This is another one of my 52 performances in 52 weeks!
I don’t know why I keep insisting on doing improv in my life when it’s so stressful!
…And when I always seem to get it wrong.
And yet, there’s something about that stressful feeling that I really enjoy, and there’s some belief I just can’t let go of that I’m gonna keep getting better. And eventually people will laugh so much and think I’m the bees’ knees. So… I keep going back to it.
I didn’t have anything planned for this Sunday night. One of my go-to things when I don’t have plans has become to check out iO West’s schedule (’cause it seems like there’s always something cool and funny going on).
I saw that an improver they love was saying goodbye, as he was going to serve in the military for a while. They said the show would end with an improv jam, and that everybody should wear red while and blue. So, I threw on my red and blue sweater dress and headed down there.
The show was funny and then the jam started. BJ said up to 6 people could come up for the next game. I was one of them. It was a game I’d never heard of before. Thankfully (or maybe not thankfully, depending how you look at it), the stage was sort of crowded ’cause so many people had been in the show.
That meant I could easily not play the game without it being noticed that I went up there but didn’t play.
And that’s exactly what I did.
The reason I say maybe that wasn’t a good thing is because perhaps it would’ve been better for me to force myself to play a game I didn’t totally understand and definitely didn’t have the hang of. After all, the point of improv is to jump in!
After that game was over, BJ invited people to stay up if they wanted. So, I stuck around for the next one where there’s a shopkeeper (who goes in the hall while the audience decides what the shopkeeper’s selling). When they get onstage, the other improvisers come in and shop, giving clues.
Our shopkeeper was selling sandals, made of licorice, that gave you the ability to fly. She had the sandals made of licorice part. So, I jumped up to give the last clue. She did get it after mine, so that was awesome.
BUT I did really terrible character work. (Oof.) And this is where we’ll pick up next time.