Name Two Things . . .

[kristenschier]

That you think Philly Improv does well -
1. finds a nice balance between focus on game and relationship, where scene work is concerned
2. i think philly does a great festival that people look forward to every year

That you think Philly Improv needs more of/ can improve -
1. more diversity - specifically ethnic diversity
2. more attention to the theatrical aspects of each show

[amutepiggy]

what Kristen said! The Festival gets a lot of compliments from out-of-town folks, so good job guys!

plus also:

1) philly has a lot of cool concept and stylized shows like Cubed, RHOP, BWP, Adrift... what am i forgetting.
2) there is a lot of support for independent and side projects. i think it's easier to start new projects here than in some other cities.

1) i'd like to see artists get paid for their performances!
2) i think we can do a better job of educating audiences about what we do

and...

MORE KRISTEN, PLEASE

Edit: I think I would be remiss if i didn't mention Incubator. What a great way to get people interested and invested in the artform.

[Amie? Amie!]

Good things!:

1.) Unique/creative venue choices because there isn't a set full-time venue dedicated just to improv/comedy. Groups have opened up really cool spaces to improv audiences.

2.) Also, to disagreeish with Alexis a little, PHIT does have a profit share model that's pretty unique, especially outside of Philly. It's not big bucks, but it's a sustainable way to show artists that they're appreciated. Also, point 2.5 would be that PHIT house teams don't have to pay for rehearsal space, festival fees, etc., which I know is not the case in New York, por ejemplo.

What we can do better:

1.) Object work/environment. We like to talk facing each other a lot.

2.) Better collaboration. With all the great leaders in this city, think of what we could accomplish together!

[Amie? Amie!]

ADDENDUM! I thought I'd give an example of something I mean when I say collaboration... a couple of weeks ago, for example, I remember there were 3 great shows happening at the same time (PHIT, Polaris, and Bedtime Stories) all at once. A few improvisers (myself included) were bummed that these shows weren't more spread out. There have been a few times that this has happened. I guess maybe its an inevitability as the scene grows?

Also, my internship is depressing and I am greatful for these discussions to distract me.

[Holmes]

That you think Philly Improv does well -
1. activity - there's a lot of stuff happening and probably would be a lot more if given the right Petri dish
2. collaboration - is that the same thing? I love that there's a "Mutual Admiration Society" in Philly amongst all kinds of performers and a lot of cross-over in shows and audiences. This (along with groups disbanding and not much happening) was one of the main problems I saw when I first started.

That you think Philly Improv needs more of/ can improve -
1. regularity - audiences want to rely on a place/time/set-up that they can go to without having to do too much research.
"What do you want to do tonight? - Let's just go to the improv theatre; I don't know what's going on tonight but there'll be something good or we can just hang at the bar."
2. GAME! - I know I'm Johnny Game, but when I see shows that struggle to keep an audience with them, shows where lots of stuff is said and none of it means anything, shows where it doesn't coalesce into a solid whole, etc. that's where I want to help groups and individuals understand how to play the game (hint: do anything, then do it more, then do it bigger)

[Amie? Amie!]

Originally Posted by kristenschier

That you think Philly Improv needs more of/ can improve -
1. more diversity - specifically ethnic diversity

I just noticed this on the UCB's web site and thought it was relevant to Kristen's post: http://newyork.ucbtheatre.com/classes/diversity/

There are some cool ideas listed on that site for ways to increase diversity. Has anyone else given thought to ways that this could be done 'round these parts?

[kristenschier]

cool amie ti will check it out - and matt started a thread

[Bringhurst]

Two things Philly does well:

1) PHIF--it is one of the weekends I look forward to the most each and every year
2) The increase of premise-based or concept-based shows. I'm not saying this because I am part of one, but rather because my favorite kinds of improv to watch from the audience are based on unique formats...something different that sets itself apart. Philly has been very welcoming of new types of shows.

Two things Philly needs more of or can improve:

1) I actually don't think there is quite enough "mutual admiration" going on in the city. I base this on what I have experienced when visiting other improv cities. There seems to be a higher percentage of improvisers attending shows that they are not involved in. The sense of family (across the board) is a bit stronger in other cities as well.
2) We need our own home theater (a physical building that is all ours)...and we need to ramp up advertisement of improv shows somehow.

[Mikey]

GOOD:
1. I like the enthusiasm that is shown for improv in general in Philly, it really makes my day to see you guys and I am like "oh wow that Philly person really loves improv"
2. PHIF/PHIT I love that these two organizations are established and growing at a nice pace.
BAD:
1. Brandon Libby doesn't call me back sometimes.
2. I got beat up by Jess Snow over the internet.

[Loki]

DOES WELL

1. Female improvisers dominate here... I think that more than any other community I'm familiar with, we have the extreme fortune of having ridiculously funny women outnumber men by a fair margin. Not in straight up improviser head count, but if I had to make a list of top 20 most talented, or must see, or to keep an eye on, etc, women would own about 75% of those lists. There's a confidence exuded and a respect demanded that female improvisers struggle with in other cities.

2. There is a growing segment of comedians who are stepping up the professionalism and value in what is put onstage. They are taking the base of a very supportive community and adding a tangible and attractive theatricality to what we do. They're paying attention to our responsibility to the paying audience and striving to deliver quality, while raising the bar for others around them.


NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

1. Continued education is HUGE. I think a big mistake is for ANYONE to ever think they can't learn more or challenge themselves further. And if people give it a chance, I think they might be surprised at where they discover those challenges. It can be in a specialized workshop, an 8 week class or hell, even from the insane denying newbie during a level 1. With a careful eye, you can learn from anything, anyone and anywhere. It makes me incredibly sad when classes aren't full, especially when we have constant access to crazy talented instructors right here. I dare you to take a class from Kelly Jennings or Matt Holmes and not discover new exhilaration in your work. I don't think I've ever heard students gush over an instructor the way I've heard people talk about learning from Mark Bringhurst. And this is just a couple people in that wide array of folks people can learn from. And that's just local people, not to mention the talent imported by PHIF, PHIT, CSZ, etc. Do something, just don't be content to be idle in your education.

2. Make yourself a marketable brand. OMG, there are so many places that people can do better here. First of all, if you don't get marketing and pr, find someone who does. Get creative... maybe you have something to offer in trade (coaching, comp tix, free bat mitzvah show). If you're just sending out Facebook invites or dropping off a flyer at another show, you're really doing you and your work an incredible disservice. These things are a small step, but really they are just hitting the same people; people that probably already know about your show and may or may not attend based on their schedule or interest - an invite or flyer isn't going to change this. There's so much you can do with marketing strategies and campaigns... brand awareness, interactive web content development, list trades, public and media relations, audience needs fulfillment... to really open yourself up to a broader potential audience. But most of all, this work is all fruitless if you're dropping the ball on retention. So you can have the greatest marketing strategy ever, but that'll only get them there once. It's still up to the quality of show you put on that will determine if they come back - and if you succeed in the most important marketing tool of all - word of mouth.