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It’s been a while since I updated ya’ll on improv, so how about I give that a shot? This weekend was improv-intensive, so it seems a fitting time.

I took last Friday off, for a couple of reasons. I had a huge project at work that I finished on Thursday and needed to recuperate a bit, but the biggest reason is that I was on the radio Friday morning. One of our improv group members got us some time on WAZY’s morning show, which is basically a couple of DJs who do the typical morning show banter. Three of us were on for about a half hour, talking about the upcoming shows and doing a couple of games with them. It was fun, particularly since I’ve always had a slight interest in being in radio. I do have a recording of it, but I haven’t edited out the commercials and stuff yet, but I’ll host it and post it once I get that done.

After the fun of that, I went to get my taxes done. Ugh. I’m all for paying taxes, though I wish I could designate what things I want mine to go toward, but I am NOT in favor of having to scrape together a little more than $600 by April 15th. Grrr.

Then I went to the chiropractor. I’ve had neck and back problems a little bit more frequently since I started this new job. I’m guessing stress is playing a part.

Then I went to lunch with a friend/cow-orker at a Greek place in town. I got a plain gyro – just meat and bread. Very tasty.

(Okay, so far it hasn’t been so much about improv as it has been about my Friday.)

I think I used Friday afternoon to catch up on some TiVo holdings, but I don’t remember. Improv rehearsal started at 6, with the show at 9. Rehearsal was bad. I was off. Way off. I didn’t feel funny and couldn’t come up with anything. The good news, though, was that I was on a team with my two best friends on the team, and that happens rarely. We were pretty excited about that opportunity.

We have three main types of shows: the Civic Theater shows, the Lafayette Brewing Company shows, and corporate gigs. Civic and LBC shows are once a month, with the Civic shows being billed as “family friendly.” While the LBC shows are billed as “Over 21 only,” they generally aren’t bad. There have been very few occasions when there have been uncomfortable bits, but it’s generally PG-13 at its worst. Friday’s show was at LBC.

It was a huge crowd, actually our biggest one there ever. We had 100+ people, which helped our energy levels a lot. It’s also fun when people say something to you when they’re coming in that lets you know that a) they remember you, and b) they remember you specifically because of something funny you’ve done at a past show. That happened on Friday, and it was a nice feeling.

We debuted two new (to us) games on Friday, and they went well. Actually, the whole show went well. People laughed, and that’s what we’re after. However, the show also got more foul than it normally does. When a scene heads that direction, it bothers me for a few reasons. First, I’m not a fan of foul in general. Second, I think it takes more talent and work to be funny without being foul. If I’m set up with something that would naturally lend itself to foulness, I do my best to turn it upside down and steer it in a different direction. It doesn’t always work, and I sometimes just hang back and keep from being part of a scene. It was interesting to me that several other people on the team, in discussing the show afterwards, also felt that it had gotten too foul and that we were better than that and didn’t need to do things that way.

Overall, though, a good show. And it was the highest paying LBC gig I’ve been a part of up to this point. The corporate gigs tend to pay a little better, but this was pretty close. We split the gate amongst the group, so a bigger crowd equals a better payday. I don’t do improv for the pay, but a little extra cash is always nice – especially with tax bills due…

Saturday was a downer day, mostly. For some reason, LBC shows take a lot out of me and I’m worn out the next day. I felt pretty ill most of the day, really. In the evening, I went to see a movie with my improv friends, and then to a local eatery. I’ve really fallen behind in my movie watching this month, after the fantastic start in January. I need to step up here, I guess.

So there you go. More info on improv than you wanted. There’s another show this weekend at Civic, but I’m not in it. I will most likely go see it, though.

Be well!