Leading the Charge

As class was cancelled today (I really missed it but was glad for the extra hours to do some computing) I'd like to talk about how improv is going.

I'm feeling better and better every week about The Hobo Army's progress at longform. As a group we're really starting to meld, even when the attendance isn't always consistent and we have different people in at different times, we're building a culture and I really feel the group mind moving forward. I've learned to be more of a cheerleader than I've been in the past - to drop my own small (or large) worries at the door and try to give myself in to rallying the troops. Even though everyone came in really low energy (which is the typical situation if you're working at 10pm at night) and I could feel the group dipping down at different times, we were able to boost ourselves up and do some great playing. I'm trying to pay more attention to the group's morale and general "vibe," and rather than pushing through with real heady work all of the time get us back to playing once we've made some difficult steps forward. Having fun is the goal of a performance and should be the goal of a rehearsal. I cannot let myself become concerned or frustrated but communicate my enthusiasm for when stuff works and my positive ideas for when stuff gloriously fails.

We still make a lot of weak choices, and I must constantly quiet my own head-voice saying "this sucks, what are you doing, you're arguing, just stop talking until you have something funny to say," but more and more scenes are being built through listening instead of desperation. I'm laughing more. There are more smiling faces. I love these people for believing that I have valuable things to tell them and for concentrating so hard and for playing so sincerely. I am so thankful to them for investing their time and trust to the experience of improvising together. Their commitment allows me do what I love to do. Thanks, guys.