English Rakugo: Ofuku Yose

Sunday night August 21, featured an amazing event at the Peoples Improv Theater. Rakugo: an anciant form of Japanese storytelling. Watching these performers gave me a huge lesson on methods of presentation. Very few PIT citizens were in attendance. Watch the schedule, try to seize these opportunities.

Improvers Should go to the Theater

The fringe festival has been in town, with many productions. Some are amazing, many are not so great. All are worthwhile. Observing theater can be a great tool for improvers, on many levels. We can learn about presentation of emotion, flow of events in a way that facilitates understanding. As audiance members we can feel the energy and perhaps develop some understanding of the ways to create this energy.

Neils' Fairwell

Monday night at the Peoples Improv Theater, on W. 29th St. NYC, featured something really cool: A farewell party for Neil VanKerkov. This was not just any party, it was an improv roast. This was a fun, really cool concept, obviously conceived and presented with love.

Cultural Entertainment Perspective

Have you ever seen a foreign film with subtitles? And did you find yourself saying " I don't get it". The truth is: You don't get it. The stimuli influencing our entertainment G-spot are to a great degree determined by acculturation. The environment, experience, the mileau of our existance, all come together to influence neural stimulation pleasure pathways. The impressions in our mind, formed and codified molicule by molicule, form pathways of understanding. Literature: novels, stories, plays, movies, all follow a certain and specific formula. Deviate from the formula and entertainment will not be entertaining. We do not always focus on this reality when performing improv. As a remedy to this lack of clarity or "muddiness" of shows, certain devices have been created to facilitate the flow: The Harold is the most obvious example. My own impression is: performers do seem to have a certain intuitive understanding. In long form improv we want to tell a story with an enciting incident, emotion, climax. The best stories exhibit a moral, or basic truth. Good literature, including good improv should leave audiance members feeling they have learned something, or given them a greater understanding of emotion or the world around us. Steve

The Project

The Project is an improv event at The Magnet Theater on W. 29th St. NYC, on Saturday Nights. The event is hosted and presumably created by Terry Jinn. Various local teams showcase their their talents and abilities. The evening concludes with Big Team Skirmish. Two teams perform; the winning team is selected through secret ballot by audiance members. The winning team returnes the following week. Teams are selected from volunteers who have put their name in a hat.

Magnet theater Project 8/20/05

I rounded out my Saturday night at the Magnet Theater, on 29th St, just east of 8th Ave. The Project, a weekly event, chugged on with more improv -- sometimes great, sometimes good, and sometimes, sometimes. With improv, awsome moments come unexpectedly. On Saturday night those moments came forth during Big Team Skirmish: a competition between two randomly selected teams. Amanda Allen was awsome. The event was h0sted by Terry Jinn and the lovely Rosemary Stevens. The evening rocked with teams: Nice Squad, Idedorad Stewart, Tuscadero, and Biggest Dog In the World. Talk to you again soon. Steve