You may remember that one of my 2008 goals was to take an improv class, which lead to taking another improv class that culminated in a performance (which I lovingly referred to as my imrpov recital).
Tonight was recital night and I still have adrenaline coursing through my veins.
For the past eight weeks (sixteen weeks from when I first started down this path), I have had an absolute blast being silly--and learning silliness--with an amazing group of people. The classes alone are worth the cost, but getting up on stage? That was more priceless than all of the MasterCard commercials combined.
When people ask me why I made improv one of the 2008 goals, my response usually includes the fact that I played sports competitively growing up, and I never really had a chance to be in theater and be on stage and I figure better late than never. I got to thinking about that statement today and I realized, what a minute, I've been on stage more than I think I have, so perhaps this has been a latent calling, always there but now it's just screaming at me. At any rate, I got to thinking about all of my theatrical performances and think you deserve the list of my top five formative performance experiences:
- First grade Christmas Pageant at Sts. Peter and Paul Elementary. Role: A star. Not someone famous, a literal star in the sky--and the day before the big show, this little star went skidding across the blacktop playground on her knee, thus having to be the star with a limp (hello, it was drama) and sporting a giant band-aid, but the show did go on.
- Fifth grade recess lounge act. Role: Singer in a musical duo or group. OH MY GOODNESS--this deserves it's own post... and that puppy is coming tomorrow, BE PREPARED TO LAUGH UNCONTROLLABLY!
- Sixth grade Odyssey of the Mind (a fun year-long competition for the gifted and talented nerds in the group). Role: Scarlet O'Chick. I was a Southern Belle--er, Chicken--in love with Flirty Fox. I also did Odyssey of the Mind (or OM) in third, seventh, and eighth grades where I played an angry tree from Vincent VanGogh's "Starry Night," various pigs on a park bench, and some Pompeian citizens, respectively, but I think that Scarlet O'Chick was actually my penultimate OM performance. Oh, my gracious! I'm just a cravin' some chicken feed!
- Eighth grade community church musical production, the name of which I cannot remember. Role: A Southern Belle (whose name I also cannot remember). I had to sing a solo and wear a dress the color of a mint julep--I like to think this experience launched my booming karaoke career and forever turned me off of sea foam green apparel.
- All four years of Sigma Chi Derby Days skits in college. Role: Sorority skit writer extraordinaire. All four years I championed the cause of penning our sorority's skit for the inter-Greek challenge. I'd like to say that I wasn't the brains behind the skit my freshman year--the year the skit night fell on our Sorority formal, so instead of showing up to preform a skit, we sent a stripper. Oh dear God! But I do have to say that we learned from that debacle and bounced back to win the next three years. Yes, I'm competitive, but that aside, I absolutely loved writing and performing those skits.
So I think I've been lying to everyone who has asked why I'm doing improv. Over the years I have found my way on to the stage (sometimes very small side stages in dining rooms and/or foursquare playgrounds, etc.). But the reason I'm doing improv is because I wanted to push myself outside of the recess lounge act (wait for it) and see just how far this little star could go--this time without the major digger and bloody knee.
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Special shout out to those loving and familiar faces in the audience: SMBF, OF, FCA, Karate and wife and the "bun", Viva la Tuesday crew, Coach A and a new-to-me-friend, and all of the others that were there, thank you so much. I cannot express how much it meant to have you all there. Thanks for laughing and being fantastically you--now you do improv so I can come and support you! Seriously. You should. Sign up for 101, here.
Oh, and if you're curious about this post's title, all of those were scene suggestions from tonight's performance...
Scene.
3 comments:
Okay, wow. I can't believe you went there, and I can't believe you're going there again tomorrow. (You're right, I can't wait for it!)
Your sixth grade performance? It was feather-lickin' good! We really made fools of ourselves in OM (let me remind you that I played a BLADDER one year. How appropriate.)
Magic Moments? What was the name? All I remember is that it was a "Jubilation, Celebration! Exciting, wonderful day!" (Even though my aunt Shirleen had no clue who I was... "And you are...?") Oh, and Cricket. Oh, and "purdy white on-vu-lope."
I'll be on pins and needles waiting for tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm posting this comment anonymously so as to retain my identity for fear the paparazzi will come a-knockin'. You can never be sure, you know.
Hello, there sun, where have you been? We're glad to see you here today. We're in anticipation of elation, since it's a beautiful day (um, are you scared at the details we can remember so vividly?).
Oh heck yes, I totally am going there... it just may not be today... this needs to be a piece de resistance, it may take some time to craft.
Much love to you, my anonymous friend. :)
I realize a comment on something so long ago (at least it seems like it was so long ago) may not mean much, but you captured the event perfectly. I will miss you in 301, but I hope we can perform together again sometime.
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