Making It Up As We Go, by Arthur Tebbel & Chris Toia – Pop Art… and Chris #15

March 17, 2009 Arthur Tebbel & Chris Toia 9 Comments

Dear Chris,

I’m starting an introductory improv class this week.  This is a big change for me considering I currently do all of my comedy from the safety of a keyboard.  The site that publishes me doesn’t even run a photograph  I’m unsure of my ability to perform in front of an audience.

By way of background I want to tell you a story about my elementary school play.  We were doing a production of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and I was playing the emperor.  I got stage fright so badly that I ended up just staring out at the audience.  I had to be forcibly removed from the stage by a janitor after it was clear that I wasn’t going to get over it.  Also this was at the end of the play so I was completely naked at the time.  It was a traumatizing experience.

You have a fair amount of experience taking improv classes so I thought you could help me out by telling me some of what to expect and how to get over any stage fright I might have.

-Arthur Tebbel, Michael Davis World Columnist

Art,

While I appreciate you asking me for advice, I thought I’ve been pretty clear in the past when I’ve said to you, “Art, you’d make a shitty improviser.” I’ll admit that secretly I never truly felt that way.  It’s always pretty funny watching you fail.  Until you start crying.

Quick bit of background.  Art’s learning long-form improv, a style of improv where one audience suggestion is used to set off a series of loosely connected scenes that will culminate in a final scene that deftly connects all the disparate elements of the prior scenes.  Many of SNL’s most famous actors like Jon Belushi and Chris Farley, came from improv troupes such as the Groundlings and Second City.  Long form improv has been enjoyed for years, but started its current rise to fame when NYC’s UCB Theatre had the innovation of offering $2 beers to patrons.  Now improv shows across the nation are frequently sold out and improv schools train legions of new improvisers every month.  But, what are these classes actually like?

No offense to anybody currently in an improv class, but what you can expect in your first level class is a bunch of sycophantic nerds and hipsters trying to emulate talented actors that make improv look effortless and hilarious.  Like college, most people take improv classes as a way of meeting new people to get drunk with and sometimes kiss.  They have shockingly little interest in learning the craft and are alternatively convinced that they’re either already great at improv or they have no intent on learning a good goddamned thing.

Fortunately after a week or two of classes most students realize how difficult improv really is, and decide to either make an effort or become completely apathetic about the whole affair.  At this point you’re going to learn a couple of the immutable laws of improv.  Rule one, don’t try to be funny, just act and respond naturally.  Art, you’re going to need to disregard that one, when you’re not trying to be funny you’re pretty fucking boring.  Rule two, never negate something someone else says, instead after someone makes a statement you should reply with “Yes, and”.  Art you’re a cantankerous son of a bitch so from now on before going on tirades you should practice saying, “Yes, and that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”  Finally improv is a team activity, it’s important that you can trust and support  your fellow teammates at all times.  I don’t have a joke for this rule, most of the times you mess this up without any of my help.

Now that you know what to expect, I can help you get over your fears.  First of all, you can’t mess up while performing improv.  As long as you’re honest with yourself, and act at the top of your intelligence, you’ll always come out feeling like you’ve given a good performance.  Also, no matter how much you ask, no one will come to your friggin’ student performances.  All of a sudden everyone has to wash their hair, or they’ve left a cake in the oven, or they have their own student improv show half way across town that you were already trying to avoid.  Sincerely though, I realize this can be a daunting challenge but you’ve done great work here these last 15 weeks and I’m sure you’ll do fine there.

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Art’s student performance will be at the UCB Theater at 12pm on October 29th. You’ll be able to recognize Chris as the man in the front row booing loudly.