a team sport. Improv is all about supporting your fellow actor onstage, and backing up there ideas. That's a helpful skill in any situation, and these students are learning it now. As teens! Thanks for being so supportive of Gorilla Games SJUSD.

If you are interested in coming out to Gorilla Games this Tuesday, October, 20th, please note that the show begins at 6:30p and will run till 8p. The show is donation only, and the money raised goes back into the schools, helping purchase improv books for the students.

If you would like to learn more about Gorilla Games, SJUSD wrote a really nice piece about the performances last year.

Attacked by a Fly

The day started well enough. In fact, it was a beautiful day. It was Sunday, and I was at Cafe Bernardo, catching up with a friend from UC Davis. We were on the porch, because it was nice out. It was safe.

I thought it was safe. I thought it was nice out.

Suddenly, I felt something on my arm. It was a big something. Very noticeable. I looked over and saw what I thought were two flies getting it on. On my arm! I'm brunching...and these flies are sexing each other. 

Gross, but manageable. I did that get-out-of-here-fly arms shake. You know the one. You've probably done it a hundred times. Most times, the flies leave you alone. I was sure it would send them off, to go do their fly stuff elsewhere. Leave me alone guys, I'm trying to catch up with a friend.

But "they" didn't move. They just clinged to my arm.  They were happy where they were. I looked again, and realized it wasn't two flies.That's one pair of eyes. Where are the other pair of eyes? That's just one pair of eyes! That's just one fly! Is that fly grinding on my arm? Oh no! It is! That fly is grinding on my arm! I was being molested by a large fly. An enormous fly! We're talking, so-large-i-thought-two-flies-were-fly-sexing-on-my-arm gigantic! Gross. Time to take extreme action.

I did what any human being would do. I spasmed. It was intense Exorcism intense. Others must have thought I was enjoying a Sunday brunch is Rocklin, and exercising demons. I must have looked ridiculous. I'm confident I looked ridiculous. But, I'm happy to report that fat fly left. The spasm and the aftershocks were to much! He took off! I think he took off at least. I don't think he MillenniumFalcon'ed me. I was sorry for whoever had to deal with that flying fatso.

Phew. Crisis adverted. My arm was safe, I was whole again, and not being groped by a sensual fly. I looked around. I had my dignity back. Time to deal with the important things like this omelette. Then, I noticed Sarah was losing it. She was double over and laughing.

I felt warm.

I realized I was holding coffee. Well, I had been holding coffee.  I was holding an empty cup now. My flailing had set me free...and sent the coffee flying. That hefty fly was gone, but now I was covered in coffee.

What a beautiful day.

Good Day Sacramento and Squibs

Flip on your TVs....on Sunday. It's important I add "Sunday." Flip on your TVs Sunday, because Blacktop Comedy will be on Good Day Sacramento, talking about Teen Slasher, and depraved things you can find in the show. Last time Good Day came to Blacktop we talked about fun and silly improv games you can play. Oh improv! So much happiness and joy. Well, usually. This time around it's about the blood.

We'll be teaching Good Day Sacramento how you make an affordable blood packet. Teen Slasher is a bloody show, but we realized very quickly and audience doesn't want us just running out and dumping a bucket of blood on them. We needed a more elegant blood adding solution, something that would get the audience excited.

Enter the Squib! It's capitalized because they're invaluable awesomeness. Squibs are packets of blood set to explode onstage and on camera when the audience is watching.

Most actors and actresses don't really want to be shot or bleed on camera, so squibs play the o' so important role of making that murder look real. They can become expensive though. When we first thought about using them in Teen Slasher we were priced out pretty quickly. They sure looked amazing, but we didn't have the money. Mix in technology, and squib triggers, and you can begin spending quite a bit on squibs.

Horror fans, and Halloween aficionados rejoice, because we figured out how to make squibs for cheap. Very cheap. Like 10 cents a squib cheap. We improvised a solution. Of course, you'll be setting them off manually in your hands, but our Rocklin audience at Blacktop doesn't mind. In fact, a blood squib works great for an improv show, because you're not really sure where they're going to "shoot" when you squeeze.

Over the past four years of performing Teen Slasher, the blood has gone everywhere. The record is 30 feet. Pretty impressive for a tiny little bag of blood. Just make sure and use blood that washes out. Very important.

Interested in learning how to create a squib? We have a tutorial on Youtube. And, be sure to turn on CW31 Sunday morning when Betsaida, Jordan, Cristian, Chris and Paul and the Good Day reporter will be making squibs and using them live at Blacktop Comedy. It's going to be fun.

Betsaida makes some Squibs!