favorite things done by other improvisers
- Thread starter icouldbewrong
- Start date
There have been so many things I've seen other people do that I've loved but I'll mention one.
Back in Chicago on Halloween, '92, we decided to do a show in costumes but not play characters one would associate with those costumes. For example, Kevin Dorff was dressed as Hugh Hefner but never played Hefner once in the show.
Carlos Jacott was dressed as a cartoonish Mexican bandito with a huge sombrero, a big, bushy mustache, bullets draped across his chest, and an eye-patch. But, in one scene, he was playing a regular little boy from suburban America who had just returned home from baseball practice. As his "family" was sitting down to dinner, Jimmy Carrane who was playing Carlos's dad, said to Carlos, "Take that hat off at the dinner table, young man." Rather than remove the ridiculously large sombrero that he was actually wearing, Carlos reached up and pulled off a pantomimed little boy's baseball cap.
It was great.
Back in Chicago on Halloween, '92, we decided to do a show in costumes but not play characters one would associate with those costumes. For example, Kevin Dorff was dressed as Hugh Hefner but never played Hefner once in the show.
Carlos Jacott was dressed as a cartoonish Mexican bandito with a huge sombrero, a big, bushy mustache, bullets draped across his chest, and an eye-patch. But, in one scene, he was playing a regular little boy from suburban America who had just returned home from baseball practice. As his "family" was sitting down to dinner, Jimmy Carrane who was playing Carlos's dad, said to Carlos, "Take that hat off at the dinner table, young man." Rather than remove the ridiculously large sombrero that he was actually wearing, Carlos reached up and pulled off a pantomimed little boy's baseball cap.
It was great.
A close second....
Last year, during Piledriver: Delaney, who periodically does product endorsements during the show for random products, holds up a box of nails and starts talking about how the show is sponsored by Ace Nails.
Then, in the most wonderful coincidence I have ever seen on stage, his desk suddenly collapses and falls apart as he's talking.
Delaney, not missing a beat, insists on "reading the copy as written" and proceeds to explain that all the set pieces, including this very desk, has been made with the quality and dependability of Ace Nails.
Last year, during Piledriver: Delaney, who periodically does product endorsements during the show for random products, holds up a box of nails and starts talking about how the show is sponsored by Ace Nails.
Then, in the most wonderful coincidence I have ever seen on stage, his desk suddenly collapses and falls apart as he's talking.
Delaney, not missing a beat, insists on "reading the copy as written" and proceeds to explain that all the set pieces, including this very desk, has been made with the quality and dependability of Ace Nails.
last nite
ok, delaney called back the suggestion finally (catalepsy), to which the audience reponded heartily. then he did it a coupla more times and it was hilarious. then he fell asleep on sean conroy and it was magical, they did this bizarre movement together, a strange dance. it was so good.
i also really enjoyed ludwigs guy that just wanted to see the geek bite off the chicken head
ok, delaney called back the suggestion finally (catalepsy), to which the audience reponded heartily. then he did it a coupla more times and it was hilarious. then he fell asleep on sean conroy and it was magical, they did this bizarre movement together, a strange dance. it was so good.
i also really enjoyed ludwigs guy that just wanted to see the geek bite off the chicken head
in one of the first harolds i ever saw, a beautiful cop show, ari was this foreign character (odd, dutchlike accent) who suddenly wanted to be a deejay, and his scene partner completely tried to pimp him into doing celebrity impersonations. in response, ari did an "impression" of michael j. fox that reminded me of Andy Kaufman's "Jimmy Carter" impression, only seriously more amped up and boisterous. god, that was funny.
i think i add a new "favorite" every week between classes and Harold Night at UCB. but that was the first of such.
dunford
i think i add a new "favorite" every week between classes and Harold Night at UCB. but that was the first of such.
dunford
Last edited:
More talk 'bout last night
Yeah the cataleptic (or narcoleptic) drill sargent performed by Delaney was unbelievable.
I think the reason it worked so well was because of the level of committment and because the suggestion was brought back so late in the game. By that time, the audience had completely forgotten what the suggestion was and assumed it would be seeing another 'drill sargent' scene. Then when Delaney fell asleep in middle of a rant, the crowd lost it b/c everybody was like, "Oh yeah, catalepsy."
Also, during The Swarm's earlier show last night Secunda initiated a scene by showing an imaginary object to Katie and saying, "That's full of pot" (long pause) "I mean could you mail that for me?"
The reason that worked so well is because Katie didn't immediately jump on Secunda's first line. I think most improvisers would immediately respond to the first line with something like "Pot? Cool let's smoke it" or "What is that, pot brownies?" But if you do that, there is no post office scene. It's just a scene about smoking pot.
And this probably belongs in "The Best Lines" thread, but to add to photog's reference, Ludwig initiated his character by walking into the scene holding up imaginary money and saying "Hey" (pause) "I have too much money. I heard somebody was biting somebody else's head off. And I'd like to see that." The reason that worked so well is because it's funny.
Sycophants of the world unite. We could use more of us.
Yeah the cataleptic (or narcoleptic) drill sargent performed by Delaney was unbelievable.
I think the reason it worked so well was because of the level of committment and because the suggestion was brought back so late in the game. By that time, the audience had completely forgotten what the suggestion was and assumed it would be seeing another 'drill sargent' scene. Then when Delaney fell asleep in middle of a rant, the crowd lost it b/c everybody was like, "Oh yeah, catalepsy."
Also, during The Swarm's earlier show last night Secunda initiated a scene by showing an imaginary object to Katie and saying, "That's full of pot" (long pause) "I mean could you mail that for me?"
The reason that worked so well is because Katie didn't immediately jump on Secunda's first line. I think most improvisers would immediately respond to the first line with something like "Pot? Cool let's smoke it" or "What is that, pot brownies?" But if you do that, there is no post office scene. It's just a scene about smoking pot.
And this probably belongs in "The Best Lines" thread, but to add to photog's reference, Ludwig initiated his character by walking into the scene holding up imaginary money and saying "Hey" (pause) "I have too much money. I heard somebody was biting somebody else's head off. And I'd like to see that." The reason that worked so well is because it's funny.
Sycophants of the world unite. We could use more of us.
Last edited:
favorite things
I been fortunate in seeing so many great thing on stage, but here are a couple that still make me giggle or nostalgic when I think about them:
1. Skup editing scenes by riding in on a motorcycle, scooter, horse, whatever and then (varying the weapons from edit to edit) shoot everybody on stage to death.
2. Watching the old, Chicago house team The Lost Yeddies find ways to justifiably pick each other up in each show.
3. Don Bardwell - he-he-he.
I been fortunate in seeing so many great thing on stage, but here are a couple that still make me giggle or nostalgic when I think about them:
1. Skup editing scenes by riding in on a motorcycle, scooter, horse, whatever and then (varying the weapons from edit to edit) shoot everybody on stage to death.
2. Watching the old, Chicago house team The Lost Yeddies find ways to justifiably pick each other up in each show.
3. Don Bardwell - he-he-he.
This is going to be long
So skip it if you don't have the time. It's just complicated to explain, but I'm gonna try. First I'd like to say, in general, I love that Kevin Dorff edits back into other peoples' scenes, and LEAVES. It's the quintessential "what's needed" move. I think Neil Flynn and Ed Herbstman are so amazing in their call backs. Ed can repeat a paragraph of dialogue, verbatim, 20 minutes after it's been said.
That being said, this is the only thing that I can vividly remember, for some reason, and it could also be under the "Best Edit" thread.
When I was on Mr. Blonde, we had a show that, as I remember it, ended up going from group scene to group scene pretty much, with all edits being transformation edits. Well, a lot of them. I think it might have been something we were working on at the time. Anyway, our "game" was the same all the way through, we would come back to these teenagers in a cabin who kept getting knocked off. It was a runner. Another body would just fall in from the wings....
Another scene I was in, I played Craig Cackowski's mom who came to visit him at college and gets crazy and hooks up with a college guy, (Neil McNamara).
Okay that's the set up. So in one cabin scene Neil and I both fell into the scene dead, Craig (the edit king) walks in and says, torturedly and embarrassedly, "MOM!", immediately transforming it back into that scene, and Neil and I were just drunk and crazy and on the floor....
I remember lying there, looking up at him and just thinking how beautiful that was. What a gift too! As well as being a really cool move, it immediately gave me something.
I described another wonderful "Mullaney in Freeze Tag" moment in a different thread.
So skip it if you don't have the time. It's just complicated to explain, but I'm gonna try. First I'd like to say, in general, I love that Kevin Dorff edits back into other peoples' scenes, and LEAVES. It's the quintessential "what's needed" move. I think Neil Flynn and Ed Herbstman are so amazing in their call backs. Ed can repeat a paragraph of dialogue, verbatim, 20 minutes after it's been said.
That being said, this is the only thing that I can vividly remember, for some reason, and it could also be under the "Best Edit" thread.
When I was on Mr. Blonde, we had a show that, as I remember it, ended up going from group scene to group scene pretty much, with all edits being transformation edits. Well, a lot of them. I think it might have been something we were working on at the time. Anyway, our "game" was the same all the way through, we would come back to these teenagers in a cabin who kept getting knocked off. It was a runner. Another body would just fall in from the wings....
Another scene I was in, I played Craig Cackowski's mom who came to visit him at college and gets crazy and hooks up with a college guy, (Neil McNamara).
Okay that's the set up. So in one cabin scene Neil and I both fell into the scene dead, Craig (the edit king) walks in and says, torturedly and embarrassedly, "MOM!", immediately transforming it back into that scene, and Neil and I were just drunk and crazy and on the floor....
I remember lying there, looking up at him and just thinking how beautiful that was. What a gift too! As well as being a really cool move, it immediately gave me something.
I described another wonderful "Mullaney in Freeze Tag" moment in a different thread.
Last edited:
The drill seargent scene with delaney was amazaing. The whole thing. Not only the commitment of delaney, but the way everyone else reacted. Doing the worst possible thing they could do, to set up the drill sargent waking up in fury. It was brilliant. Brilliant.
I love watching mother. I remember watching a show they did about a year ago, the suggestion was something about mice. The stuff came together so amazingly well at the end. There were scientists doing experiments on mice in a maze. The mice were starting to develop there own culture. In another scene there was some kind of thing with jesus or something. And at the end we realized that Jesus was really the mouse in the maze. I'm not doing it justice but it was awesome. Totally awesome. I just love watching mother in generall. They seem to find things really organically and work so well with each other. I love em.
I love watching mother. I remember watching a show they did about a year ago, the suggestion was something about mice. The stuff came together so amazingly well at the end. There were scientists doing experiments on mice in a maze. The mice were starting to develop there own culture. In another scene there was some kind of thing with jesus or something. And at the end we realized that Jesus was really the mouse in the maze. I'm not doing it justice but it was awesome. Totally awesome. I just love watching mother in generall. They seem to find things really organically and work so well with each other. I love em.
I HEART ENERGY
I can recall tons of times when good scenes have become great scenes due to the simple energy and collective enthusiasm of the team. (That's why I love watching Mother. I think they've got a great energy about them, and a great dynamic.)
Also, I live for Swarm edits.
Ooo, and as for favorite moments, I love Ptolemy in everything he does, but I recall a particular Neutrino Harold long ago...Jessica had come to him for an abortion, and he chose use sorcery to rid her of the "ugly baby." It was just a great, unexpected move (especially considering the touchy subject), and the delivery was right-on.
And yes, everyone loved the cataleptic drill seargent.
I can recall tons of times when good scenes have become great scenes due to the simple energy and collective enthusiasm of the team. (That's why I love watching Mother. I think they've got a great energy about them, and a great dynamic.)
Also, I live for Swarm edits.
Ooo, and as for favorite moments, I love Ptolemy in everything he does, but I recall a particular Neutrino Harold long ago...Jessica had come to him for an abortion, and he chose use sorcery to rid her of the "ugly baby." It was just a great, unexpected move (especially considering the touchy subject), and the delivery was right-on.
And yes, everyone loved the cataleptic drill seargent.
I'm on a great team, so every rehearsal, show and get together has a whole list of favorite things.
I always remember this one scene from a rehearsal a long time ago where Dave, Secunda and Billy were jazz musicians (1st beat). Billy's jazz guy was a tuba player, though and he insisted on playing "On Broadway" instead of the quieter, cooler jazz the other two were playing. 2nd Beat they were Ninjas. Billy's ninja was so proud to be a Ninja that he couldn't keep quiet. Dave and Secunda started shooting him with blow darts and he kept going down but he wouldn't die. I'm laughing now at the memory of Billy's amazing physical commitment to that bit. The scene went on forever like that with the rest of us laughing so hard we couldn't make an edit. I think it caused Billy's first heart attack.
I'll probably post something else later.
I always remember this one scene from a rehearsal a long time ago where Dave, Secunda and Billy were jazz musicians (1st beat). Billy's jazz guy was a tuba player, though and he insisted on playing "On Broadway" instead of the quieter, cooler jazz the other two were playing. 2nd Beat they were Ninjas. Billy's ninja was so proud to be a Ninja that he couldn't keep quiet. Dave and Secunda started shooting him with blow darts and he kept going down but he wouldn't die. I'm laughing now at the memory of Billy's amazing physical commitment to that bit. The scene went on forever like that with the rest of us laughing so hard we couldn't make an edit. I think it caused Billy's first heart attack.
I'll probably post something else later.
To follow up on Ari's Amy Poehler anecdote...her next line was, "One of 'em was cute though, he gave me a ride home."
I missed Delaney's drill sgt, but I'll never forget a Swarm show about three years ago when they were doing a musical set in an office. Delaney played a talking water cooler.
Back me up here Bowie.
I missed Delaney's drill sgt, but I'll never forget a Swarm show about three years ago when they were doing a musical set in an office. Delaney played a talking water cooler.
Back me up here Bowie.
These are the two that immediately spring to my mind.
The first is Katie in a Swarm show. She and Billy were playing cops, and Katie said heartbrokenly, "I just can't stand the thought that someone in this town is a murderer." When have you ever heard a tv/movie/stage cop say something like that? I love Katie's work because it's heartfelt - her character's always have deep, recognizable human emotions.
The second thing was in an Evente. Celia played the queen and Trent was her son the Prince. They set up the Royal Dinner Table for dinner, so that Trent was seated in a chair onstage and Celia was off sitting in a chair on top of the side benches - it was a wonderful stage picture.
The first is Katie in a Swarm show. She and Billy were playing cops, and Katie said heartbrokenly, "I just can't stand the thought that someone in this town is a murderer." When have you ever heard a tv/movie/stage cop say something like that? I love Katie's work because it's heartfelt - her character's always have deep, recognizable human emotions.
The second thing was in an Evente. Celia played the queen and Trent was her son the Prince. They set up the Royal Dinner Table for dinner, so that Trent was seated in a chair onstage and Celia was off sitting in a chair on top of the side benches - it was a wonderful stage picture.
To this day, I use this ancedote when telling my bathroom rug the first rule of creating an environment on stage.
During last year's marathon in the Nantucket Diva show, a scene was progressing about one girl admitting she was a lesbian to another. The scene was funny enough but suddenly Tina Fey walked off the back line and started to mimic the motions of being on a "commodities-like" trading floor. It immediately set the whole scene into a frenzy. Unbelievably hilarious.
-sarian
During last year's marathon in the Nantucket Diva show, a scene was progressing about one girl admitting she was a lesbian to another. The scene was funny enough but suddenly Tina Fey walked off the back line and started to mimic the motions of being on a "commodities-like" trading floor. It immediately set the whole scene into a frenzy. Unbelievably hilarious.
-sarian