the greats always revolutionize their field

Simon Sez (Simon Says) with professional entertainer Steve Max!

Today's Biggest Laugh Nominee

Class Act Performing Artists and Speakers - Historical - Theodore Roosevelt

Couple additions

A couple of great bearded men have been brought to my attention:

Father Time (creator and harbinger of time, got tired of shaving after the first 3 billion years)

Poseidon (Greek God of the sea)

Rip Van Winkle (althought the beard was a product of his falling asleep for 30 years, he didn't shave it right away. that counts.)

just some quick amendments.

bl

The Great Man Theory (Beard Classification)

There is a theory in history called the Great Man Theory. It says that certain things in history would not have happened were it not for certain "great men." The music of Mozart would not exist were it not for Mozart's life. The New Deal would not have helped keep America alive if it weren't for FDR. And Survivor would not feature as many naked, gay men were in not for Richard Hatch. I'm not sure if I agree with this theory or not. Some things work themselves out without the help of a spokesman or activist and some things happen because of a group of people's efforts, not just one man.

However, the Beard Classification of the Great Man Theory, which I have developed I definitely believe in. It states that all great men have had or will have a beard at some time in their life. It mostly applies to men in history, but you can extend it out to your family, your friends, or even local law enforcement (I guarantee very few of them have had beards.)
Look at the facts. The following great men have had beards:

George Carlin (one of the greatest comedians of all time)

Ulysses S. Grant (instrumental in reuniting the Union)

Myself (i am an out-of-work improviser)

Bill Murray (a skilled actor and natural born comedian)

Socrates (smart guy, developed a method)

Rasputin (impossible to kill)

ZZ Top (not my favorite, but probably my favorite beards. the drummer, by the way, is the only one without a beard and his name is frank beard. that kills me.)

abraham lincoln (freed the slaves, kind of) interesting tid bit:
Abraham Lincoln's Beard

This guy: Beard research

Leonard Maltin (alien)

I'd have to have more information about these guys to determine if the theory holds true; their homelife, their eating habits, etc. World Beard and Moustache Championships Carson City 2003

Karl Marx (good theorist. some people took him a little too seriously and we had to kill them, but good theories.)

Kenny Rogers (The Gambler, Through the Years, Gray Beard. Need I say more?)

Barry White (Soul ManDiva)

Steven Speilberg (duh)

God (open to discussion)

Jesus (great accomplishments)

The Beatles (the reason rock music is what it is)

fletch (good stuff)

osama bin laden (not a great man in the conventional sense. what he orchestrated was horrible, but admittedly, great in a sense of historical impact.)

albert einstein (relativity, quantum physics, bike riding)
http://www.oco-is-here.com/Picts/einstein_beard.jpg

charles darwin (evolution, natural selection, giant turtles)

lionel richie (my #1 idol)

and the list goes on and on...

I'm working on a formula for length of time having the beard. Some great men have gone almost their whole life with the beard. Some just try it as a fleeting, passing thought; a "maverick move." (i.e. Al Gore post election debacle) For the most part, those who have engaged in the beard for a short time are just posing as great men. They have something in their subconscious that is most likely keeping them from keeping the beard. They work in government or food service or are child molesters. SOMETHING is keeping them from retaining the beard.

There is also the men who grow beards for a part in a movie or something. They obviously don't count.

Another important caveat to the theory is that all great have had or will have a beard in their life. This means that someone who has never had a beard can still be a great man, they just haven't grown the beard in yet. when their time comes, they'll know it.

And just for clarification, bearded ladyies do not count because they are not men. There's no "Great Bearded Lady Theory" that I know of. Sorry.

And lastly, remember that a beard can have feelings, too. the truly great bearded men in history have actually heard the screams of pain coming from long-time beards that they have to remove for whatever stupid reason. be it a wedding, a film role, a job, or a lame girlfriend. so please remember next time you are about to discriminate against a beard, it is almost a person, too.


throw away your razor with seven freakin' blades.
bl

Poor Kid

CD: No music, too bored.

I'm really bored so I googled myself. Yes, I'm that egotistical. Look who popped up in front of me.
Google Search: jeremy lamb

Well, being an actor this could be bad for my career. He's way hotter than me and I can't have people thinking I live in California. It could really affect my potential to get gigs. So, I sent him an email:

Jeremy Lamb,
Where do you get off being above me in google?
When i google myself, i want to be at the top of the list, you understand? Please remove your site and any other reference to your name on the internet. I have trademarked "Jeremy Lamb" because I am in show business. If you do not comply within 72 hours I will be forced to contact my law team.

Thank you and have a great day.
Jeremy Lamb
Chicago, IL

I swear. Any shmuck with a blog thinks they can just put anything on the internet. The internet is reserved for commerce. Commerce and the military. I wish people would take commerce a little more seriously. It would make it much easier for us to get to Mars.

bl

the steppenDition

CD: downloaded Elliot Smith, dead

Well, the Steppenwolf audition went OK. for the first two monologues which were assigned by the auditioners, i was nervous and rushed them. i missed a lot of the finer points de bebe and i worked on in preparation. the monologue i wrote went over well. they found it funny and seemed to perk up at the character's energy. the song went off really well. the initial shock of my naked body sent them reeling with laughter. i think they enjoyed it. on my way out, they said it was memorable.
BING. exactly what i was going for. they remember me. they have something to talk about at dinner tonight. they have a reason to call one of their friends. they remembered it. bing. hopefully they remember it in a good way. not in a spastic nightmare kind of way.

callbacks are monday and i really have no clue if i'll be invited. i slagged on the monologues but made up for it with performance and charm. hopefully that's enough to get me into one of the most well-known theatres in the world.

hope. hope. here's to hope.

b

my written Steppenologue

CD: Al Green Gets Next to You

In the Steppenwolf audition packet they give a list of possible titles for monologues that the auditioners are to write and present for the audition. They all start with "On" and end in what they should be about. Since I have a cell phone joke already imbedded in my naked SRV bit, I though it would be a good way to go. I wrote 3 possible drafts, one too dramatic, one too weird and this one:

On the wonders of a cell phone

Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen and welcome to tonight's performance of "Nunsense III, Atilla the Nun." Couple of quick announcements, in the case of an emergency, please be advised that there are two fire exits near the front of the stage and two main exits in the back of the hall,. Also, please turn all of your cell phones or pagers to an "off" setting. During the show I will be passing through the audience to make sure that you have done so. Please be aware that under a new City of Muskogee ordinance, I have the right to rudely ask you to turn off your device should I find it on. Should you not comply, I have the power and the strength to remove you from this Earth and place you on a quasi-ethereal plane where you will endure unyielding, unmitigated pain. Cell phones are for weak people who are afraid to be alone with their thoughts.
OK. Thank you, and please enjoy tonight's performance of Atilla the Nun".

He's a pretty easy character and I was up to challenging myself with the dramatic one, but Bebe reeled me in and pointed out that I should play to my strengths in an audition and leave the risk taking for rehearsals once I get the gig. my SRV bit is super-risky but definitely something i can do. it's shaping up nicely. i edited Little Wing down to 2 minutes of sweet, sweet, naked air guitar action. If nothing else it will be something they can't get out of their mind and if I don't get hired I can always say I danced naked at a Steppenwolf audition.

But, timeline wise, I'm right where I need to be. I've got the monologues almost totally memorized. Tomorrow, I fine tune and go through the blocking. And Thursday, glory will be mine.

b

The Steppenwolf Essays

CD: G-Stoned by Kruder and Dorfmeister

I have selected my Steppenwolf essays for the audition. They gave me a big packet to and told me to choose two of them. some of them would be really hard, some were stupid and kind of void. The best by far is the one written by Steve Martin. And it goes a little something like this:

THE SMOKER
by Steve Martin

He lit the cigarette and smoked it down to the filter in one breath. He silently thanked the cigarette company for being thoughtful enough about his health to include a filter to protect him. So he lit up another. This time he didn't exhale the squeaky-clean filtered smoke, but just let it nestle in his lungs. Some more smokers knocked on his door and they came in and they all started smoking along with him. "How wonderful it is that we're all smoking," he thought. Everyone smoked and smoked and after they smoked they all talked about smoking and how nice it was that they were all smokers and then they smoked some more. They all sang "Smoke That Cigarette" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." Then the smokers smoked one more cigarette and left him alone in his easy chair, about to relax and enjoy a nice quiet smoke. And then his lips fell off.

This is one of the greatest examples of misdirection i have ever seen. The huge set-up gets you ready for something and the punchline delivers a completely different, absurd pay-off. Classic Steve Martin wackiness and sarcasm. I love it. I may actually have trouble delivering the end because it makes me laugh every time. Hopefully, after rehearsing it a bit I'll get more used to it, but I don't know.

My second choice is a little more dramatic, a bit of a weak spot for me.

THE LAWYER
by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee

Yes there is something holy to me! The power of the individual mind. In a child's power to master the multiplication table there is more sanctity than in all your shouted "Amens!," "Holy, Holies!" and "Hosannahs!" An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral. And the advance of man's knowledge is more of a miracle than any sticks turned to snakes, or the parting of waters. But are we know to halt the march of progress because Mr. Brady frightens us with a fable? (to the jury) Gentlemen, progress has never been a bargain. You've got to pay for it... Darwin has moved us forward to a hilltop, where we can look back and see the way from which we came. But for this view, this insight, this knowledge, we must not abandon our faith in the pleasant poetry of Genesis.

This is actually a monologue from "Inherit the Wind," a play about the controversy of the Scopes Monkey Trial, which put a teacher on the block for teaching evolution in a publicly funded school. I was actually in this play in high school and the actor who played, Brady, used a fat suit. I still have that fat suit and in fact, Ty Sheer's character is grealy influenced by it.
Anyway, the monologue has a lot of meaning for me. I share the LAWYER's views and know the play pretty well. I picked it because i think the steppenPeople are looking for opinionated players who stand behind what their theatre is saying. I'm hoping that will come across in my essays. And then I'll dance naked for them. (smily face made of punctuation)

learn monologues: now

bl

roller coaster today

CD: Stevie Ray Vaughn's Greatest Hits (Little Wing on repeat)

today was one helluva roller coaster day. i woke up optimistic about the day. after last night's euphoria with the movie and all (see yesterday's entry) i was riding high on confidence that i was still a worthy performer, still able to improvise, and still able to portray good characters.
my roller coaster was riding high.
i had an audition @ 3 this afternoon for a new troupe called LIQUID, and i was feeling a bit cocky. after all, my solo tour is taking off nicely, i just finished making a great movie i'm very proud of, and thursday i have an audition with steppenwolf, the most well-known theatre company in chicago, maybe in the US. not an open audition either, oh no, an audition i was invited to. so i'm thinking, i don't even need this LIQUID gig. i may not have time for this. i'm going on tour and performing a steppenwolf show. of course, i don't have the steppenGig yet and the tour is really only planned up into the first week of April.
so, i thought i would take a chance and just not give a hoot at today's audition. i thought maybe not being all high-strung about getting a spot in the troupe would help relax me and just let the prov flow. i was way wrong. early on in the audition, which was group style with about six people i didn't know (standard), i made some huge denials. i was a bit careless about the whole thing and i really screwed myself. i felt stupid and i felt like i was being rude to the other players who were trying to build things up with me. on top of all of this, i wasn't funny either. i started getting over anxious about how i flubbed the first half of the audition and after that i was a wreck. i was super nervous and no help to anyone. i left feeling very dejected. i had blown another audition. roller coaster underground and power was failing.

i needed a way to feel better so i went shopping. i got a new blouse and some great new steve maddens (3-in. heel).

i felt better but then i thought about how i have even less than no money now that i had gone and shopped. i was all bummed and when i got home i checked the mail. a letter from second city. i opened it and was relieved to find i was accepted to their conservatory program. it's not a huge accomplishment, i'll warrant. your success rate is probably pretty high when your acceptance is going to depend on you giving them money. so i got in and now i owe them $255. but, i'm very excited. it IS the reason i came here and i hope it will be fulfilling and introduce me to people with similar interests and maybe to future business partners in improv.
so, my roller coaster was going back up.

when i had settled in back home i started to work on my steppenDition. it's three parts. 1) the recital of two essays chosen from a packet they provided. 2) the recital of an essay that i write myself on any number of topics they provided. 3) a song.

the song is the only one that makes me nervous. i love music and i love singing but i'm a terrible singer. not tonally inclined, i suppose. so, i'm listening to some of my CDs and singing along rather loudly, starting to get worried that the song is going to be the weak part of my audition. this is stepenwolf, i can't have a weak part. suddenly, it hit me like a truck and i smiled. LITTLE WING.
back in the day about 4 years ago i did this film piece that was a music video for Stevie Ray Vaughn's instrumental version of Hendrix's Little Wing. i just played air guitar and jerked and jumped around. the kick was i was naked. i framed it so the essential elements were just out of site but you knew they were there. it turned out to be one of the funniest things i've ever done. i've since done a live version that few can forget, my parents included, my mother especially.
it occurred to me that this is the best thing i could do musically for my steppenwolf audition. my roller coaster is still riding high with this idea. it makes me very confident for the audition. but i learned from today that both confidence and focus are needed for an audition to go well. i have a few days to prepare and most of my time is going to be devoted to mastering these monologues. i'm going to have a great time at that audition and i hope that helps me to get the job. i could use a little affirmation.

what could possibly bring the roller coaster down to a normal level? dishes. here i go.

bl

Very Fulfilled, Tired

CD: G-Stoned by Kruder and Dorfmeister (thanks, Mo)

Just turned in my short film for Vidiocy 5 (vidiocy.org) and I haven't felt so good about filmmaking since high school. in college, i was a disenchanted film major. The film dept. was very strict about who could make films and who couldn't, a function of it being the largest university in the country no doubt. i was just very turned off to filmmaking by the time i barely graduated. but over the last month and particularly tonight, i have regained all the joy i got from it when it didn't matter and it was just some friends and a camera.

Vidiocy is a Chicago film project that doles out random titles to participants and gives them one month to make a film with their given title. All the films are exhibited a week later and a panel of judges picks 4 finalists and the audience votes on who the top three are. De Bebe and I got "The Candidate" as our random title. I'll have to admit I wasn't too excited about the title. I'm not into topical humor or political satire because it's usually cliche and dates itself easily. so, we tried to put spins on the idea of what a candidate could be. we couldn't come up with anything better than to just have a character who was running for president. it's a very easy character. he's misinformed, foolish, and not successful in the end. pretty standard character so it was easy to play. i was able to make him pretty real though, very funny, and a bit tragic (the best characters always are.)
De Bebe, however had a more difficult job as the host of a Canadian tv show that was following me and making a news magazine on my campaign. she had to be a fast talker and well-informed. very difficult considering the whole thing was improvised. she pulled it off very well i must say and the film came out really great. we also did a good job of keeping the material fresh and i think the film will still be good in ten years. in other words, it wasn't chock full of political gossip and cheap shot jokes that aren't going to make sense to your kids. it was more about the two main characters.

Unfortunately, for Vidiocy, there is a cap of ten minutes on each entrants length, which I can totally understand. the danger of getting some long-winded pile of pooh that's 30 minutes long is always an issue with a completely open film festival. i had a tough time cutting ours down to 10 minutes and by the end it was about 5 seconds over. but i'm sure they'll be a little loose on the time thing. the piece could have really been about twenty minutes and still been excellent.

My love for filmmaking was kind of unearthed by this whole experience but more specifically, my love for editing. I started at 1 this afternoon with two hours of raw footage and worked nonstop up to midnight, the deadline for submission. It felt great to be editing again. I think if I wasn't going on tour and making my living do improv (knock on buddha) i would be pursuing something in film/video editing. and if I wasn't doing that, i'd be a calligriphizing monk, hopefully in newfoundland.
i love the synthesis aspect of editing. it's like making a sculpture from a big chuck of marble. you start by just staring at a huge cube. but you can visualize what the final product is going to look like in your head and you work hard and fast to fulfill that image, trimming and placing. directing for the stage is the same way. good directors, sculptors, and editors can effectively fulfill that original inspiration in their work. i got pretty close to what i wanted tonight with "the candidate." and tomorrow, i'm going to go back and make it what it should be; a 20 minute short film with everything i know it can be. but for vidiocy, it's still a great film, and i know it will do well.

The show is this wednesday, so wish me luck, my faithful blogateer.
also wish me luck on my steppenwolf audition which is thursday. more on that after the break. stay tuned. you won't want to miss it.

sleepy time for edited bebe.
bl

Michael Jackson Wake

CD: Downloaded Jackson 5

I have an idea for a show. It's not really a show. It's more like a party. Actually, it's more like a wake.

It's a big open room where people come in and sit on the hardwood floor and listen to old Jackson Five ballads and early MJ albums with the lights down really low. Everyone just comes in to pay their respects. There's no dancing allowed, even when Billie Jean comes on. At the door they give you a little personal Kleenex pack. You know those little ones wrapped in plastic that make it impossible to get tissues. So, everyone just sits around and cries on each other because they can't get any tissues out. The shoulders of red and black leather jackets are being ruined left and right and nobody seems to care. They just keep crying. Heal the World comes on and the empoyees of the place have to get out mops so that people don't drown. Then Paul McCartney shows up and starts to yell at people. Then they play Say, Say, Say and and he just starts bawling. When every great song has been heard, there's a five minute break so everyone can cry. Then a huge movie screen comes down and everyone watches Ben and The Wiz. At the funny parts, there's an awkward, remembered laugh, but mostly everyone just cries.
When everyone's done crying and hugging and reminiscing, Stevie Wonder shows up and plays I Can't Help It. At this point the entire room explodes into tears. I'm guessing about half of the people would pass away. The other half would have the greatest experience of their entire life.
The living would return to their homes with renewed respect for one of the greatest performers and songwriters of the 20th century. And every year on the anniversary of the Wake, they'd share a quiet sob with loved ones, all seated around this picture:


This is something that almost always make me cry when I give it more than a second of thought. I recently repurchased Off the Wall and I had forgotten about THE picture in the insert. The insert has lots of pictures but there's one in particular that destroys me when I see it. It's the first thing you see when you open it. It has this weird Mona Lisa like quality. He looks really happy but also sad at the same time. Maybe it's just in hindsight, knowing what he looks like now, but it looks like he's sad that he doesn't look that way anymore. I know that's weird, but that's what I get from it. When I opened it again for the first time in a long time I saw it and it made me cry. It made me think of the big open room and all the people crying for the loss of Michael.
When I repurchased Off the Wall, I noticed it was a special remastered version with unreleased tracks. There's an old demo of Don't Stop Til you Get Enough that Michael recorded with all his brothers and sisters at their house. They're all just beating on pots and pans and having a great time playing great soul. That really made me sad all over again.

It's his loss of innocence, his loss of self, and his loss of life. That's why I want to have a wake for Michael.

bl

Ty Sheer Photos

CD: No CD, Bebe sleeping

Ty sent me these photos of himself hosting MONDO. I notice he didn't send any other photos of the night's occurences. Just ones of himself.





Ty told me he "had to kiss this young man to kill time in between acts."

Man, they say you can't pick your relatives.
Well, they're right.

bl

blog neglection

CD: downloaded Jose Feliciano (not dead, but blind)

Tour labors have kept me from updating this blog. I spent about twelve hours typing up contracts and proposals today. The funny thing is, I enjoyed every minute of it. It didn't feel like work. This must be my true calling.

Oh, I was also in Florida as part of a Valentine's present to De Bebe. We visited my folks and then I met her parents for the first time. They are pretty cool. They had some interesting questions about my past (the whole lamb thing) but I fielded their questions pretty well I thought.

Soon, there will be some good pictures from the last Gong Show as well as pictures of Ty Sheer in action at MONDO, and the story of how my first balloon shirt blew out of my truck and was run over by some tool on lakeshore blvd.

good stuff all aorund.

carpal tunneled,
bl

I am poor. Don't you understand?

CD: Bad by Michael Jackson

Here is a listing from a recent Chicago Reader for a couple shows that interested me.

Andy Kaufman ruthlessly toyed with audience expectations in the 70s, and more recently reality shows have made public humiliation a staple of popular culture. Still, prepare to squirm tonight at the hapless ventriloquists, dancers, and comedians in Forced Entertainment's First Night, in which viewers' reactions to performances gone awry are all part of the show. The British experimental theater company calls it "part TV variety show and part vaudeville." It runs tonight, Friday, and Sunday, February 6 and 8, at 7:30 PM at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago. Tickets are $22; call 312-280-2660 or see www.mcachicago.org.
On Tuesday, February 3, at 6, the Institute of Failure, a collaboration between Forced Entertainment and local experimentalists Goat Island, will present a piece called Failures of Speech in the School of the Art Institute's auditorium, 280 S. Columbus. Tickets to that are $15 ($10 if you have a ticket to First Night; $3 for students) and are available through the MCA box office.

it's funny that my post from jan 30 speaks exactly to this group's goals. i am very excited that they have managed to make a name for themselves failing on purpose for large numbers of people. i would definitely go see these shows except for one problem.
THEY'RE TOO EXPENSIVE.
and i don't blame them. coming all the way from london and touring with a show it would be difficult to make profit enough to pay the actors. and it sounds like they deserve pay. the fault for the ticket price is probably not with the company. i would imagine it's with the space. renting a space is always the biggest chunk of any theatre budget. isn't there some way these venues can keep their profits in check so that the savings can be passed onto the starving audience? the actors are starving artists and some of the audience is too.

i don't wish i had lots of money so i could afford this. i'd rather wish that it was somehow more affordable for the average person, or in my case, the below average person.

it's a shame. probably a great show.

i'm off to do the gong show. i've been working hard on my routine and i'm fairly certain i can fail on purpose and have it be the best piece of the night.

to sucking.

bl

FREE IMPROV CLASS

CD: Sargeant Pepper's

Monday at about ... let me back up ... my friend and improv cohort jon benner was randomly in town last week. he performed with me for five years in well hung jury down in austin. so monday night at about 6 he calls me and tells me there's a free improv jam going on in chicago that he heard about from some friends up here. so i put on my snow boots and headed to the specified locale. as i'm going in jon heads me off and shows me a piece of paper with the rules for the improv class. apparently, i was stepping into some kind of secret society class that no one is really suppose to talk about. the guy running it is steeped in viola spolin games and only likes to teach them to people he knows.
it appeared that as usual, jon had overstepped his bounds and invited me to something he wasn't even invited to. i was crashing an improv workshop. it felt strange at first, but i thought, "well, he only has to see me do a couple of things before he approves and it will all be cool after that."
so we're sitting in this reception hall at an upscale flower shop in the warehouse district. the "instructor" comes up to me and gives me his handout. i thank him cordially and read over the contents. i wish i had kept it so i could quote it directly because it was very specific.

1. You must have spolin games experience (Second City doesn't count.)

This is a red flag to me right away. this guy is obviously tired of people taking second city classes and calling themselves good improvisers afterward. i share the same sentiment. however, it comes off very rude when he says it. i'm not sure what to think. i keep reading.

2. You are to arrive no earlier than 7pm and no later 7:15. Class will begin at 7:30. Do not go to the front door and do not knock on the front door. Entrance will only be at the back of the building.

Of course, i received this sheet after being early, going to the front door and knocking. I found out later that this was the first of these classes to ever happen. i think making demands like this on a sheet of instructions is very pretentious. and constraining. it doesn't invite me to be very creative, or loose, or innovative. simply saying "we will start promptly at 7:30. please enter in the back" is enough.

3. You must be ready to play when you arrive.

I was ready to play definitely. this one doesn't bother me.

4. Class size is limited to 12 people. If there are more, they will be asked to watch.

I look around the room. 9 people. excellent. no problem. i'm in. since i had been on time and we were approaching the 7:30 start time, i assumed i was golden.

there were some other rules that i can't fully recall but they also irked me slightly. mind you, we had been sitting there for about fifteen minutes with the instructor, mussolini, in the room just kind of hanging out. not a lot of talking.
so when it came time to start, i had fully read the instructions having disagreed with most of them but ready to prov nonetheless.

so he gets up and says "welcome to the first one of these workshops. we have some new people with us (pointing in my and jon's direction) and they'll just be watching tonight." WHAT. how can we be new and this is the first one of these? who the fuck are you? you can't hold a free class and then tell me when i'm the ninth person that i have to watch. i wanted to stand up and interrupt him and say, "uh, i think i'm in the wrong place. this is not going to be enjoyable for me. thanks."
but i chilled myself out a bit and thought, "well, i wasn't invited. i did kind of crash his workshop. it's his call whether or not i should be allowed to participate. i should purse my lips and chill out." so that's what i did.
Then i got upset again when i remembered before the workshop when he was just sitting there doing nothing and had plenty of opportunities to let us know we wouldn't be participating. he didn't have to call us out in front of the other actors.
i sat and watched. i boiled a bit. the improv was pretty good. his instruction was not that great and too rigid for my taste. but it was cool to see good actor's with little improv experience doing scenework. they're often better than improviser's with no acting experience. usually too schticky, too comic.
i was doubly tortured. i had to watch other people improv and be lead by a lackluster teacher. and i wasn't allowed to muck in. it drove a tiny bit crazy and when he left the room to go potty and lather his riding crop, i jumped and said my goodbyes. he caught me on the way out and i thanked him and shook his hand. i left feeling like i had been beaten up.
so far in my chicago improv experiences, i haven't seen very good improv. i have seen some. but most of what i can afford is only what i see other people do in group auditions. and that usually stinks. so, here i had the chance to do good prov with good actors who were discovering the art form and enjoying themselves thouroughly. i was thwarted by a man who is afraid of improvisers. a man who's horse was so high he had to wear an oxygen mask most of the class.
very depressing.

it's really getting on my nerves that no body takes my word on how good i am. around here, they've all heard it a thousand times. every jag off and their dog has been in an improv show and they all think they're grand masters. and the people in power are tired of being misled. i can understand it, but it still chafes me.

my new resume makes me look more professional,
bl