i sleep to dream about improv.
i dream to improv about sleep.
i improv to get laid.

more week in weird places musings coming soon. i have been gloriously busy for a great purpose of late.
my snag has gotten larger but it provides a nice breeze to cool my tickled side.

b

week in weird places diary

raw form. no editing or grammar checking of any kind.

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

I love my job. For the past couple days I've been perfmroing with the greatest friends I have in the world in interesting circumstances and situations. We've embarked on a bit of a PR stunt in order to gain some semblance of recognition in th evacuum of an improv market know as chicago. The press has actually been very helpful clinging to our seemingly wacky ideas about doing free improv in places other than theatres all over the city. Week in weird places is definitely one of my great ideas and it has paid off for me several times. I think I may be ding it in some form or another for many years to come. I did it three times in austin with my first group, well hung jury, and now here in chicago it's getting us a fair amount of attention with the papers. We've had our picture published in the tribune which is one of the biggest newspapers in the world and definitely the cat's meow here in chicago. I also used my number as the contact and reservation line for the shows so it got published as well. It's been an interesting week or so answering the phone not knowing at all who it's going to be. Now, I've got a cell phone and it's the only phone I use. Land lines are for suckers and pizza joints. I can hardly remember the days when I shunned caller ID as elitist and pessimistic. When your phone rings you answer it. That was also before I had some outstanding medical bills that somebody in a no ffice downtown would really like to get a hold of. But anyway, answering the phone has been interesting.

"Hello"
"Is this the number for the improv?"
"Yes, for Available Cupholder's Week in Weird Places?"
"Uh, yes."
-Pause-
"Well, what do you need to know?"
"Uh, Tuesday's show is at a Days Inn?"
"Yes, 1816 N. Clark and the show runs-"
"How long is it?"
"The show runs about an hour and it star-"
"What time does it start?"
"All the shows start at 7pm and they're fr-"
"How much is admission?"
"They're free."

And it was like this all week long. People had all the information right there in front of them. I'm not sure if they just needed to make totally sure of things or what.
So, Tuesday's show was certainly an I odd circumstance. When we went into planning for the week in weird places we wanted to pick somewhere picturesque with a nice view for the first day. Thinking back to our first appearance in the Chicago Improv Festival in 2001 we stayed at a hotel near second city and late one evening we journeyed to the roof to see what we could find. Lowell and behold, we found an open space with a decent view of daowntown and a great view of the lake, right about the 15th or so floor.
So, we figured this would be a good place for our Tuesday show to kick things off. It reminded me of the first week in weird places we did and the first show we did which was atop the arboretum parking garage in austin. Good times.
We knew we might have problems when I got around 10 or so calls of people wondering about the show. This to me, meant that there were plenty of eyes who spied our mention in the papers and plenty more than that who were planning to come but didn't feel the need to call. I worried that the days inn people would get wind of our shenanigans and call us out before we even started the show.
We had mike strategically stationed out inf ront of the hotel with a sign that simply read "improv." We made our way to the top fully aware that we technically needed to be paying them several hundred dollars for the use of their roff deck. We found the place empty and ready to accept an audience and one hour performance. A few people showed up and they were eager to see some prov with the palacial lake michigan horizon as the backdrop. The audience reached around 12 at about 7pm, the scheduled start time.
Mike, our sign guy downstairs, was instructed to come up at 7:05 to kick things off. We knew something was wrong when mike showed up five minutes early with a couple days inn employees in tow. He was making a snipping gesture with his hand so we all went over to talk with them about the possibility f us staying and making a show happen. One guy was partially downed and might have been bribable. The other was not having our style and I think was taking things a bit too personal considering we weren't really doing anything wrong and certainly nothing to him, just the place he worked.
We did our best to try to keep things in line but when it came down to it you can only bribe one person unless you have lots of cash. Two guys, one of which is already upset is difficult to bribe.
We moved our show to the park and some of the audience thought that was pretty funny. I could tell they were intrigued by the fact that we had the balls to promote omething we didn't have the permission to perform. The show was pretty good. We did the elevator format that one of our old groups, gravy, had invented in austin. The audience was quiet and had swelled to about 15 but I could tell from peeking at them periodically that they were into it. We finished at around 8pm and begged for money.
One of the audence members approached with abusiness card in his hand and spoke with ace and mike about his restaurant. He owns the improv kitchen which is an interesting combination of mid-level cuisine and live improv that is fed in via a closed circuit tv studio next door. It’s a pretty cool idea that i have never partaken of simply because I can't spend $12 on a plate of food. I can hardly afford $5 on a plate of food. This is being poor and I'm alright with it for now. But he said he really liked our show and that he was interested in us coming in to perform in an 11 o'clock show slot on Saturday nigths. This would have been a better placed offer had it come earlier in te summer when we new we were going to be around, but now we about to head out on several tiny little tours anywhere in the us and we may have an eratic Saturday availability.
The other cool thing about his offer is that most f the actors who perform there get paid to do so. I'm not certain how much they get paid and the early shows have typically been short form, which I can't subject myself to at this point. Im too in love with longform and it's possibilities. But he said he was interested in us doing some experimental form in the 11pm Saturday show slot. First show out of the blocks and we got an offer from an owner for a booking. It's a pretty nice situation but it would hurt our reputation amongst the other improvisers in the scene here in chicago. They look down on any venue that isn't called improv olympic. And that includes second city and the improv kitchen. We would be further outcasting ourselves from the cliques of chicago improv, but considering we're already outcasts and leaving to go to LA next summer, this part of it doesn't bother me that much.
I'm going to try my hardest to get him to pay us. Even if it's just $50. The only reason we're giving it away right now is for publicity, and that's sure enough what we got.
After getting in the van to head home from the show I checked my voice mail messages and heard the days inn guy snottily assking us who authorized our little improv on the roof and who he should send the bill to. I still have the message saved. It's damn funny and we're planning on incorporating into our rap album which is forthcoming.
I have plenty to talk about from tonight's van safari but I'm tired of writing so I'll get around to that tomorrow or so.
I love my job.

b

WiWP

the tribune called us alfresco.
while the reader labeled us itenerant.

i guess i have two words to look up tomorrow.

man, the press is really into our week in weird places. i keep getting calls from folks who want to cofirm the info from the press release or get pictures sent to them. we're above the fold on the front page of the arts section of the reader and we've got a picture in the arts calendar of the tribune. and they've already called and told us we're going to be a "best bet" next week. totally sweet. and the best part is its all free and done over the internet. ah, cheap... AND, ripping off your own ideas is a great idea. i'll have to remember that so i can rip off my idea to rip off my ideas.

trib sans picture

reader

all hail email,
b

NBA-DL

the austin team

i'm temporarily pumped.

b

on questions

i haven't written about improv in a while and it makes me feel guilty cuz that's the whole reason this thing is here. it's turned into a more personal diary chronicling which is alright but i want to get some thoughts down on improv every once in a while.

questions
questions are a no-no in improv. a question puts pressure on your partner to define the world your trying to create together. remember, the world of improv is a scary, undefined space with blank holes of invisible items and walls. it is not until an actor comments on something that it becomes concrete and tangible (while still being physically invisible.)
i got into an argument during notes one time about assumptions. the actor said that making assumptions is dangerous in improv. sure, making assumptions may be dangerous in the real world, but for an improv world assumptions are a necessity. you are constantly picking up on clues from other actors as to what is going on. you have to make assumptions otherwise you end up with too many holes in your world. there's just simply too many things going on to make them all concrete. the trick is not to make these assumptions and then forget that they can be changed by the other actor at any time. until something is said out loud and defined as what it is, its up for grabs as to its existence. and in some cases once it has been defined, it is still changed later.
take a moment to look around you in your real-world environment. note the things that are there. a desk? four walls? a paper-weight given to you by the King of Syria? in an improv scene these things do not exist until they are defined. imagine having to pick out what is important in your environment right now in a scene all while not boring the audience with a listing of objects and setting, all while interacting with another actor who is also building a scene with you and has their own ideas of what is going on. now imagine there are several hot-ass lights trained on your eyes and a room full of strangers who have paid money to have you entertain them. you asking a question is a cop-out. you're removing the burden from yourself and putting it on someone else.
so, in a world where everything must be defined or assumed, a question put too much pressure on your partner to define. it is your job to define things you deem necessary. endow (to make real by noting) things about yourself, things about your partner, your environment, etc. Your trying to build something together and make it make sense and be rewarding for an audience. If you put the pressure on your partner to come up with an answer to your question, you've put them on the defensive in a sense and certainly you have put the spotlight on them to come up with something. take it upon yourself to come up with the answers and speak them as the truth.
and don't lean on the old "my character wouldn't have done that" line. that's horse poo. you never know what your character would have done until the show is over and done. then you fully know what that character was about. your role in a scene will never be to ask a barrage of questions (there are exceptions.) you may think as the cop in the interrogation scene that your supposed to ask questions. screw the real world. this is not the real world. this is an improv world where you have to endow and build together. make statements and your improv will improv 12-fold. plus people like to play with people who don't put pressure on them. you'll find you have more fun because other actors will be more optimistic about doing a scene with you.
of course there are exceptions to these rules and as is the case in improv the rules are usually just guidelines. to call them rules sounds too terminal. and as with any art or skill once you have mastered the rules, breaking them can be very effective and a lot of fun.

it's interesting because in the real world as myself, i love to have people ask me questions. especially if i know the answer because i like people to think i'm smart. it's why i watch jeopardy every day at 3:30. i love knowing the right answer. in improv, there is no right answer. there is only an infinite number of choices that you have to sift through with split second timing all while people are expecting something brilliant. when i watch jeopardy no one is expecting anything and there is only one answer.
"What is STOP ASKING QUESTIONS IN YOUR IMPROV?"

right, you are. make the next selection.

b

here's something i never do

i have never sat down to do a blog entry without at least a slight idea of what i want to write about. i'm just going to write and see what's on my mind.

nothing's coming. now i see why i don't do this.

i think i'm stuck. i'm snagged. my shoelaces are tied to each other and wrapped around a pole in tx. my hands are bound by uncooked meat. a tourniquet blocks my vision but keeps my cheeks dry. my forearms are sore from tennis? or from beating dying horses? i don't care for sharp cheese. i tore through the snag and left something behind me. i cut my shoelaces and now i can't tie my shoes. i ate the unprepared meat binding my wrists and got sick. but the tourniquet is still in place.

what else. handed out flyers earlier tonight for the week in weird places (Chicago Stylie). A man told me he was god. I told him it was nice to finally meet him. Then he bound my hands with uncooked meat.

The sun rose this morning out of Lake Michigan and burned it all away. It eveaporated from the intense heat of the sun and fish flopped around all day until it rained and the lake was refilled. no one seemed to notice but me. it didn't make the news and none of my friends believed me. tomorrow might be interesting if it happens again. I'm going to film it and show it to everyone. They'll all see. I was right.

my senior year in high school i had 100 cds stolen out of my car. a crushing defeat. last week i was visiting my sister and she was cleaning out her cd collection. she had an album that i had and loved dearly back before they were all ganked by some neighborhoodlum. she was going to sell it but i snagged it instead at her behest. it had come back to me like a beautiful love story or flying pet bird. it was meant to be. reunited and it feels so right. i think you know the album. it should be as near and dear to you as it is to me.

well, i still have nothing to write about really. i guess i'll go kill time some other way.

bye
b

Massive Photo Post

Here are some photos of my trip to Florida in June. Some of the photos have been altered to maintain the anonymity of people who might sue me.

Chiquita

Dad drives the boat

Family of Manatee

Manatee back

The dolphin that could have eaten my hand if he wanted to

My sister with her 1-year old baby on the beach

My nephew opens his birthday present. He's THIS many.

Sis with the kids looking for the dolphin that ate my hand

postcard.

Here are some random pictures and then some photos from our Rap Album recording last week.

The Day Chex Learned How to Drive

dollar bill

ace the face

MC Font

MC Steel

BEARD

done.

b

good shows

there's something about doing a good show that really makes your night. there's something about putting together a string of good shows that makes your month.

after a slow July of not doing much performing it was nice for the cupholders to hit the road and retrace what is becoming a classic tour path for us. a couple weekends ago we journeyed to Dallas for their first annual Comedy Festival which was hosted by a theatre we have frequented since its opening last Fall. Our Thursday show was well-attended and well-received. we got some compliments from a group that we respect in the biz and that's always nice. our dallas following is growing nicely. saturday we performed for the same festival except this time in a different room. a bar. we were not excited about performing in such an environment as it tends to become a hurdle during the show. we're competing with sound from the bar, the opening and closing of doors repeatedly, one such door that would let in the booming sounds of a dj stationed directly outside the door in the plaza. and of course, there was the wildcard sound distraction of a band of hare krishnas marching by outside singing at the top of their lungs and playing strange instruments. not to mention the booming sounds of an incredible karaoke bar directly beneath us. the only sound distraction the show missed was the familiar sounds of my upstairs neighbors fighting at 2 am and the pitter patter of the little dogs' feet. nonetheless, needless to say, hitherunto, the show was regarded a success. subtracting the fact that we had some communication errors with bill who was stationed at the keyboard and the mysogyny brought on by one of our more misguided members, the show was good. i tend to over-analyze our performances, but the audience was huge and therefore entertained (some kind of strange law of improv - the larger the crowd, the greater the success.) the festival was an overall good experience and easily the best time i've ever had in dallas, one of my least favorite places. [and there goes that nice following]
so onto austin. we had a week before our weekend shows. woo. it was a week frought with emotion as relationships were broken, formed, strained, and broken on many fronts. an interesting smorgasbord of swelling glee and crushing defeat. really weird and altogether pretty uneccesary. i know several people who have gone insane and destroyed beautiful things, and i have discovered others just this past week who are very near to the same.
so it was a fantastic and glorious release to be able to perform friday and saturday night to packed houses on our home turf in Austin. two great shows for two great audiences. i am constantly amazed by the people i perform with who carried saturday's show without much of my help. not that they can't normally carry a show. its just nice to know that i can be physically and emotionally drained while my homies blow the room away and i pretty much just watch. i felt off but the show was a success and it was one of my old mentors, who by the way has since gone insane, who noted that it is the success of a show that matters and not the success of the individual performer.

i hardly do drugs at all but i liken the high of a good show to that of a killer buzz that you never build a tolerance for. it will always be there to help me through tough times, so long as i can get on a stage and say whatever the hell i want. performing improv is truly something i cannot live without and if my ability to perform it were removed i would be sad or i guess according to what i just wrote, i would die. that seems extreme when you say it out loud but it may be true.

good shows, never leave me. other good things come and go but i hope you care about me enough to stick around.

b

been a while, eh?

i don't have much to say except the past few days have been difficult. those of you who know me well no why and those who don't can suck it. i'm sure eventually i'll have something to say about here but right now i'm a bit in shock. and for those of you not in the know, it's not a big deal. no one has died. i have not been in a horrible zccident or a horrible accident as most people spell it. and for those of you who don't care you should send me your email so that i can make a you a caring person. and for those of you who can't speak english, nice work. this must be difficult for you.
we're in austin and working on the rap album this week. we anticipate giving out free demos of it this weekend at the shows. no guarantees, just something we might get done.
so, much to write about and so little space on the internet for everyone's useless opinions. this is the age of dumbass publishing. anyway, i've turned bitter and that means its time for another shot of tequila. talk at you soon.

b