Hi all!

So, I had an incredible adventure last week. Let's just say something was telling me it was time to stretch...my boundaries, my life, my learning...and I thought, what is something in the acting world that is intimidating to me? Improv!

Off I went to an Improv 101 intensive at the Upright Citizens Brigade in NYC. And what a week. I get into the city Sunday evening (so lucky to have my wonderful and generous brother-in-law and family living there with an extra bed), ready to start class Monday morning. Most folks take this class once per week for 3 hours per week. This intensive was all 8 classes in 1 week. Plus the "graduation" prerequisite of seeing 2 improv shows at a UCB theatre prior to the end of the class run. I was bracing myself.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday classes were from 9-12 and 1-4...I went in Monday morning with slight nerves, but overall calm and ready for whatever was coming my way...open to all. Monday felt great! I didn't feel overwhelmed or intimidated by others at all. Yay! There were folks in the class from all over...I did not win the furthest travelled award this time! Virginia, DC, Nashville all represented...as well as one woman from Hamburg, Germany, and one from the Shetland Islands, Scotland!

[However, after mapping out the kid logistics at home, that didn't go quite as smoothly as planned, so I was getting texts questioning who was going where and when...a bit distracting, I must say. I have now joined care.com to work on finding a solution of consistency when I am gone...because I have a strong feeling I will be going for more training sooner rather than later...]

As the week went on, and more content/rules of improv covered, I started feeling less confident. Went to two shows Tuesday night, and was impressed with how easy the improv teams made it look. Wednesday I went to the 2 UCB classes, plus I squeezed in a CD workshop where I did my prepared scene, and managed to race to the UCB theatre on the lower east side to see 2 more shows. Hey, if I am in NY for this, I may as well immerse completely...!

Thursday class didn't start until 1...but of course, my body wouldn't allow me to sleep in, and some of my class was meeting early to practice. We had a show coming up ourselves, on Saturday! At this point in class...and maybe it was from being so tired...I was starting to question and second guess myself more and more. It was taking a lot of my energy to just try to stay in the moment.

Friday was the same...class at 1, though most of my class that day hired a coach to help us practice...which was fantastic and immensely helpful. Class that day? Still questioning myself, I am afraid.

Friday night was a Ladies' Jam at the UCB Chelsea theatre...you can choose to participate. This didn't even start until midnight (!) I ended up (as I was staying in Brooklyn) meeting my classmate from Shetland, Scotland out at a bar in Williamsburg where we danced to a great rock & roll/blues band, and then we went back into Manhattan together to Ladies' Jam. Once there, if you want to participate, you put your name into the box (ladies only, though anyone was welcome in the audience), stick on a nametag, and have a seat. I didn't even have my butt in the seat when my name was called!

As it turned out, not having time to think was the best thing to happen to me...someone got a suggestion from the audience, one of the Jam leaders initiated a scene, and I found myself facing her and finding lots to say, when I was beginning to be convinced that I was destined to freeze and stutter! It was a BLAST!!! And I am so glad I went up and did that...it was like something clicked inside me and I knew I was okay...and having fun! Plus, there was a dance party between each set. Perfection.

Saturday was our big class show! There were only 14 of us in the class, so we were divided into 2 teams. My team, Mollywood, was up first. One of us went out to receive the suggestion from the audience, then one of us told a real story/personal monologue based on that suggestion. From that monologue, we needed to come up with an idea for a scene. I amazed myself again, by not only thinking of something to say, but initiating the first scene in that set! Initiating was the most intimidating thing to me that entire week. An idea popped into my head, and I just went with it...!
After 3 scenes, another teammate did another monologue, and then we had 3 more scenes based off ideas from that one...and boom! Our team was done!

I have to say, it was an amazing group of people to meet and work with...and the support of each other was phenomenal. I am proud of myself for leaping off the edge, and hey...I am pretty damned tickled to say I performed on stage in NYC.

Now to figure out the logistics of Improv 201...hmmm...