This blog began upon the inspiration of two friends from an improv class I took last spring. The class, Jet City Improv's 201, was a gathering of people from many walks of life. To me, it began as an opportunity to try a new style in improv education. I had taken almost a year of classes leading up to that class, but nothing had really clicked.
The teacher was a talented young man named Doug. Like my previous teacher, his brain ran on 78 while the rest of the world runs on 33. Through his guidance and ever present kind words and motivation, I began to understand what this world of imagination called improv was all about.
Meanwhile, I found myself in the middle of a new kind of people. None of them were tied to any work I did. Few were the sports types I usually hang out with. And each one could make me smile with an action or just a few words.
These were my friends... and by the end of the class, they felt like family.
My "Rehab Blog" entry tells the whole story of how I felt about those moments. However, the story has grown into a new dimension.
After a couple of more sets of classes, my friend Sarah had the idea of forming a group to do improv together. We called it Dutch Oven, a double entendre name inspired by something that she said in a warmup game. We met at the Ram to discuss the idea with fellow classmates Paul and Ilias. We were all so busy, we did not know how it would work out.
Using Facebook, we put a plan into action, forming a group and inviting all the members of the 201 class into the group, and set up our first "playtime." We asked some members of another class who we liked (and caught our eye), to join us. It was at the cabana of Amanda's complex and it was a fun time. I took the lead in some ways to get us through the class, but it was a group effort.
We met again, this time at Ann's house, the same night as the Jet City auditions. Here, we were joined by a new group of friends. At this rehearsal, those of us who were not auditioning did what we could to help those who were. We even went to the audition and cheered our comrades on.
That was the last time we ever got together to play, which was a shame as it seemed like things were really starting to click. However, life got in the way, as everyone had their own lives to live.
Following a workshop, Sarah and I tried to get the group back together by holding a gathering at a local bar, but by this time, many of the group were on to their own thing. Dutch Oven was to be a casual gathering at best, but not a group. When everyone went their separate ways, Sarah, Paul and I stayed behind and talked.
"We still want to do this, right?" I said to Sarah. We were all in agreement. We wanted to do something, but what? There was a fourth person there. Deb, who had thought that this was just a post class gathering, saw what had happened and added her thoughts. The four of us left the bar that day knowing we were going to do something.
So back to the drawing board we went. First with a new Facebook group to communicate with each other. Then we went on a search for people who we believed would create wonderful chemistry with the rest of the group. We found one in a classmate who seemed to be that "girl with something special." Another came from an old friend from an old show. One came from the magical family of Spring 201 and another from my 301. And the final piece, someone we saw in a showcase that just rocked our socks and made us laugh with everything he did.
Next, I consulted with a good friend from Jet City Improv to talk over the format I had in mind. I wanted to do a different kind of improv show... one with more risks and interaction with the audience. The inspiring performances of Teatro Zinzanni provided a basis for many ideas. A show within a show where no one would ever be sure who was a part of the show and who was not. When I discussed the idea, my friend thought I might be onto something. So I sent out the show idea to everyone and many came back with a confused reply. They didn't see my vision.
So now I had the show idea, and brought together this group, but I knew that for success, that for one of us to be the "leader" was going to be problematic. I had taken an improv directing class from the man who wrote the book on the subject, but I knew I did not have the experience. But I also knew, from examining my own faults, that I have a tendency to take over a room. I don't know if it's my size, or my booming voice or just my personality. I didn't want to place that on the group, so I went in search of someone who would want to grow with us.
Many groups hire coaches, but I was looking for someone who wanted the opportunity for authorship. I wanted a partner in collaboration. And someone who wanted a show to call theirs as well. So I sent a Facebook message to someone who I had remembered from an old class. I had never shared a stage with her, but I have been mesmerized every time I see her perform. Many of us had given her the nickname "the ringer" as she looked like one of those players hired as a professional to come in and make a rec team be awesome. I asked her if she would consider growing with us. And she said yes!
We began rehearsals with a "table read" so to speak, as I tried to explain in voice what I had written on the page, and that description seemed to click with the cast. This idea of improv in a non traditional performance space seemed to challenge us all to try something new.
Rehearsals became a magical world of unlocked doors. The Ringer knew how to bring out the best of us, by opening our eyes to new perspectives on the approach we knew about improv. Week by week, we were learning new things, and taking copious notes so that we would have a workbook to use to develop ourselves as improvisers.
Now, the challenge was to find the space, and I did in the most unlikely of ways. I was meeting with someone two exchange some information at a tea house in Ballard. I noticed that there was a small stage that actually had a table with chairs on it. I saw the setting that I had imagined when I had come up with idea of a "central relationship" that would drive our show. When I saw this venue was the home of music of all kinds, and stand up comedy, that they might be open to something new.
Sure enough they were. The place is called the Chai House in Ballard, and their talent booker was intrigued by this show within a show, and last week, he booked us for our first show on the second Friday in September... a day with an infamous name... September 11th.
I thought, to myself, is that the best day to start something new... and then I said, if that day can be remembered by a few people for something positive, then it can only be positive.
And so, Breakout was born... and you can follow us on our Facebook fan page as we work up to our premiere. We'll have preview videos and photos as we lead up to the opening night.
For me, this has been a lesson in persistence. I did not want to give up on a dream, so I just threw all my knowledge into it... from producing to to using Facebook, everything came together. I can't wait to see how it will all turn out.
Yours truly,
Johnny Blogger
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