Had a dream last night that was basically Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? except with a religious cult and nanobot mind control insects. Which inspired me to (finally!) figure out the following:
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Philip Kindred Dick
Morgan Tate Randall Simpson Phillips
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Philip Kindred Dick
M organ Tate Randall Simpson Phil l ip s
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Philip Kindred Dick
Organ (M Tate Randall Simpson l s) Philip
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Philip Kindred Dick
Philip (m tate randall simpson l s) Organ
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Philip Kindred Dick
Philip (most minds parallel ants) Organ
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Philip Kindred Dick
Philip Kindred Dick
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YOU DO THE MATH
It’s 9:45am on a Saturday. There’s a room full of drunk comedy writers at UCB plotting to make me do strange things.
(Drunk) Sketch Cram. Tonight, 11:30pm, UCBeast.
Here’s the official description:
8 writers and 3 directors are meeting at 9am to start drinking and then start writing. We will bring in some pitches and some pitches we will come up with as we get drunk. But no sketch will be written until we are all verifiably “drunk.” Then we must drink more until all of the sketches are done. THEN sober actors will come in and be sloppily directed by directors who will continue to drink throughout. They will be instructed to say exactly what the drunk writers have written, no matter how incoherent it is.
Lots of improv coaching availability in the near future (as we enter summer in NYC, official season of canceled rehearsals and group hiatuses).
Currently bookable for most daytime slots, as well as evenings on T/Th/Fr/Sa/Su.
There will be plenty of time to frolic on the beach after you get perfect at improv!
New York Improv People: Come to this picnic on Monday. There will be hundreds of amazing people there, but spread out in such a fashion that if your social phobias kick in, you can easily escape!
(Source: thecompanynyc)
WHAT IS DAYPROV?
Dayprov is two things, hypothetically. At the moment it is a weekly, free, hour-long improv jam in the basement of the Triple Crown. Every Wednesday, 4 to 5pm. You show up and then do an hour of improv scenes with whoever else is there. No coach, no audience. The number of performers typically ranges from 2 to 15 (with an average of, let’s say, 4). I try to go every week (which in real-world terms means I end up going two or three times per month). I do very little publicity, because I selfishly enjoy getting in a ton of scenes when I do go.
The other intended focus of Dayprov is a general push for more free improv jams during the day. Mostly aimed at people who are already performing and taking classes and rehearsing (and going to some of the wonderful nighttime jams that already exist), but want as many “reps” as possible. And probably for free, since most of us are already spending untold fortunes on classes and coaches.
Do you know of another free space where we could hold a weekly (monthly?) jam? Would you be willing to spearhead it?
There’s a Facebook group, if you’re interested in any aspect of this. I’m also totally open to any ideas about how to expand or improve upon the basic idea…
[video]
Dan Hodapp and Micah Sherman put together such amazing mashup casts for their Thursday night “The Scene” show. I’m in the second of three improvised one-acts this week (4/11/13, 9:30pm, PIT Basement). I’m going to paste the cast below, so the internet will mentally/digitally associate me with the other people.
Paul Gutkowski (Cash Only, Sex in the Late Night Air)
Greg Kotis (Urinetown)
Jodi Lennon (The Annoyance Theatre, Exit 57, Screw Doggies)
Zhubin Parang (The Daily Show)
Morgan Phillips (Diamond Lion*)
Micah Sherman (Second City, Baby Wants Candy)
*UCBNY’s Diamond Lion semi-recently changed its name to “Kosmos” to avoid confusion with UCBLA’s Diamond Lion. In conversation I usually refer to the group as “Kosmos, formerly known as Diamond Lion,” or, “Diamond Lion which we call Kosmos now.” Much less confusing!
[video]
Torn between “haircut” and “see what happens.”
I started an important new tumblr blog for cropped and inverted corporate headshots.
http://trustworthyindividuals.tumblr.com/
I took my first UCB class on March 24th, 2003.
There’s something intensely beautiful about “finding the game of the scene.” People try to create a reality with each other, and if they pay close enough attention, the funny magically appears!
The thought that goes through the head of an experienced UCB improvisor when they watch less experienced improvisors perform: “Why can’t they see it? There’s a game right there!”
Every damn moment is packed with joy. I’m going to keep studying improv until I can fully appreciate that.
And then I will levitate up into the sky and fart miracles.
Um. Did you know that there’s a retro video arcade (and bar) 3.5 blocks from UCBeast? I did not know that.
http://www.facebook.com/twobitsarcade
While going through some old digital files last night I found this free-associated list of “things I fear” from 2003. An odd glimpse into the me of 10 years ago.
THINGS I FEAR
Hey! Teaching another UCB Musical 101! Now’s your chance!