The Bard for Our Time

As the Spanish speaking segment of the U.S. (as well as the rest of the world) continues to grow, it’s no surprise that the great playwrights such as William Shakespeare would be translated into that language. Indeed, it has been for ages; other languages, as well (I saw Othello in Japanese once, and got chills).

But here’s a twist on it: Romeo y Julieta is a staged reading of the famous play created by Karen Zacarias, directed by Henry Godinez, has live music by Luna Blues Machine and features Elizabeth Peña (four-time American Latino Media Arts Award winner) . The most incredible part? It’s bilingual. Not all in English, not all in Spanish, but a mixture of the two, and I wish I could see the way the story unfolds with more than just politics separating the two houses. It will be playing July 25 & 26 at Little Village Lawndale High School in Chicago.

Schadenfreude at Theater on the Lake

Yes, I know, that’s German, not Spanish. But the sketch comedy troupe of the same name was brought to my attention via the blog of Ben Bass & Beyond. He gives an interesting view of the troupe’s distinguished history, and congratulates them on headlining Theater on the Lake this week in Chicago. He tops it all off with a video segment of a short called Crazy Pants, “which they translated into Spanish for some reason (apparently boredom with the tiresome exercise of getting big laughs in English).” Watch Loco Pantalones and see how, in any language, good comedy is still good:

Loco Pantalones from Schadenfreude Media, LLC on Vimeo.

Post from: Fame or Famine

However, a little research reveals a CNN interview which may explain why. Carlin never wanted to do the traditional “[insert name of comic] on Broadway!” schtick. Like many of his acts, he wanted a bigger picture to be there. “That’s not really a Broadway show. That’s kind of using Broadway as a prop. I want to do a six-month run and do a two-act show that has a theme to it, and I’ll do it.” One has to wonder if somewhere there are notes in his handwriting for just that kind of show, tying in the Seven Words with the Blue food and wrapping it all up in some succinct little epithet he delivers as he strolls off the stage.

I doubt he’d have regretted a minute of it, though. “Broadway isn’t a very big career move, you know. … There’s no money in it and it doesn’t mean anything to your career. It’s just a nice little jewel in the crown.” Perhaps those are the words of advice he would have given Katie Holmes on her debut, too.

Like everyone else, I have my own favorite Carlinism: “Imagine how dumb your average person is. Now, realize that at least half the rest of the people are even dumber.”

Post from: Fame or Famine

But since this isn’t my usual audience, I can make a confession here that I wouldn’t make there. I’m actually very shy. Few people believe me, even among my closest friends, but I identify as an introvert. I’m an introvert who can address an audience of 20,000 people every week, speak with spontaneous panache at a convention, and talk your ear off at a party. This is not a paradox. Shaking a stranger’s hand, I’m simultaneously relaxed and confident, and anxious enough to chew my own arm off to get away. The trick I’ve learned is simply faking it well; often well enough to forget that I’m faking it myself. And how did I learn to fake it?

Improv comedy.

I think everybody should learn to do improv. Especially the people who know with total certainty that they could never do improv. I had my formative experience with it in Georgia Tech’s theater group, DramaTech. We started with a few weekends’ worth of workshops, which became a performing troupe, the Let’s Try This Players — they’re still around 15 years later. Tech’s an engineering school; I’m not the only geeky introvert this troupe converted to a social mayfly.

The thing about improv is that it always looks much harder than it is. In truth, the hardest part of it is simply letting go of the belief that it should be hard. Once you learn to allow it to be easy, to let it flow, it’s easier to keep it going than to turn it off.

I learned two basic principles in improv that can be applied to any social situation anywhere. Together they’re enough of a social toolbox to defuse any social fear. They are spontaneity and acceptance.

Spontaneity simply means living in the moment. The surest way to freeze on stage in improv is to spend time planning your next line. You’re in a dynamic environment, the other people are constantly changing the context, and by the time you get to your clever line it simply isn’t relevant anymore. You can’t plan the scene, just as you can’t plan good conversations. Other people are too independent. The only thing you can do is open your mouth at the right time, and trust that whatever comes out will be the right thing. If you’re truly living in the moment, fully aware of your context, and confident enough, it will be. And when it is, that builds your confidence and awareness. It’s a self-reinforcing feedback loop once it gets started.

Acceptance was our most unbreakable rule in improv: never say no. “No” kills the scene. Failure to collaborate kills. If someone asks you to hold steady the invisible ladder they’re climbing and you say “No,” there’s nowhere to go from there. It’s not funny and there’s no plot that comes out of “No.” The correct answer is “Yes, and…” Accept and validate the point of view that the people around you are building — and then add to it with your own ideas. The same is true in any group dynamic. You have the power to change anything around you, but only if you accept the power of everyone else to do the same. This doesn’t mean having no boundaries; but if you’re doing improv (or life) and people are constantly pushing your limits and making you say “No,” you’re probably on the wrong stage.

These ideas are not unique to improv, and I know I’m not the first person to talk about socializing effectively with them. You can read the same stuff in How to Win Friends and Influence People. But improv is where it sunk in for me. Making it funny, having fun, is how I fully absorbed it. If you ever find yourself in my shoes, think about improv yourself. It’s worth a try. (And then can I please have
them back? I like those shoes.)
–
Have Fun,
Steve Eley (sfeley@gmail.com)
ESCAPE POD - The Science Fiction Podcast Magazine
http://www.escapepod.org

Post from: Fame or Famine

Her son, Paul Sills, died of pneumonia today at age 80, having continued his mother’s work and shaped theatre as we know it today.

Paul Sills, the “Orson Welles of Improv”

Maybe you’ve heard of some of the places Paul Sills’ influence was felt. Second City? The Kids in the Hall? OK, how about Saturday Night Live? 30 Rock? Broadway’s Ragtime? Or how about one of his students, a fellow by the name of David Mamet who achieved a thing or two on Broadway and in Hollywood? Maybe you’ve been to a Comedy Sportz workshop or performance in your town?

Really, looking at the list of people and places influenced by and trained through Sills’ techniques is like looking at the entire shape of our cultural milieu. And yet, hardly anyone has heard of him. Jeffrey Sweet, theater historian, says “Paul was never given his due. Nobody did more for the American theater.”

So, in the interest of giving him his due…

Paul Sills & Story Theatre

Post from: Fame or Famine

The following video, courtesy of Ellie (my girlfriend’s roommate) is my debut performance at the Caburlesque of “Socket, To Thee”, a spoof song I wrote many years ago. While it really has nothing inappropriate at all in it, I might caution against playing it too loud in your cubicle; one never knows where your co-workers minds might go…

Post from: Fame or Famine

I’ve often heard one of the more emphatic criticisms of Keanu Reeves be his performance in Much Ado About Nothing. While I agree that in comparison to the others in that cast, he was less than spectacular…well, come ON! When you’re up against Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, and Denzel Washington, plus a whole bunch of other refugees of the RSC, and you’re doing some of the hardest roles in the Western Canon, shouldn’t you get credit for trying?

Hell, even the Beatles sucked at Shakespeare. On the other hand, from what I hear, Keanu plays a pretty mean bass…

Post from: Fame or Famine

But of course it caught my eye when reading the ROOT magazine feed that in San Francisco, they’ve started a Boylesque.

“SF Boylesque seeks to bring back vintage burlesque in the decadence of the Weimar Era, a time of high-flying artistic freedom underscored by Expressionism…Our Goal is to reinstate sensuality and humanity into a far too often technologically-isolated culture.”

I’m not so sure that the Weimar era was as much about freedom as much as “Well, it’s all %$#@ed, might as well have fun before the Apocalypse” but sensuality and humanity are certainly noble goals. Next time I’m in the City that Never Sleeps I hope to catch them…

Post from: Fame or Famine

” Now in its 11th year, the Fringe is, in producing director Nick Stuccio’s words, “a giant state fair of contemporary art.” It famously draws tens of thousands of people to see well over a hundred innovative performing arts events both from around the world and from the heart of Philadelphia. The Live Arts Festival features works specifically selected by the program’s directors, while Philly Fringe allows any artist to self-produce his or her own work…And so Martha became the Fringe’s first-ever podcast, its performance without a physical venue. It’s available in installments as a free download from iTunes and from www.marthamanning.org, as well as in CD-form at the Fringe Box Office.”

Post from: Fame or Famine

And not just anybody – Tony-award winners like Jerry Mitchell and Denis Jones (of Legally Blonde, among others) are producing this seventeenth edition of the gala, and judging from the photos at Broadway World…well, a rousing good time was had by all.

Post from: Fame or Famine

Happy holidaze, everyone.

Post from: Fame or Famine