Improv Advice: Improv Teams

If you’re looking for a quick tip, a tidbit of knowledge, a morsel of smarts we’ve got the show for you! Improv Wisdom! A deep dive into the depths of improv. Let us be your guide as we take an insightful look into what makes a good improviser. In Rocklin? In Sacramento? No! The world! We’ve teach you how to be best improv comedian around. It’s a micro class, for your busy day!

And, if you’re at work, and cant watch we’ve included the transcript below

IMPROV WISDOM TRANSCRIPT

Hi, welcome to Paul talks about Improv. I'm going to talk about Improv and you're going to listen or watch another video, but you're already five seconds into this one, so commit. Let's go all the way. Shall we?

Nick writes, “Paul and thinking about joining an Improv team. The question is, do I join one or nine? There's lots of people who are interested in me.”

Nick, thanks for the humble brag. You're a great improviser and you should also join as many teams as possible. Believe me, not all teams will be successful, but you know what? All teams do. Take a picture. You'll take a picture together and that picture will last forever. So even if your team is unsuccessful, you'll have a record of being with other people on stage. Those people might become famous. Eventually you might become a teacher, and as a teacher you can always cite. Having worked with a famous improviser, students will think, wow, you've worked with a famous person. You must be a good teacher.

So, I always recommend beyond as many teams as possible because you never know who might make it and who might not.

Camp Fire Relief Fundraiser

Every day at Blacktop, we host classes, or shows, or rehearsals, we do something that relies on working together.  Most of what we do is comprised of improvisational comedy, which is unscripted theater made up on the spot.  The tenets of improv involve support and agreement, with your scene partner or team.   And as a team, class, or our overall community, we practice this emotional, mental, playful support constantly.  Whether it’s a warm-up, an exercise, or a game the key is I’ve got your back and you’ve got mine.   It’s all about teamwork.   Without a partner or a team in improv, the show means nothing, there is no one key player or character in an improv show.   It can’t work unless everyone is on board.

I’ve seen games or shows work out even if everyone wasn’t on the teamwork page, but it took longer than necessary. And good improv (you’ll know it when you see it), happens more often when the players agree (even if it appears their characters are disagreeing).

I’ve been fortunate enough to get in a little teaching, take some amazing workshops, and see some incredible shows.  I still get stage fright. Like, hardcore stage fright.  I still worry if I will be able to contribute and make the right move at the right time.  Sometimes I need to remind myself still, that it isn’t about me, it’s about what we are going to do on stage together.

Lesson Learned Part One: It isn’t about me.

Each year Blacktop Comedy does a fall fundraiser, raising material goods and monetary donations to a local charity.   This year as we were planning, the Camp Fire broke out. It’s a staggering tragedy that effects countless lives. It’s a disaster. Every time you turn on the news, or read an article you’re struck by the mounting losses. I’m also struck by the sense of community, and peoples willingness to come together, and help one another.

Leason Learned Part Two: It’s about us.

We want to help. And, what we do is make people laugh. We’re taking that skill, and turning it into a fundraiser for the Camp Fire relief efforts.

We at Blacktop will be hosting a fundraiser comedy show on Friday, November 30th at 8pm.  It will be a variety show of stand-up, sketch, and improv comedy.  We’ll have stand-up comedy by Kelley Nicole, Cristian Amaral, and Syndey Roll.  The sketch writing and talents of Jay Miller and Kevin Scott Brown. Featuring performances by Jordan Mata and Austin Jansma.  Improv performances by Blacktop’s incredible house team of Paul Burke, improv veterans Dustin Seidler and Troy Wallis, as well as Shoana Hunt and myself (Ciara Cumiskey).  I am immensely thankful to all the comics, volunteers, and Blacktop Comedy donating their time and efforts.

Proceeds from the show will benefit the North Valley Community Foundation Camp Fire Relief Fund.  The NVCF is based in Chico and distributes grants to multiple causes affected by the fire ranging from churches, to veterans, to animals, and shelters in the area.

We are not collecting material donations at this event, as most organizations are requesting monetary donations first.  If you would like to donate directly to the NVCF for a tax-deductible donation you can donate here:   www.nvcf.org

If you’re interested in volunteering you can work with Caring Choices: www.caring-choices.org/

They will be needing volunteers in the coming weeks and months to facilitate recovery.

We thank you in advance for support of your and our community.  We look forward to seeing you at the show, around town, and just living life.  

Thank you for being part of community and helping out those in need! We all have the opportunity to help.

Teen Slasher Cast Interview

Last month we brought Teen Slasher back for it’s 8th season. This time Teen Slasher took the Rocklin audience to space!

Lots of murder, mayhem, and laughs ensued. I had a chance to sit down with the cast and ask them some questions about the performance, preparation, and favorite moments.

A lot of work goes into this improvised genre comedy! If you would like to see some pictures and videos from the show be sure to check out our Instagram.

What was your favorite kill during Teen Slasher?

Kevin:  It wasn't really a kill, but Troy's character during the first show was badly injured. He wasn't dead, so he crawled onto the stage, dragging himself across, and did it several time during the show and it killed me each time.

Dustin:  My favorite kill during teen slasher was a failed kill. Troys character was almost killed but never died and kept coming back crawling and dragging himself across stage. It was such a fun bit.

Jay:  That’s a tough one. We did one show where I was turned into a rat-man hybrid by Dustin’s character. I ended up eating Austin while Kevin (who was amazing on lights and sound) activated the blacklight strobe. Austin’s character was likeable and sympathetic, which made it a genuinely terrifying and emotional moment in which a character’s death truly mattered. It felt like a real, heart wrenching moment in a good movie and it stuck with me because of that

Troy:  In rehearsal we had an alien that would just make people explode.
So we had fun just bringing on random characters that would just be there to explode.

Sydney:  Oh, well during one of our rehearsals someone killed a monster with a giant condom.

Which has been your favorite character to perform and why?

Kevin:  While I wasn't a character this year, but I have done it in the past. I remember playing Chad, a jock, which was different for me since I am such a nerdy person in real life. It was a lot of fun to emulate that kind of person and confidence.  

Dustin:  My favorite character to play was Jays son that turned evil. It was a lot of fun playing with the transformation of the kid as he turned bad. I had a blast playing with the voice bouncing back and forth between sweet and innocent to possessed and evil.

Jay:  Les Talent was a joy. I rarely play villains or jerks, so playing an egomaniacal space captain on the verge of a psychotic break was a nice change of pace. Les ended up being the killer in that particular show, so I had the chance to get out of my comfort zone with a character.

Troy:  In rehearsal again I played an alien who could no longer feel emotions but

had them before. He had to make a choice to lose emotions and live or just die. It was interesting to see how that character felt about himself and other people after the incident that left him emotionless.

Sydney:  I have one character and he is a very old man. He's fun, cause he's sassy and usually has a storied past.

Tips for anyone looking to use fake blood?

Kevin:  If you get in on your clothes, make sure to NOT dry it in the dryer until the stain is completely gone. If you are not careful, the dryer can heat press the stain and it will never come out. Also, avoid getting it in your mouth.

Dustin:  Tips for using fake blood would be practice using it  lots before the show. I would also recommend finding fun ways to deliver the fake blood. My favorite was the water gun filled with fake blood.

Jay:  There are numerous types/brands of fake blood. Understand how yours works. If you’re spilling it (as opposed to using it as costume makeup), practice with it and understand how it sprays, whether it stains, etc.

Troy:  Practice Practice Practice. Know your blood capabilities and limitations. Have fun!

Sydney:  Either take careful precaution and... post-caution (?), or just be prepared to have everything covered in blood for the rest of all time.

What surprised you during your run of Teen Slasher?

Kevin:  The biggest surprise is was how quickly the cast was able to come together and put on an amazing show. We had less than 20 days from our first rehearsal to our first show. They all worked so hard and showed real passion.

Dustin:  What surprised me the most was how slippery the stage got with the fake blood. At moments I felt like a was doing blood ice capades.  

Jay:  No matter how many times I perform in Teen Slasher (this is my 6th year), the audience turnout never ceases to amaze me. Despite loving the genre, seeing full houses for every show was a huge surprise. Maybe October just gets people in the mood to see some bloodshed.

Troy:  Putting the Teen Slasher Genre into space was a more challenging than I thought it would be.  There were many ways to introduce a "killer". Rogue Alien on board. Or some biological mishap that changed crew members.  With no defined killer the story line could get a little confusing.

Sydney:  If you buy white pants from a thrift store, about 90% of what you find will be 10+ years old.


What's one tip you would give another improviser interested in genre work?

Kevin:  I would say there is a very delicate balance when doing genre work. It takes both researching the genre and experimentation. You need to be both truthful to the source material but also make it your own.

Dustin:  Genre work is a lot of fun. I would recommend anyone interested in working on genre work start by watching and researching the genre they want to perform. Make the plot simple and easy to follow. Focus most on the characters and relationship in the story they are most important.

Jay:  First, make sure you understand how to tell a story. Being a good storyteller will make any genre show easier. Second, understand your genre. Read it, watch it and absorb it as much as you can. Recognizing the tropes that pop up in your chosen genre means you can take utilize them to tell your story well.

Troy:  Focus on characters not plot. Keep it simple. Foreshadowing can be really fun.   Example: setting up rooms with weapons or different ways someone could die. Then using those things later in the show.

Sydney:  Do your research! Genre work is the same as anything else really, you just have to know what you're drawing from.