Billy Merritt's Improv Party

[Billy Merritt]

The Party

DING DONG!

Billy: I wonder who that could be, let me just get the door.
Hey how you doing, come on in, the drinks are over there and you can put your coats on the bed.

Creature: This is the same party I came to just an hour ago, I should still be at this party.

Billy: Aha.. it's great to have a Kangaroo at the party.

Creature: What's going on?

Behind the Creature a kangaroo hops by, it used to be Senneca. But now it has become a kangaroo. The moment has changed.

"ding"

Billy: Party Quirks, feel the pain.

Creature: Excuse me but I don't know if I should be here.

Billy: What do you mean? I got mad snacks, and later we can play twister.

Creature: No I mean that I was just here, I mean I've done this before.....this is all repeating.

Billy: You mean your in a cycle?

Creature: That's it, I'm in this cycle. I've been here before why would I want to be here again?

Billy: I don't think it's that bad of a party.

Creature: No I didn't mean it like that, I just don't want to go on repeating everything that I just did. I want to move foward.

Billy: Well just by recognizing the cycle, don't you think youve changed it a little.

Kangaroo: He's right, this is no longer the way it was in the first cycle. Things have hightend since then so this is different, this is more interesting.

Billy: I think it was interesting then to, I talked about kissing and dance, and mad snacks.

Creature: So if I recognize it is a cycle, the cycle has already begun to change.

Kangaroo: All things have a cycle to them. The seasons, Harolds, pattern games, Kevin Bacon.

Billy: I love that game, it is amazing how many people he knows.

Creature: So your saying everything comes around within six degrees?

Kangaroo: That's just a game, but yes. There are patterns in nature, patterns in speech, patterns in history.

Creature: So recognize the patterns, don't be afraid of them, let them repeat.

Kangaroo: Recognizing the pattern is in it self, heightening. From there it's easy to add more information.

Billy: Guys, I don't mean to break this up but I need more money for beer, BEERRUN.

Creature: Hey I hear that the Improv Master is at this party, can I see him?

Billy: Yeah I guess he is down the hallway on the left, umm...... beerrun?

Kangaroo: I'll go get beer with you, my pouch is insulated.

Billy: Sweet.

 

[Billy Merritt]

The Hive

The Creature decides to walk down the hallway to see the Master. As she walks, she begins to hear a buzzing sound. She can't tell where it is coming from, is it inside her head, or is it coming from behind one of the doors? The buzzing has become louder, she stops at a door and looks at the doorknob, it seems to be sticky with some sort of substance, she can smell a sick sweet stench coming from behind the door. She is scared and wants to run, but her training has told her to go through that door, she must go through that door. She turns the knob, her hand is covered in the substance, it burns. She pushes through with one big shove and all of the sudden she finds herself on a ledge looking over a giant cavern. The cavern is at least 20 floors deep and 20 floors high, it is shaped like a cone with a hole at the top. All around the walls of the cavern are ledges just like the one she is on, each ledge has a cave like hole, some totally coverd in the sticky substance some are empty. The buzzing gets louder and she ducks into the hole on her ledge, as she peers out she see's a thing.
The Thing is flying around the cavern, it is about 6 foot in length, half wasp, half human. It has muscular arms that are carring some sort of egg. It lands on a ledge near the her ledge,puts thegg into the hole, it then covers the hole with a sticky substance that comes out of it's armpit. Just then the door she came in from opens, it is Billy. He takes off a mask that was his face and then begins to take off his skin like a cheap suit. As he sheds this garb it becomes obvious the he is a wasp/human just like the one she just saw. What was once Billy flys off towards one of the bigger ledges, at the ledge there are 6 other wasp/humans they seem to be having a heated discussion.
She listens in.

The Billy: Sorry I'm late I had to make a BEERUN for the humans.

The Sean: Did the humans pay for any of the beer?

The Billy: No, Earthlings are a cheap race.

The Secunda: I disagree.

The Delaney: I disagree with you.

The Secunda: I disagree back at you.

The Delaney: I disagree with your disagreement.

The Secunda: You can't disagree my disagreement.

The Delaney: Well then, I beg to Differ.

The Katie: HELLO, we are trying to have a meeting here.

The Andy-D: [he is on a giant video screen] What is going on with the group mind experiments.

The Dave: We have established a hive in the city and we are breeding as fast as we can.

The Sean: Soon we will have enough brood to infiltrate all aspects of every day life.

The Billy: Once they are in place we can activate the group mind cube and begin interaction.

The Katie: Once that happens we can start the largest group game ever.

The Delaney: And once the game starts no one will be able to stop it.

The Secunda: I disagree.

The Delaney: You can't disagree, we all developed this plan together.

The Dave:Alert.....I smell an outsider in the hive.

The Creature shrinks off the ledge and into the hole.

To be Cont..................

 

[Billy Merritt]

Characterization

She ducks all the way into the back of the hole, outside she can hear the buzzing. The noise is all over the hive, some of the buzzing has voices in it, she dosen't know if it is inside her head or coming from outside the hole. All of the sudden a wasp/human lands on her ledge and looks inside the hole. It's head peers in looking all around, she presses back futher into the hole not to be seen. The wasp/human gives an all clear gesture and another beast comes to the ledge and throws in an egg. The wasp/human then lifts it's arm and secreates a sticky substance like the stuff she saw on the door. The hole is being sealed up and what little light there was, is quickly fading. She is terrified, she wants to scream but she can't, she wants to flee but there is nowhere for her to go.

Darkness.

Silence.

She does not know how long she's been in this cave, time does not exist. She can't see anything, she can't move, she wonders if she is awake, or is this some sort of nightmare. She tries to move her arm. She can't. She seems to be incased in something, she remembers the egg. All of the sudden she begins to realize that she is not only in the cave but somehow the egg has incased her as well. She tries to break free, the egg's grip becomes stronger. She feels a burn all over her body as if the skin on her body is being burned off, it is beyond pain. Pain doesn't matter, she can feel her bones breaking and resetting, her skull reshaping, something is growing out of her back, it must be wings she thinks. Her skin is turning into a hard covering. She is in a state of metamorphosis. She is changing from what she once was into a completly different species. She begins to realize that nothing will ever be the same, even if she goes back to who she was, it wont be the same. She is experinceing the ultimate characterzation, this is no space monkey on the moon, this is real.

Sleep.

She awakens. She is not She. She is She/wasp.

She/Wasp eats the sticky stuff covering her hole, it is good. It taste like information. The hole is cleared and She/Wasp takes off, flying all over the hive, her wings are buzzing, it just feels right.
All around her are other wasp/humans, they all have the same look of satisfaction, like a new day has dawned and it is going to be a good one. She/Wasp has leaned something, you have to like who your character is, or you wont play that person truthfuly.

She/Wasp Flies.......

 

[Billy Merritt]

Being aware

The hive is buzzing. All the new Wasp/humans have hatched and they are all flying around. Some are good at flying , some are having problems. Those who are unsure of flying are grasping to the sides of the hive, like kids at a swimming pool who can't swim.
She/Wasp has no problems, she is looping, diving, stopping on a dime, she is good at this, she was ment to do this. She looks at the ones having problems, she wants to tell them to quit looking at there wings and just use them. At that instant she decides to look at her wings, she never took time to inspect them before, she just started flying. She looks and she freezes. How can something so flimsy carry her? They can't, she falls. She asks herself why she looked at her wings, then she asks herself why is she asking herself these questions? She has become hyper-aware. She realizes once you see yourself doing something and you start to analize it, you quit doing what you were doing and you start commenting. Commenting wont help you fly. She is falling, she closes her eyes, in her minds eye she remembers the joy she felt when she first started to fly. She tries to feel that joy again, she has the joy in her heart she is happy, her eyes open and she realizes that she is higher than all the other newbee's.
Flying all around faster than anyone else, making turns and cuts better than anyone else, she is the best wasp/human that she can be.

The Six are watching.

The Dave: She is good.

The Secunda: She may be the one.

The Katie: We will watch her, give her the tests.

The Delaney: She might be the one.

The Secunda: Why can't you just agree with me?

The Delaney: What? I said she might.

The Secunda: After I said she was the one, you had to add "might".

The Delaney: I don't consider that a disagreement, I'm just not sure yet , that's all.

The Sean: Well that is what the tests are for.

The Katie: If she passes the tests then we will know.

The Secunda: I'm not to crazy about these tests.

The Billy: What the fuck, there your tests, you created them.

The Secunda: Oh did I? Then there are Awesome. We will know for sure after the tests.

The Delaney: We might know more that is a certainty.

The Andy-D: [ on screen] Hey whats up, I will be coming to earth for the holidays let's do brunch, do we have secret santas yet? Oh and the Hive Queen wants to know if you all are any where nearer to taking over that planet. She's getting a little pissy.

The Dave: The game is drawing closer.

 

[Billy Merritt]

Awake

Sleep.

Sleep.

A Dream cycle.[ something about french scubadivers]

Sleep.

Sleep.

AWAKE.....The Hive wakens, all the Newbees start to fly around. When did they go to sleep She wonders, the last thing she remembers is flying, then waking up. Was she sleeping while flying? Confusion once again creeps into her head, is this the party, is she still in the closet with the Shaft of Light, and his worm. What did she just think? She remembers don't think, fly.
A voice booms over the entire hive, all the Newbees fly over to the main ledge. The voice is The Dave.

The Dave: Welcome to the Hive Mind. You will be tested. Those who pass the test will grow into warroirs of the Hive Mind. Those who don't pass the test will be eaten by the rest of us to make us stronger. Your first part of the test is to collect information. The sticky stuff you ate when you were hatched, was pure information, we need it in order to survive. Go outside of the Hive, find information, ingest it, bring it back to us, make us stronger. The better the information, the better your chances of becoming a warrior. If we deem the information that you bring us to be worthless, You will be eaten. Good luck, now fly.

The Hive starts to buzz, all the newbees are flying round and round swirling towards the top, towards the hole to the outside. Some of the Newbees are shoving the weaker ones into the walls of the hive, knocking them out they fall to the bottom of the hive, wings broken, they try to get up to fly. They can't, they are dragged away by giant floor beetles, too be consumed.
She/Wasp is near the top ready for the outside, she see's out of the corner of her eye another Newbee bearing down on her, she can tell this one wants her out of the way. She is at the rim of the opening, she braces her self with her hind legs on the wall, grabs the Newbees wings, swings the Newbee around so that it's head smashes against the lip of the opening. She let's go, the Newbee falls towards the bottom. For a moment she looks at the main ledge where the Six are. They are looking right at her, she looks back at them, then flies out of the Hive.

The Dave: She is good.

The Billy: Damn good.

The Delaney: Let's see what she brings us.

The Secunda: You guys hungry? I'm hungry.

The Sean: We have a floor full of fallen Newbees, the beetles are crushing there bones for us even as we speak.

The Secunda: I don't know , I was thinking maybe fish.

The Sean: Fish? We have Newbees.

The Secunda: I really want fish.

 

[Billy Merritt]

Outside

The sun hits her face, it is blinding. She wants to feel it against her skin but she doesn't have skin anymore, just a hard shell.
She starts to regain her vision, things are blurry then a little more clear. There is something in front of her. She is trying to process what it is, it seems to be a giant zepplen moving side ways towards her. Her eyes clear, she can see, it is not a zepplen, it is a giant newspaper roled up and it is coming after her. She dives, turns, and instinctivly charges towards the object. The newspaper falls to the ground and all of the sudden she focuses on what was holding the newspaper. It is a man, he must be at least 6,000 feet tall, she is in the land of giants. The man is backing away from her swatting at her. She is a wasp.

Flies away.

She remembers why she is out here, information. What is information? Everything is information. How is she to collect it?
Go to a library? Surf the in-ter-ra-net? She couldn't push a key down, she is to small. Maybe she should go somewhere people would hang out. But she is a wasp, she must be covert. Where can she go and not be seen, or noticed. Somwhere outside, a festival, a concert, A JAZZ FESTIVAL. For some reason she knows that Wasps love jazz, she must go see jazz. How will she find this "Jazz Festival" . All of the sudden the top of her head starts to tingle, then vibrate. For the fierst time she notices she has antennae. They feel the Jazz, all she has to do is follow the feeling, she will get there. So she flies, to a Jazz Festival.

 

[Billy Merritt]

Back at the Hive.....

The Secunda: You know what a good fish is....Salmon, thats a nice piece of fish.

The Katie: Yes.....As I was saying, the Group Mind Cube is ready, we have plenty of new warriors and more on the way.

The Sean:That is if they can bring us enough information. They must get into everyday life, become a part of it.

The Billy: Once that information is injected into the Cube, we can activate it and control the entire planet, that is when the the world group game starts.

The Dave: Once the group game starts, all we have to do is edit it and the planet is ours. Do you think She is the one to Edit this world.

The Secunda: I have my doubts.

The Billy: About the plan?

The Secunda: No, about salmon, I think a tuna steak is the better piece of fish.

The Delaney: Guy's, I think we are a little hung up on plot here.
Shoudn't we be focused on the moment.

The Sean: Great.......How do you take over a planet without a plot?

The Delaney: I'm just saying it seems a little Plotty.

The Sean: Look, our purpose is to take over this world, to do that you need a plan. That doesn't mean within that plan you can't have moments.

The Delaney: Yes, but if all our moments are taken up with repeating the plan to each other, that's not much of a moment.

The Secunda: What I don't understand is how can something like tuna fish sandwiches, can even be from the same food group as a nice tuna steak. They are from different worlds of taste.

The Katie: You are both right, we need to check in with each other every now and then so that we all know what is going on, but we don't need to do it all the time.

The Dave: You can have a plot, but you don't need to talk about it.

The Billy: Show, don't tell.

The Secunda: Scallops!

The Delaney: What?

The Secunda: Scallops, that is what I want for dinner, broiled scallops. With lemon rice and peas.

The Sean: Scallops are pressed ray and shark meat. But the big question to me is She the one to Edit?

The Katie: She has the skills.

The Dave: She has the timing.

The Secunda: Bay scallops, the little ones, they are real scallops.

The Delaney: She can be The Editor, the cutter of scenes.

The Billy: I wonder if she realizes that one day she may edit this entire planet.

The Secunda: I hope you all realize that during this entire moment I have supplied comic relief, while you guys got the plot out of the way.

The Katie: Yes.

The Dave: Thank you.

The Sean: Whatever.

The Billy: So then you don't want to get some scallops?

The Secunda: Oh yes, I want the scallops.

The Delaney: Scallops are disgusting, you should have a red snapper.

The Secunda: Red Snapper! You are an idiot!

The debate goes on into the night....................

 

[Billy Merritt]

She goes to festivals.
Jazz festivals
Bluegrass festivals
Hardcore rock festivals
Classical music festivals
Corn festivals
Galic festivals
Garlic festivals
Lumberjack festivals
Church Bazzars
College pep rallies
College victory riots
Flea markets


She goes to all these things, she see's so much. She quits looking at the stages, she quits looking at what the gatherings are for. She starts to look at the people. It's the people. The people create the gatherings, without the people there is no festival. She realizes that who these people are, make the gathering what it is. If she went to a Garlic festival and all the people there were Nazis, then it's not just a Garlic festival, it's a hate filled garlic loving group of racist. How interesting is that?
The people make the event, the event does not make the people.

Y: Unless the event is about people making, then it's called an orgy.

She: Who said that?

Y: You did.

She: What do you mean I did, who are you?

Y: I'm your inner monolog.

She: My inner monolog? So then I'm talking to myself. Great I am now a crazy wasp.

Y: We all talk to ourselves, your not crazy. If you can't create a dialog with yourself, how can you hope to create one with an outsider.

She: Anyone that is not you?

Y: That's right.

She: Well then tell me this, me, How do I know when I have the information that I need to get back to the Hive?

Y: I'm glad I/you asked that. I/you decided to chime in now because you have found the answer to all information.

She: What did I/you discover?

Y: INFORMATION IS PEOPLE!

She: Nice, what does that mean?

Y: Any and all information that we recieve comes from people, we are a social animal that must share information in order to survive. The more information that we recieve, produce, or transfer to others, the greater a society we become.


She: So in order to really know a society, you must know the people. To understand the people is to understand the information.

Y: How can your expect to do an imprivsational scene without really knowing the people in the scene. Oce you know the people, the information flows all over the scene.

She: I must go back, I must tell the hivemind.

Y: By "I" you mean "We".

She: "We" are one, so I mean "I"

Y: Can "I,you,me,us" Stop at a street festival first, I,you,me,us, would love to eat a sausage.

She: Fine.

 

[Billy Merritt]

WHAT THE FUCK WAS I THINKING

I quit writing this journal because it became a chore.
I quit writing this journal because I became ensnarled in plot.

I found myself checking back entries to make sure I tied up all the plot lines, that is when the improvisation died.

When I started this thingy, I just took an idea and ran with it, it was fun. Then as I posted each day I would check back a little further and a little further. At first it was harmless just to create a thread of existance, then I got all sci-fi on my ass and started to take over the world. BOOOOOOOOO!!!

PLOT KILLS IMPROVISATION!

Playing the plot of a scene reduces your chances of discovery. True improvisation stems from discovery. Not knowing where you are going to go in a scene yet knowing that it is going to come out all right is the core of great improv.
Having said all that, of course there is plot in improvisation, and most of the time it works really well. But when it works well, it is not because of the players playing to the plot. It is because of the players playing to each other and to the scene at hand.
Let the story come to you , don't go looking for the story.

DON'T THINK

Your job as an actoproviser is to digest all the plot lines and stories that you can outside of the stage, get it into your subconscious, read, watch, listen to as many stories as you can.
Then forget about them, let them hang in the back of your head.
When you are on stage doing your award winning improv let those stories CREEP up into your scene work. Don't force it, focus on the scene, let the scene create the plot.

That in essence is called good CREEPY scenework.

Manchurian Canidate and Zoolander are the same movie.
CREEPY

 

[Billy Merritt]

FORM NOT FORM

I invented a new form today, it is called the "Sandwich".
You have two players become the bread.
Then another plays the knife.
You get two more players to portray the mustard, and the Mayo.
You then get a suggestion from the audiance of a type of sandwich meat.
Once you get that suggestion, have another player represent that style of meat.
You then get another suggestion of a kind of cheese.
Player 7 plays the cheese.
You then get the rest of the players to portray lett, tom, onion, oil, vinager, horsy sauce, salt,pepper, and what ever else you may need to make that "Sandwich".
All together you will need about 21 players to make a real good "Sandwich".

EVERYBODY HAS A NEW FORM

One of the first things you do as a Actroproviser, once you feel that you have improv down , is to come up with your own form.
You feel that you can come up with a form that has never been done. That it will change the world, or make everyone in the form a better improviser. As soon as you come up with a form that you think is original, you find that someone is doing it somewere else.
They have copyrighted it and are prepared to sue you.
Or the players doing the form just aren't creating the vision you had for it.

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE FORM

It is about the improvisation. No form, no matter how failsafe you think it may be, will succeed unless the the work is done in the improvisation. Can you maintain a 30 min. scene with solid characters, relationship and a hardcore series of games? Once you can honestly say yes to this, you find that form doesn't matter. You find that each time you go out there, you develop a new form as you improvise.
Suggestion is Form, Form is not Form.

THE HAROLD

The only form you need to work on constantly is the Harold.
Why? Because you have to work on something, you have to have some sort of structure to go on, a foundation to always lean on when you don't know were to go. When groups say to me that they are tired of doing the Harold I say great, do 500 more. How can you get tired of a form that allows you to change and evolve as you do it? It is not always a 3 beats, game, 3beats form. It too can change as you change. I teach the Documentary in my level 4 class, it is not some great new form, it is just another way to do the Harold. When it works, it's awesome, when it doesn't work, i always say go back to the scenework, that is where it failed.

THE SWARM

I like to think that the Swarm shows are spineless Harolds. When our shows rock, it is because we are making connections, playing out the game, and editing hard. When it doesn't work, Secunda has more than likely fucked it up. We always talk about doing a new Form, but we don't. In my opinoin a new form would only restrict us. We use the principles of the Harold and just let it go.


Todays Sandwich: Salami, tuna melt on a corn muffen.
Can I get another suggestion please.

 

[Billy Merritt]

How Awesome is Improv

Haven't been here in a bit.
Bits what do people see in them.

I have been going through some tough times at home, my marriage of 8 years has fallen apart, and that is hard. The odd thing is that I keep looking at it from the outside, like an actor looking at a situation and trying to record it for future sense memory use on stage. This isn't an exersise, this is real. I can't help but to think of bits to do during the hardest times, during arguments, or moving my stuff out. I want to make a big joke out of it so that it all can be laughed away.
Truth is, it's real. If I belive in finding the truth in comedy, now is the time to find it. I am finding it easier to improvise at this time because: It's better than dealing with real life.
I am focused on one thing.
I have made a choice and this is it.
It is my safe zone.
I am escaping the reality.
I'm good at it.

My Ex and me are good friends, and will continue to be no matter what. If I wasn't in improv there is no proof that the marriage would of lasted longer. If I was a bar manager I would making myself a better bar manager right now.[And drinking a boatload of beer] So I am lucky to be where I am, if I find things funney as I go along than great, that is what I do. That is fine, don't fight your nature. But it is also important to be sad if you have to, no matter what, the only thing that you can do is to be true to your own feelings. If you can do that in real life, than you have a good chance to do that onstage.

ps. Dave's upright peeing dog at the urinal, in last nights cagematch, is what the truth is all about.

 

[Billy Merritt]

Fight for your right to Improv

No one gets enough respect for thier improv.
Everyone talks shit about other peoples improv.

The first thing I told [new Harold team] in practice is to pick another Harold team to hate, that will motivate you to do better. Yes it was a bit, a joke, humor. But all bits have some sort of truth in them, don't they? If it isn't another Harold team and thier style of play, then it's another theater, or maybe it's short form you can't stand, or a city, or the Mets. It is natural to not like something, it gives us our individuality. It allows you to say, " I'm not like that, I don't like that, so I am special".
I think it is important to understand this in yourself, so that it doesn't consume you. So that you don't live your improv life in bitterness. It is also important to know no matter how good your work may be, or how much you have improved, their is someone out there who doesn't like what you do. And the fucked up thing is that it may have nothing to do with improv, you may have bumped into someone at a bar and didn't say that you were sorry. From that moment on that person will not like what you do onstage. This is why I hate Secunda.
I know that I have been passed over projects because people only see my size. They think that I am a very funny fat guy, not a funny person. For commercials I understand, that's casting, but I'm talking about stage shows, and other projects connected with the theater. When I first heard about it I was hurt, who woudn't be. Then I wanted to hate those people for not liking me. This is a waste of time. If these people can't respect the work I do then fuck em. Respect yourself, do your own work, Success is the great revenge.
I guess what I'm trying to say is don't spend your time hating people. Hating other theaters. Hating Secunda. Spend your time doing your work and making yourself better. People who spend time passing judgment don't grow, They are too busy seeing what other people are doing wrong.
Respect is not something that other people give you, until you can give it yourself. Give it to other people, and give it to yourself.





Watch:
The WPA Theater Project
Listen:
To the opening monolog by Will Greer, written by Gutherie.
Try:
To live by those words

 

[Billy Merritt]

When I was a boy I used to spend my summers with my Godfather. He had a townhouse in Washington D.C., and a cabin somewhere in Maryland. In both of his bathrooms he had a picture right above the toilet. The picture was a person walking down a beach with footprints in the sand. The saying below the picture was something like"Do not judge a man until you walk a mile in their shoes". To this day I cannot judge a person when I take a shit.
Everytime I do a scene in a bathroom I always place that picture in the space, I find that it anchors me into the scene.
Any chance that you can place personal items into the scenes with you, do it. Make it personal, it grounds you to the scene, and it grounds you to the truth.
You want to be so grounded that you are actually in the ground, like a mole [THE MOLE KING!]. Or an earthworm, eating the Truthdirt and shiting out the scene.

 

[Billy Merritt]

What's in the bag?

Elvin Bag of Holding

Dwarves Golden Toolbox

Mary Poppens purse of endless objects

Capt. Cavemans Fur

In class I like to make refrences to the Elvin Bag of Holding. I do this to teach a point and also to see who the D and D nerds are.
The Elvin Bag is a magical bag that can keep an endless amount of things in it. When you learn something new in a class treat it as a tool and put it in your bag.
I don't like to use the word "Bag" by itself, because there are negitive conatations to the word. "Going to the same old Bag of Tricks" Meaning always playing a certain way or going to that same accent over and over, doing that same move over and over.
But with the Elvin Bag, it expands as you learn and it lets you keep learning more and more, but more importantly it retains what you have learned. You can always reach into the Elvin Bag when you need to and there will always be something in there for you to use in almost any situation.
So many times I feel people are going through the motions of Improv classes or practice groups without really retaining anything. The feeling being that if I rehearse alot I will be good, so I better pactice all I can. I better get on a group. I better get playing time. I better. I better.
You should always walk away from an improv session and ask yourself, what have I learned, how can I use this information, how can I keep this information with me until I need it.?[Elvin Bag]
Somtimes different teachers and coaches will run the same exercise, and students will tune out. But not every teacher teaches the same exercise the same way. Exercises can teach different things if they are tweeked just a little. So don't think that I've already done this, there is nothing I can get from doing this again, you can get that teacher or coaches perspective, and that perspective can be a tool to throw in your Elvin Bag.
Groups have collective Elvin Bags, All groups should go through even the most basic execises together as a group, this is the start of developing Group Mind. If you have done it together in a rehearsal then it won't be new to anyone on stage. If you miss a rehearsal then you don't know all that is in the Group Elvin Bag. Ask whats been put in the Elvin Bag since you were gone. If you miss a bunch of rehearsals but still play with a group realize you are playing with half a Bag. Half Bag players tend to resort to their BAG OF TRICKS, and not the Group Elvin Bag.

EXPAND YOUR ELVIN BAG

EXPAND YOUR GROUPS ELVIN BAG

 

[Billy Merritt]

Ghosts on the Boards

I was in the middle of a scene last night during a W.P.A. show, and I felt chill go through my body. All of the sudden an intensity welled up inside me and I started to project this character that had nothing to do with the scene, he was a WW1 war vet who saw so much death during the war that he will never forget it.
It was a ghost, not of a war vet, but of an actor who played that role on that very same stage a long time ago. If you look up into the lights on the stage at the new UCB theater you see that some of them have the words Roundabout Theater marked on them. There must of been some great plays produced on that stage at some time. And some of those plays must of left some sort of energy that I picked up during the show. You can feel it. Goose Bumps.
I get the same feeling any time I am lucky enough to do a bit on Late Night. The studio that the show takes place in also had the first SNL shows, and David Letterman. In fact that studio has been around for over 50 years, the shows and the stars that have performed on the stage are staggering. You can feel it. Goose bumps.
I am now living in an older Apt. up on 115th and Manhatten Ave. Harlem. The stories that must of happened in this room that I am typing in now, the happy times, the saddness. You can feel it. Goose Bumps.
No matter where you go, somebody has been there before, living their life. Having moments that will change their lives forever, creating some of the funniest scenes, or the most heartfelt scenes. I feel that once you can realize that, you can maybe even channel some of that energy that they left behind and use for your own work on that very same stage. But you must also realize that you are leaving risidual energy on the stage too. Make sure to leave good energy, don't leave your suck on the boards.

 

[Billy Merritt]

The Creature Returns

She has been through a shit storm.
She has grown as an improviser.
She has learned to deal with the doubt.
She is on an improv group.
She performs as much as she wants.
She still feels empty.
She is still not complete.
She now realizes she has to teach.
She must give what she knows.

The Classroom is a giant room under construction. The floor is dirty with construction dust, wiring hangs from the ceiling, the lights hang, not yet installed into the ceiling, flickering. The chairs have been bought from some Kmart Gardening center, white plastic and flimsy. There is a drum circle class next door, the beat of the drums shake the walls.

CREATURE: Hello everyone, and welcome to improvisation 101. We will be studying the basic elements of what makes a great improvised scene, and then you will be doing scenework based on those elements. Any questions........yes you.

UNIT 1: When do I get on a Harold team?

CREATURE: Well you need to start at the begining, you need to not worry about that and focus at the task at hand. Yes you......

UNIT 2: When can I expect to be on SNL?

UNIT 3: Whats SNL?

UNIT 2: Saturday Night Live, Duh.

UNIT 3: Oh, well I want to be on that too, and a Harold team.

CREATURE: Okay, look you "all" are not going to get on SNL, and "all" of you are not going to make it on Harold team. You are going to learn about improvisation in this class, there are no promises in this class as far as your career goes, that is your own responsabilty.

WHOLE CLASS: sniff sniff [muffeled crying] hrumpf sniff.

CREATURE: Look, no class can promise you a job. A class can teach you what you need to know for getting a job, if you listen, ask questions about what the class is teaching, and make sure you walk away from class each day knowing more than you did when you walked in.

UNIT 4: What if I already know what you are teaching me? What if I have already done all these exercises, I was on a team in college, and we were pretty good.

CREATURE: You don't have my expearences, my perspective. Improvisation is an art form. Anyone can paint a picture, a good picture. But it takes more than being able to paint, to be a great artist, it takes patiance, it takes observation, it takes an ability to learn when there is nothing left to learn.

UNIT1: I love you.

UNIT 2: Yeah your great, Have you been on TV?

UNIT 3: Can I use the bathroom?

UNIT 4: I'm pretty sure I'm better than you.

CREATURE: What?

UNIT 4: Oh, did I say that out loud? Sorry my bad.

CREATURE: All Right lets get up, we are going to do some warmups does anyone know ZIP,ZAP,ZUP.

UNIT 4: I learned it as ZIP, ZAP, ZOP.

CREATURE: Well I guess you've just learned something new.

WHOLE CLASS: oooooh snap.

UNIT 3: Seriously, I need to use the bathroom.

 

[Billy Merritt]

Retarded Baby= Funny

The class is in full swing, the units are adapting and doing scenework, yesanding, supporting, growing confident.
They are in the middle of a scene between Unit 4 and Unit 6.

UNIT 6: I'm sorry little Bobby you can't drive the car, babies arn't allowed to drive.

UNIT 4: But I'm a Big Baby.

UNIT 6: Yes you are a big baby, but you are also retarded so that takes away from bigness.

UNIT 4: [turns to the audiance] I'm just a big Retarded Baby! Oh well.

Class claps and cheers!

CREATURE: Okay, couple things. Great building of the scene, watch out for the "Buts" , "Buts" are a way of denying the yes and that has been established, let's see the Retarded baby drive, lets see what happens.

UNIT 6: I was trying to keep it real, I wouldn't let a baby drive.

CREATURE: Understood, but would you have a conversation with a baby about driving in the first place?

UNIT 6: No.

CREATURE: Right, so if your baby is a giant and can talk, why not drive?

UNIT 6: Got it , if that then what else.

CREATURE: Right. Now about being a Retarded Baby....

UNIT 4: What? It was funny, they all laughed.

CREATURE: Yes, it was funny. It was funny the first time you did it, and the second time as well.

UNIT 4: Oh and this time it isn't funny?

THE CLASS GASPS AT UNIT4'S SARCASIM

CREATURE: No, it is funny, but I have seen you do this same character three times in this class. It has gotten to the point that you wait for the laughs. You turn to the audiance say "Oh Well" and wait for the laugh. When you start doing that you take away any chance of discovery, you are referancing on something you did in a scene two weeks ago. They are laughing at something you did in the past not at what is happening now. This tends to lead to doing inside jokes that only other improvisers understand, and that alienates part of your audiance.

THE CLASS NODS TO EACH OTHER IN AGREEMENT

UNIT 4: But it's funny, you said it was funny, they think it's funny. why would you not do something that is funny if you can?

THE CLASS NODS TO UNIT 4 IN AGREEMENT

CREATURE: Yes it is funny, but why limit yourself to one funny thing when you can discover new funny things if you let that funny thing go. Plant that funny seed and let it grow in to a big funny tree. A tree that all of us can see, not just a few of us.

THE CLASS NODS IN AGREEMENT SOME SAY "WOW, COOL" OUT LOUD

Unit 4: It seems to me that if I develop a character on stage that is funny, I should bring it back and discover new things about that character.With each new scene I am making adjustments to my character. I would then have a great character to do for my SNL audition.

THE CLASS STARTS TO FEEL UNEASY WITH THE CONFROTATION THEY START TO AVERT THEIR EYES

CREATURE: First of all this is not a get an SNL audition class, this is improvisation. Second, did you even hear how many times you just said "I" in that last statement. Do you even realize that there is someone else in the scene with you. It's great to have goals, but not at the expense of others.

THE CLASS STARTS TO COWER TOWARDS THE OTHER END OF THE CLASSROOM, SOME START TO SOB

UNIT 4: Well if that is what you percieve then I am sorry. Do you know where I can take a "get a SNL audition class".

THE CLASS REALIZE THAT THE CONFROTATION HAS BEEN DEFUSED,THEY COME BACK TO THEIR SEATS

CREATURE: Don't apoligize, take the note. And ,no, there is no such class that I know of. There is a Retarded Baby Class you can take, talk to me after class.

UNIT 3 RAISES HIS HAND

CREATURE: Yes?

UNIT 3: Can I use the Bathroom?

CREATURE: Yes, why don't we take a break, be back in 7mins.

THE CLASS CHEERS. BREAK TIME IS FUN TIME. THEY GO OUT OF THE CLASS TELLING EACH OTHER WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO GET.
"I'm getting a candy bar"
"Coffee for me"
"I'm Going to Do the DEW"

After the class files out the CREATURE slinks back into her chair, closes her eyes and prays for strength.

 

[Billy Merritt]

Mob Rule

Class walks down the street after their last session with the Creature.{The Creature stays in the classroom to clean up} They are bouncy, happy, doing bits, bringing back scenes that they just did in session and saying what they could of done differently.
There is an energy to the group.
They don't notice that they aren't walking anymore.
Their feet are moving as if they were walking.
They are floating in the air.
The Class has formed an Improv bubble around them, the real world is only a suggestion to do a scene with.
The Class Bubble foats over the city.

Unit 3: We should form a practice group.

Unit 7: Awesome, I know were to rent a space.

Unit 2: Guys we could be soooo good, if we keep practicing we could even perform.

Unit 3: Let's just pactice first.

Unit 2: I'm just saying that if we give ourselves a goal maybe would stick to it.

Unit 3: I see your point, I just think it's important not to rush the process.

Unit 7: I think you are both right, We should have goals. Short term, practice. Long term, perform.

Unit 4: What are you all afraid of? I say perform now, practice onstage in front of an audiance. That way you know wether your shit is good or not.

THE BUBBLE STARTS TO SHAKE

Unit 2: I don't know about that, I feel doing shows when your not ready can cause divides within the group.

Unit 7: Yes, some of us may be ready to go onstage , but if all of us aren't then the group isn't a group it's just one or two really good people and the rest would be wall huggers.

THE CLASS ALL NODS IN AGREEMENT

Unit 4 shrugs: Whatever.

JUST THEN TWO MORE BUBBLES ZIP BY, THEY ARE GOING AT SUPERSONIC SPEED CHASING EACH OTHER DOING ALL SORTS OF TRICKS, LOOPING, DIVING. CLASS RECOGNIZES THEM AS PERFORMING GROUPS THAT THEY SEE ALL THE TIME ON STAGE.

THE BUBBLES SPEAK PLAYFULLLY TO EACH OTHER:

BUBBLE ONE: Good one, next time we will win. Good show.
BUBBLE TWO: You can't beat us, Secunda always wins. Good show.

THE BUBBLES FLY AWAY TOGETHER

CLASS IS IN AWE

CLASS: Awe!

 

[Billy Merritt]

Tiny Bubbles

Bubbles float all over the city.
Some are wobbly, some are thick.
Some speed around like jetplanes
Others squeek along like a rusty bike.
Every now and then a bubble pops.
The people inside the bubble fall to the ground.
Every now and then a bubble lifts into the sky.

CLASS IS IN THEIR OWN BUBBLE FLOATING OVER THE CITY, A LITTLE WOBBLY JUST LEARNING TO FLOAT.

UNIT 2: So we need to get a coach.

UNIT 6: Yes we need a good coach to get our play up to speed.

UNIT 1: What about ALPHA? He's a good coach, isn't he?

UNIT 2: Just ask him, he will tell you how good he is. I would rather not spend time with someone who has to tell over and over how good they are at coaching.

UNIT 5: What about OMEGA she's great all the other teams she coaches love her.

UNIT 7: But she coaches so many teams, it seems to me that her interests may be devided. Can she give us all the attention that we need at this time. If you coach that much it just becomes about the money.

UNIT 3: What about Gamma, I've seen him perform and I love his style. He isn't coaching anyone else, maybe we can get him.

CLASS: Yeah, good yes him. { All agree but UNIT 4}

UNIT 4: I don't see why we even need a coach.

THE BUBBBLE SHAKES

UNIT 4: I'm just saying we could do sessions together to get to know each other, to play with each other, to jell.

UNIT 3: I don't think thats such a good idea.

UNIT 4: Why not. You all just said that some of these coaches just do it for the money, or the real good ones are taken, or they are so full of their ego that they don't even realize what is going on with the practice group.[me-prov]

THE BUBBLE STARTS TO LOSE ALTITUDE

UNIT 7: That all can be true, but I feel if we start to practice on our own we will start to give each other notes.

UNIT 4: Well then we make a point to not give notes.

UNIT 7: We give notes to each other all the time without even knowing.

UNIT 4: Thats not true there are lots of times I see a place in a scene were I could have given a note and I don't.

UNIT 7: Yes, but do you compliment people after scenes?

UNIT 4: Yes.

UNIT 7: And are there certain people you don't complement?

UNIT 3: You never complement me!

UNIT 4: Well I....

UNIT 7: You just gave a note. Anytime you talk about a scene with someone you are giving notes to each other, you tell them what you liked or say "I'm Sorry, what were you going for in that scene?" I feel a coach can defuse that, someone outside of the group looking in to tell us what they see.

CLASS: Yeah!

THE BUBBLE GROWS STRONGER , FLOATS HIGHER

UNIT 4: Whatever.

UNIT 7: So then GAMMA it is.

 

[Billy Merritt]

Bubble Corral

The Class Bubble has gotten stronger.
Gamma Has taught them well.
He has given them confidence.
He has taught them to support.
The Bubble now reacts as one.

GAMMA IS STANDING ON A ROCK AS THE BUBBLE CIRCLES AROUND HIM. GAMMA HAS LEGS MADE OF ROCKETS, HIS BODY CHANGES OUTFITS EVERY 5 SECONDS, ARMY, CHEF, DOCTER, MOTHER, PORN CLOWN. HIS ARMS ARE GREEN STEEL, HIS HANDS INTERCHANGE EVERY 5 SECONDS INTO DIFFERENT OBJECTS, CUPS, GUNS, DILDOS,PENS, SWORDS.

GAMMA: You have all done well, it is my opinion that you are ready to perform.

BUBBLE: We feel we are ready. Do you know of a place for us to play?

GAMMA: That is for you to decide. I can't tell you were to go , you must choose. My only advice is that you find a place were you are allowed to perform, not a place that makes you produce.

BUBBLE: What is the difference between performing and producing?

GAMMA: Performing is art, it is about a sense of play, it is about growing and being allowed to fail. Producing is about business, it is about attendence, advertising, financial succsess.

BUBBLE: Can't you have both?

GAMMA: Not right away. If you are thrust in a situation were you have to get a certain amount of people in, or the bar has to make a certain amount, you are then focused on the wrong thing. You are focused on the production and not the art. Get your art down first, develop confidence in your art , then focus on the production. Never let the production overide your art. That is bad business.

BUBBLE: How will we know which place to play, which place is using us, and which place is there to let us grow.

GAMMA: What's the cover charge? What do they say to you after the show? Do they talk about the show or the attendence? Don't get me wrong, eventually, as you grow these are things are important to your groups development. It is commerce. But the product must be built before you can sell it.

BUBBLE: So we should find a place to grow, a place to fail as well as succeed. Maybe a place were other groups are doing the same.

GAMMA: Correct, and if you can't find that place, make your own place.

BUBBLE: Your right, we can make our own place to play.

GAMMA'S NIPPLES ALL OF THE SUDDEN GLOW RED AND START TO BLINK.

GAMMA: I have been summend to perform. I must go now. Ummm, thats 50 bucks.

BUBBLE: Oh, yeah, sorry here you go.

BUBBLE GIVES GAMMA A SNACK TREAT WITH 50 DOLLARS MARKED ON IT. GAMMA EATS IT. GAMMAS ROCKET LEGS BASTS OFF AND HE FLYS AWAY