Happy Holidays! - New Year's Improv Resolutions

[Zach]

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Kwanza, and New Year!

Just curious to see what people were making as improv goals for 2004.

What do you have trouble with that you'd like to become better at on stage, what new form would you like to learn, what habit would you like to break?? If there was one person you've seen that you could play more like, who would it be, and why?? What thing would you like to do that someone in your class or group does regularly??

[Lisa P]

Well, Happy and Merry all of the above to you and yours, Zach!

My goals for 2004 are:

1) To learn to make stronger initiations and stop doubting my choices.

2) To study the Harold

3) To get on a DSI house team, cause that would ROCK!

[EthanK]

Resolutions are the same as last year, actually. But since they're good resolutions I'm just happy to continue working on them. Those are performance based and I know what I need to work on to achieve them. The goals I have are:

Play with Blind Crazy somewhere outside of NC.

Take all the DSI classes offered and start them again.

Get up to NYC and see shows or perform.

Organize more trips for DSI.

Meet everyone I can. Talk to everyone I can.

Learn to levitate.

[L'il G]

Awesome thread.

I'd like to be able to tap into my crazy brain and get more stuff out of it for practices and shows. I feel like it's wasted when I don't.

I'd like to commit harder to scenes and BECOME the character that I'm playing.

I would like to play more like Bill Cochran, Zach Ward and Ryan Locante, who all play the stage with a balls-out style and ALWAYS look like they're having fun.

I'd also like to play more like Ross White, who is an extremely supportive scene partner.

And I'd like to host Inside Improv about 37 more times in 2004. :D

[PT]

Happy to all!

Yes I feel the same as Ethan and Lil G and Lisa for some of my goals. One is to deff think more on my feet, establish better characters, and go all out!

Others include traveling to Chicago to check out thier scene. Like Ethan said, to meet as many people as I can!

It is my belief that you cannot play like any other Improvisor (For instance, I will never be a Zach or Bill!). I was taught to play my own character, to explore what I have inside myself. So rather, instead of trying to perform like somebody else, I would love to perform with somebody I admire. So yeah, I deff would love to get up there on stage and perform with Zach and Bill! To match and see what my imagination can swirl with thier own!

In Philly I had the opportunity to get on stage with Dillenger, and that was awesome! It really showed me of what level I'm on, and the level that they've mastered!

So in short, Happy whatever to all, and to all, a good thread!

[CoreyBrown]

This is tough.

Things I am presently working on - Getting back out of my head. With the switch from Shortform to Longform I have gotten back into thinking of rules and methods to make scenes connect and work together. It has hindered my listening more than I would like, so I am working on that.

DCM will be awesome again.
Trip to Chicago and stay with Laconte.

If I could play more like someone I would have to chose either Anthony King, Brett Christensen, or Chris Gethard. All three of them have a unique way of twisting the unobvious and making it SO clear that all you can do is wonder why you hadn't thought of it.

[Ben Moser]

I want to play without hesitation.

I want to play more characters and better characters.

I want people in in at least 37 states to be in awe of the awesome improv of Tony's Pony by the end of the year.

[Dave Siegel]

cool idea for a thread.

1. The biggest improv habit I would like to break would be my tendency to fill up empty space with words. Too often I come out for a scene and don't have enough patience. I end up feeling like I'm "flailing" about and going in 5 different directions, rather than waiting for that "one unusual thing" to pop up and then focusing on it and heightening. I'd also like to get better at spreading my characters. I do far too many scenes as father/son, neighbor/neighbor, boss/co-worker etc.

2. I'd love to learn the Harold, as it seems to be what most long form training leads to, and if its half as fun to perform as to watch, it must be amazing.

3. I've only seem him perform once, but I need a healthy dose of Porter in my performance. He takes his time, REALLY listens to everything his partner says and doesn't force anything. 100% organic.

4. I'd like Tony's Pony to get more cohesive outside of practice and shows. We all like eachother and practice is always a blast...so why not take it outside of the training center. I'd also like us to "formalize" ourselves a little more with a website, etc.

5. Take more DSI classes and meet new DSI folks!! Something I marvel at is that from the first day I stepped into Ross's 101 class back in March, I've yet to meet a SINGLE jerk associated with DSI. Just a bunch of amazing people with a common interest.

6. Exercise more.

[ilaughatme]

These are incredibly difficult questions to answer. And there are questions besides these that involve goals of mine in the improv world.

What do you have trouble with that you'd like to become better at on stage? Everything. I want more characters. I want to be recognized by male teammates when I'm playing a male (I hardly ever have this problem when playing with females). I want to work on theatrical stuff like stage picture and projection. I want to be more comfortable with my teammates. I want to show emotion more. I want EVERYTHING.

What new form would you like to learn? I want to get smaller and smaller. I want to learn three person, two person, and one person prov. The Seven Inch. Any form I haven't learned yet.

What habit would you like to break? The habit of fear and falling back to myself or low energy.

If there was one person you've seen that you could play more like, who would it be, and why? I hate this question. I want to play a better version of myself. I especially hate that no one has answered with a female in mind. Therefore, I want to be a female that people put down to answer this question with.

What thing would you like to do that someone in your class or group does regularly? I want to be having fun. I really want to have the perspective on improv that the Utahans have. Fun and respect for others.

I have more concrete goals. But I've posted enough.

[Kit's Alter Ego]

What new form would you like to learn? I want to get smaller and smaller. I want to learn three person, two person, and one person prov. The Seven Inch. Any form I haven't learned yet.


What is The Seven Inch?

--Kit

PS: I'll condense two posts into one thusly:

I'd like to get out the habit of playing characters who are nervous. I know than I'm not nervous when playing them, but it seems that others think I am when I do it, which detracts from the suspension of disbelief plan.

I want to learn once and for all what the Harold actually is. Every time I read something on it or have it described to me, I get a completely different idea. I also want to learn The Bat. Oh, and that long-form that WIT did at the last DSIF where the three people are having two conversations, with one of them in the middle facing the second and back-to-back with the third...the form also pulled in short-form elements in other parts. That form is what I want to learn.

If I could play more like one person, it would be Zach Ward plus Jane Borden divided by two, a person with the casual flair for taking any situation and turning it 270 degrees without slowing its pace or disrupting its power. (The existence of this person, though, would probably cause major interpersonal problems.)

As for something someone in my class does regularly, I'd like to learn how to play people in power positions who are forceful enough to retain high status without overshadowing the other players.

PPS: I also want Corey Brown's physical certainty. Or lack of bodily concern. Or whatever that crazy man has.

[ilaughatme]

It's a musical longform that David Harris invented.

[CoreyBrown]

I also want Corey Brown's physical certainty. Or lack of bodily concern.

Trust. Trust in myself and trust in my scene partners.

I AM COREY! I AM COREY! I AM COREY!

[Jennings]

This year, I will excise all ironic detachment from my work. All of it. For reals, this time. I might have to set up an "ironic detachment" jar, but I'll do it.

[Pablo]

I would really like to get away from being dead on stage or low energy and play a REAL character, not the wild card all the time. I want to be more comfortable and listen and accept better instead of trying to be funny all the time. I want to be able to just smoothly go on stage and trust any initiation and my scene partner.

I need to work on relationships and finding the game of the scene. I often times feel like i have nothing to say on stage because i get tremendously nervous.

I think if i could play like anyone i've seen so far it would be TJ Jagodowski from Carl & the Passions. He was the most collected, confident, smart, and HILARIOUS improver at the Del Close Marothon. There was never a dull momment from him and you could tell that his team mates loved playing with him because he not only provided amazing relationships and initiations, but he accepted perfectly and gave his share back. He's definetely a team player and amazing.

I also want to have more time to be able to commit to improv. With College around the corner and my senior year in high school coming to and end, everything seems rushed and i haven't had a lot of time to devote to DSI and to improv in general. I'm going to make a lot more time in my schedule for this. Hope everyone had an amazing break!!

[diana]

I definitely want to be better at using my space: while I do something very clear and specific in my very clear and specific location, I make the scene about my relationship with my scene partner.

Also, LISTENING.

And patience.

[Andrew]

1. Make Ross cry.

2. Commit more to the scene without breaking character when it starts to suck or giving a wink when I think I've done something silly.

3. Work on my characters to make them more real, and maybe not quite as big.

4. Punch Corey Brown in the nuts (and maybe make him cry).

5. Work on more creative uses of beats.

6. Kiss Lil' G on the lips (and most definitely make him cry).