Game: Tag Out Story

Number of players: 5 Tags: Performance, exercise, narrative

When: This is a game we do in performances, and it’s a good warm-up exercise

Overview: Five players line up one behind the other. Whoever is in front always tells the story. The person just behind will, at some point, tap the player in front. Immediately, the player in front stops telling the story (mid sentence, mid word if possible) and peels out of line, going to the back. All the other players take a step forward so that the person who tapped now becomes the in-front story teller, and they finish whatever the previous teller had started (finish the sentence or even the word where the previous story-teller was cut off). They continue until the person behind them taps them on the shoulder, repeating the cycle.

Introduction: "This group is going to tell us a story. The person in front will always be telling the story until they are tapped out by the person behind. Now, I need the name of a story that has never been told.”

Details: This is a narrative exercise where each story teller has to pick up the thread of the story told by the person before. The major technical challenge is to seamlessly pick up the story where the previous person left off, finishing whatever they started without repeating the last word or syllable that was cut off.

The minor technical challenge is to remember to step forward whenever the front story-teller is tapped out. This keeps the line circling in place.

However, there is an overall pacing to this exercise that makes it work in a performance. The first round through the players should each tell one or two lines of the story before they are tapped out. The second round through, the taps should come every half of a sentence of so. The next round should be after only a couple of words, and from the fourth round on, this should be like a one word story. The person in front should be tapped out immediately after they start. This requires that the person who is tapped out run to the back of the line, as the entire line should be cycling through in a fast round. The energy is high, the words need to be distinct, and the story should be built like any one word story exercise.

The director will call a curtain when the story hits some sort of ending line (button).

January 8, 2020 Workshop: The dog ate my homework!

Normally, I make these entries based on the notes I take during class (yes, I’m actually taking notes, not just doodling). However, one of my dogs (who’s only been here for 2 weeks and still getting the hang of things) actually tore up and ate my brand new 2020 notepad! So, this entry is based on my memory (uh oh) and the photos I took.

We had 24 people in class including 3 brand new to us (welcome Malachi, David, and Burgundy - I hope I got those names right) and an additional player who attended a few workshops some time ago, but started again during December (welcome back Shannon).

We warmed up with Character Intro, Sound Ball, and One Word Story, then did a round of Tag Out Story as an exercise. We played the game Counting Words and then Beasty Rap. We did a couple of rounds of Panel of Experts and then ended with a little Freeze Tag.

Darn it! I wrote down several lines that stood out for me as the night went on, but now that the notes are gone, I can’t remember them. <sigh>

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Game: Panel of Experts

Number of players: 4 Tags: Performance, exercise, character

When: This is a game we do in performances, and it is a moderately hard exercise

Overview: Three players are experts in a field chosen by the audience. The fourth player is the moderator of the panel and the host of the show where this panel is presented.

Introduction: "We are going to see a panel of experts. What is their topic of expertise."

Details: This is a character exercise. When the topic is selected, the three players who are the experts must select a character that fits the topic. It does not matter whether the player has any personal experience in the selected topic, their character is the expert, and whatever they say is the opinion of an expert in the field.

The moderator must define the show that’s hosting this panel, as well as the format. For instance, it could be a radio show that has a different topic week to week. Or it could be a TV show that regularly deals with this topic, etc. The player will be the host for that show.

The moderator introduces themselves and the show, and then allows each expert to introduce themselves. Each expert tells their name, and how they are an expert in the field. After the introductions, the moderator can ask a couple of questions to the panel, either about the topic or about something that came up in the introductions. After one or two questions from the moderator, the audience is then prompted to ask questions to the expert panel, either to the whole group or directed to a particular expert.

It’s important to play this recognizing that experts in any field would know other experts in the field. So all of these experts probably have some history, including professional disagreements, rivalries, romances, and personal grudges. Play that in the introductions and when responding to questions.

Variation: The moderator introduces the first expert, endowing that player with a name and a title. The player then fills out the rest of the introduction, saying a couple things about their history. The moderator goes on to introduce each of the other experts who also expand upon their histories.

Game: Counting Words

Number of players: 3 Tags: Performance, exercise

When: This is a game we do in performances, and it is an easy exercise

Overview: Each player in the scene is given their own number between 1 and 7 as assigned by the audience. This is the number of words that player must use each time they speak during the game.

Introduction: "For this scene, I’d like a number between 1 and 7 for Player A."

“Now a different number between 1 and 7 for Player B.”

“Another one for Player C”

“During this scene, each time a player speaks, they can only use that number of words. No more, and no less!”

Details: When selecting words for each player, try to get one with a small count (1 to 2), a medium count (3 to 5), and a large count (6 to 7).

A player should not do a set of words and then do another set of words without at least one other player speaking between the sets.

It’s important that a player should be allowed to get all their words out. Don’t cut off a player with 7 words after they’ve only spoken 4. They must speak all 7 before someone else says a line.

It’s helpful if players finish each other’s sentences, especially for those who have a small number of words.

Improv Show Review: January 4, 2020

Our first show of the new decade! Illnesses brought our performer count down to 7 (see the player list below), but we had a very appreciative audience of 40 and a show that sets the bar high for the 2020’s!

We played a total of 17 games, although we cut short the final Montage due to time (also, it ended on the perfect line). Rather than list the games we played, below is my copy of the playlist with all the notes for the night. For most of you it will be illegible, but for those with acute forensic capability, it will serve as an archaeological record of the night.

A few particularly memorable moments (for me):

• Heather H. “This is a 60 minute speech”, Sarah “I know, I spent all night studying…for multiple choice”

• Ali and Heather T. as military guards fighting to be in the good light

• The final curtain line of the show - Monica playing Joan of Arc burning at the stake, and Heather H. quipping “you’re on fire, girl”

And I have to mention the scene that took place in an all women’s prison. The players decided to put it specifically in the shower room, with the opening line “Oh, I dropped the soap”.

Players

• Alan

• Ali

• Heather H.

• Heather T.

• Kymberlee

• Monica

• Sarah

MC:

• Alan

Game: Hitchhiker

Number of players: 3 at a time, but typically done as a rotation through a large group

Tags: Exercise, large group, warm up, all levels

When: This is done as an exercise towards the beginning of class.

Overview: A series of short, three person scenes is performed. Three chairs are arranged so that one chair (for the driver) is in front (towards the audience) and two chairs (for the passengers) are behind. These three chairs are meant to roughly simulate a car.

Players will rotate between the three positions as a new player enters the scene. The new player (the hitchhiker) enters the car and takes the closest passenger seat. The player that was in that seat, will move to the other passenger seat. That passenger will move up to the driver’s seat, and the driver will rotate out of the scene.

The hitchhiker enters the car with a strong character choice. The other two players in the car will immediately take on that same character. We see a very short interaction between the three characters which includes finding out where the hitchhiker needs to go and the car driving off.

Very soon, the driver or either passenger will notice a new hitchhiker standing on the road and request that they stop to pick them up. The driver stops the car and then the players rotate allowing room for the hitchhiker to enter the scene with their character choice. Once again, all the players in the car will take on the new character, and the rotation continues.

Introduction: "This is an exercise where we have to quickly identify and take on a character being presented to us. The idea is that these three chairs represent a car with the driver in front and two passengers behind. They stop for a hitchhiker and the three players in the car rotate so that the driver leaves, the passenger furthest from the hitchhiker moves to the driver’s position, the passenger closest to the hitchhiker moves to the other passenger seat, and the hitchhiker can enter and sit in the empty seat."

"The hitchhiker enters with a strong character choice that’s different that the one previously in the car. As the other players in the scene identify the character, they take on that same character choice. The three players in the car all have the same characteristics and we’ll see a very short scene with them before the driver or one of the passengers notices the next person in line; the next hitchhiker. They stop the car, rotate positions, and then react to the hitchhiker’s new character.”

Details: There should be a line that forms on one side of the stage, where the hitchhikers will enter the car. The scenes are very short, just long enough to establish that all three players have the same characteristics.

And that point cannot be emphasized enough: all the players have the same characteristics. They are not playing opposite or against the hitchhiker character. The entire car becomes filled with same character type.

January 1, 2020 Workshop: I'm Back!

Quick recap of our class on New year’s Day, 2020: the start of a new decade.

First of all, I want to apologize for missing all of December workshop classes. It wasn’t my intent, and the schedule got away from me. As I understand it, Austin started a variety of rumors regarding my disappearance, so at least you all had that (thank you Austin)

I want to especially thank Lindsey for stepping in and covering three classes! I hope you all love her style as much as I do, and that she pushed you really, really hard (miss me?)

I didn’t know what to expect from a class on the holiday, but we had 16 people and it represented a wide range of experience, from a new player (welcome Nick) to some old timer’s (nope, not calling them out)

We warmed up with Character Intro, Enemy Defender, and Samurai, then did a round of Hitchhiker as an exercise. The games were 5 Letter Word and Repeating Scene, Changing Genre. We sang The Irish Drinking Song and for advanced work we did a 3 Line Drill. That left us with enough time to end with Freeze Tag.

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Three Decades of Improv

It was December of 1989 when I walked into my first improv class. A friend from the Bay Area was visiting us, and she escorted me to that first class after I revealed that I was too intimidated to go by myself. The class had just started and was being run by a player from the Improv Team Kahoots. I’d seen them perform several times in Santa Barbara (it was a local team made up of folks who lived in the area), and I LOVED them as well as this crazy style of theater that was performed without a script. Even Saturday Night Live used scripts, which was how I had even heard the term improv. Remember, Whose Line Is It Anyway? wasn’t around at the time. Technically it had already started as a radio show in the UK, but it wasn’t known in the US. This improvised theater was still a new thing, and finding performances outside of the major markets was not easy.

Luckily, this friend had already taken some classes in San Francisco, and so when I told her how much I’d enjoyed Kahoots and shyly mentioned that they had started teaching a class, she insisted we go that night. And so on a dark Wednesday evening in December of 1989 I walked into a cavernous warehouse space on Chapala Street right next to the downtown Ralph’s (although that Ralph’s hadn’t been built at the time - it was just a big, empty lot on the corner of Chapala and Carrillo)

The instructors were Matt Ingersol, a member Kahoots and an actor in local theater, and a woman whose name I’ve since forgotten. There were less than 10 of us, and …

I LOVED IT!

It was hard, emotional, rewarding, and interactive in a way that I hadn’t ever experienced. I was a science-y computer engineer who had grown up on the Batman TV show, the original Star Trek, and seen the entire Star Wars trilogy dozens of times: a classic, socially awkward nerd. The idea of being up on stage in front of an audience was scary, interacting with other actors was mind boggling, and not knowing what I was going to do or say in advance was … intoxicating. I was hooked, and it is not hyperbolic when I say it has changed by life.

I don’t want to make these blog posts too long, so I’ll end this one here. I plan on periodically posting stories, thoughts, and perspectives about improv now that I’ve seen it in the 90’s, the 00’s, and the teens. I continue to learn a lot, and am anxious to see what the 2020’s will bring, but I’ve become reflective in my dotage. I have a platform to pontificate from (even if it’s for my own amusement), so I’ll take a few moments from time to time to see what my rusty old brain can regurgitate.

BTW, the picture is probably from 1991, during the reign of our second instructor, Sharon K. Bettis. I’ll tell stories of that time in another post. That’s me in the upper right, and you should be able to make out at least one other familiar face in that photo.

It's a strange and interesting sensation

Below is a response to a question I received in an email. The question arose from a statement I made about creating details in a scene. The question was seeking clarification. If only that were possible. It has been edited to escape complete humiliation.

I look at it like I'm a detective discovering this scene in real time and an audience just happens to be watching me. My reflex/fear response is to just charge along trying to generate ideas to further the scene. In my haste/panic I close my eyes and ears to what is actually going on and get off track. It's like I have to be both participant and observer in the events unfolding. Which if I think about detective movies/stories, that's what's happening. The detective is trying to unravel a mystery he has been pulled into. He's both on the outside AND on the inside. And so are we. Boiling in the crucible and floating above observing our character being forged. In the words of Mike Nichols, "it's a strange and interesting sensation"

So what does this have to do with creating more details? Well, sometimes I'm chugging along in a scene and things are going great. Just a clear path ahead, cause and effect, cause and effect, and so on. Lovely. Then bang! Nothing. The trail of crumbs just disappears with no clear indication of which direction to move forward in. That's when my chest gets tight, the blood in my brain thickens and I start to try and force things. Bad move Georgie boy. Cliche Blvd. What does the detective do when he reaches a dead end? He goes back over his notes and looks at the things he DOES know. And follows THOSE things to their logical conclusion. So in a scene, if I find myself in that spot of not knowing where to go next I can look at the things that have happened, statements made by or about my character or my partners and the possible implications. These end up being more sideways moves that expand rather than further the scene but who says the scene has to be a straight line or a line at all? The important thing is being cool. Because the detective is always cool. Which for me means trying to work from the place of curiosity instead of fear/panic/need. I'm kicking it over, checking it out. I'm motivated bc someway my ass is on the line too. I'm discovering the details, not making them up. One thing leads from the thing before. I use my eyes, ears AND NOSE! And you know what happens to nosy fellas...

https://youtu.be/9y2y-Tkn7eg

G

P.S. Please see the movie Chinatown if you haven't already.

Santa Barbara Improv is Dead, Long Live Santa Barbara Improv

Yeah, okay. The title is kind of click-bait-y. Nothing about the old Santa Barbara Improv has ended; we've just expanded. Now, instead of just me trying to keep things moving along, Amy, George, and I hope to expand what's available to improvisers in Santa Barbara, as well as increase the number of people involved with improv. That includes expanding the audiences for our shows as well as performers!

This is a very personal entry for me (Alan). George and Amy have no idea that I'm writing this. For a long time I've felt a bit stuck running Santa Barbara Improv. It's not my main profession, and so can't dedicate the amount of time it would take to add classes. And we've needed that option for so many folks who've grown beyond what's available from a weekly workshop with 20+ players. That means you've all had to travel to Ventura at least, and really LA. to get advanced training. And after that, there isn't a convenient place to keep practicing those long form, open form, sketch, and other skills you've learned.

Others have done long form or Harold classes in town and done them well, but it wasn't until Amy and George finished their first classes, and then came to me to consult about doing more, that I felt like there was the right combination of experience, interest, skill, and long term commitment that I really wanted to see before expanding. Once the topic was broached, it was obvious that we had complimentary ideas about what we could do in Santa Barbara, building on the foundation of the improvisers in town. The ideas just kept bubbling out. I wanted them to be Santa Barbara Improv.

This newly revamped website is one way of expressing those ideas and building the improv community in Santa Barbara. Social media is a great way to promote events and ideas, but a home like this is where we can store information for the long term. A place we can send people interested in improv, students who want more information about classes and theory, players who are looking for event info, and performers who want to announce their events.

As most sites, we are publishing before it is finished (it will never be finished.) We've discussed a lot of potential classes, and we want to encourage instructors who have their own ideas for classes. There are a variety of one time workshops we can provide. I want to expand the number of corporate events we do. There is a lot more information on the web we can bring out, through links and blog posts.

I don't see us as arbiters of improv in Santa Barbara, but facilitators. If you've got an idea for a show, we've got resources that can help. We'd like to encourage ongoing meet-ups, ensemble troupes, classes and shows of all types. We don't want to do everything, but make everything possible.

Santa Barbara isn't the same market size as LA, but I know we are not meeting the potential of the area. I regularly get new players who've never heard of the workshop, despite having been ongoing since 1989. And those who have known about us can see that there hasn't been much more available than a weekly workshop and monthly shows. That is now changing.

Okay, if you've read this far, thank you and good god, you are improv starved. Let us know what you'd like to see. Keep the dialog (or group-speak) going. Let's see what we can do.

Improv Show July 1, 2017

The next Improvisational Comedy Show from the Santa Barbara Improv Workshop will be:

Date: Saturday July 1, 2017

Time: 8:00 pm until about 9:30 pm

Location: Jefferson Hall, 1525 Santa Barbara Street (near Anapamu)

Price: $5 at the door or online

Join us Saturday, July 1 as we declare our independence from restrictive scripts and canned comedy.

NOTHING is written down!

NO DIALOG is prepared in advance!

NOT ONE plot point is known before we start the scene!

WE WILL NOT BE SCRIPTED!

Improv Show June 3, 2017

The next Improvisational Comedy Show from the Santa Barbara Improv Workshop will be:

Date: Saturday June 3, 2017

Time: 8:00 pm until about 9:30 pm

Location: Jefferson Hall, 1525 Santa Barbara Street (near Anapamu)

Price: $5 at the door or online

Join us this Saturday for our next Improv Show

Star Wars Improv Show May 6, 2017

star wars poster 2017 The next Improvisational Comedy Show from the Santa Barbara Improv Workshop will be our annual Star Wars themed improv show:

Date: Saturday May 6, 2017 (The Revenge of the Sixth)

Time: 8:00 pm until about 9:30 pm

Location: Jefferson Hall, 1525 Santa Barbara Street (near Anapamu)

Price: $5 at the door or online

It's that time again! Our annual Star Wars themed Improv Show is this Saturday, May 6.

That's right, it's Revenge of the Sixth!

So join us as we celebrate general geekiness, and don't worry - no one will be checking your geek cred. All are welcome.

Except, we don't serve droids here.

Special Intro to Improv Workshop

We have a special Into to Improv workshop coming up.

If you are new to improv, are curious about improv, or just want to try it out then this is a great option!

The particulars:

Date: Sunday April 30, 2017

Time: 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Location: Jefferson Hall, 1525 Santa Barbara Street (near Anapamu)

Price: $30

Improv Show April 1, 2017

The next Improvisational Comedy Show from the Santa Barbara Improv Workshop will be:

Date: Saturday April 1, 2017

Time: 8:00 pm until about 9:30 pm

Location: Jefferson Hall, 1525 Santa Barbara Street (near Anapamu)

Price: $5 at the door or online

Yes, the April improv show is, in fact, on April 1: April Fool's Day. No, it's not a joke, or a hoax, or some sort of trick. It is merely a coincidence in timing that the first Saturday of April is on the first of the month. This occurs evey 6 years or so, so we shouldn't be surprised, or concerned, or suspicious.

We will put on a show; it will be funny; you will be entertained.

April 1: it's not just for fools

Improv Show March 4, 2017

The next Improvisational Comedy Show from the Santa Barbara Improv Workshop will be:

Date: Saturday March 4, 2017

Time: 8:00 pm until about 9:30 pm

Location: Jefferson Hall, 1525 Santa Barbara Street (near Anapamu)

Price: $5 at the door or online

Sure we need the rain, but hoo-boy it's time for a break!

Let's replace those drops of rain with tears of laughter at our March Improv Show!

Improv Show February 4, 2017

The next Improvisational Comedy Show from the Santa Barbara Improv Workshop will be:

Date: Saturday February 4, 2017

Time: 8:00 pm until about 9:30 pm

Location: Jefferson Hall, 1525 Santa Barbara Street (near Anapamu)

Price: $5 at the door or online

We made it to February! Let's take a moment to recover, re-energize, regroup, reconnect, and release!

Yes, it's time for an improv show! Join us as we reflect on the absurdities of life with live and unscripted comedy.

Sketch Show January 7, 2017

The next show from the Santa Barbara Improv Workshop will be a Sketch Comedy Show!

Date: Saturday January 7, 2017

Time: 8:00 pm until about 9:30 pm

Location: Jefferson Hall, 1525 Santa Barbara Street (near Anapamu)

Price: $5 at the door or online

Let's try something different!

Our first show of 2017 is a Sketch Show! Some of our best improvisers will be performing comedy pieces specifically written for this show.

Be sure to join us for this funny (and unique) experience!

Improv Show December 3, 2016

 

The next Improvisational Comedy Show from the Santa Barbara Improv Workshop will be:

Date: Saturday December 3, 2016

Time: 8:00 pm until about 9:30 pm

Location: Jefferson Hall, 1525 Santa Barbara Street (near Anapamu)

Price: $5 at the door or online

2016 is almost over. Let's end it on a good note.

Join us this Saturday as we laugh our way out of 2016 with some fresh, improvised comedy!

We'll all feel better.

Improv Show November 5, 2016

The next Improvisational Comedy Show from the Santa Barbara Improv Workshop will be:

Date: Saturday November 5, 2016

Time: 8:00 pm until about 9:30 pm

Location: Jefferson Hall, 1525 Santa Barbara Street (near Anapamu)

Price: $5 at the door or online