tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69644484568825732472024-03-04T23:45:58.883-08:00All Things MichaelA blog series about improv, educational theatre and life. Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-12280139770077803172021-05-28T11:18:00.014-07:002021-05-28T14:50:01.135-07:00THE MIRROR - an improvisation format for two professionals and up to 100 amateurs. Designed by David Shepherd. <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">THE MIRROR </p><p style="text-align: center;"> an improvisation format for two professionals and up to 100 amateurs</p><p style="text-align: center;">Designed by David Shepherd (Compass/Improv Olympic) 1974</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">The Mirror is advertised as a place where <u>you create a show simply by sitting in front of a mirror.</u> To do this we use no written material, no satirical distortion, no symbolic magnification. The experiences we explore each night are <u>shared experiences</u> - common to most of those present.</p><p style="text-align: left;">When people arrive at the theatre, the first thing they see is their names and themes on a program, that's been printed only minutes before. Next they see their reflections - in glass or Mylar. In the improvisations that follow they see their own life - mirrored first by professional players and then by their peers in the audience.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If management can afford a videotape recorder and projector, the spectator can even have the experience of seeing a full-size mirror-image of himself.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-rY3FfHA-j7MiDSIyXhnUQo_WjIXtAlmKBh3Oe6PMUeDLBSne6RpExLYwO7g8MLCCYnpgBd81noF39FfTZcUtBN6YbPC-uBJjqbfeBEVvtia5QuubK1bxaxY1zT2U9K_s31K_DgZxrVI/s2002/winterdave.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1447" data-original-width="2002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-rY3FfHA-j7MiDSIyXhnUQo_WjIXtAlmKBh3Oe6PMUeDLBSne6RpExLYwO7g8MLCCYnpgBd81noF39FfTZcUtBN6YbPC-uBJjqbfeBEVvtia5QuubK1bxaxY1zT2U9K_s31K_DgZxrVI/s320/winterdave.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Shepherd - Armonk, N.Y. 1974</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><u>Gathering a relevant body of themes and an audience:</u></div><div><br /></div><div>A performance of The Mirror starts hours before curtain time - when apprentices pick up suggestions for the show from restaurants, hotels and offices around the theatre. These suggestions have been written on place mats and table tents designed to involve people in choosing the content of the show.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Door prizes or cash awards are offered to those willing to play out a suggestion. Consequently we get fewer challenges and spoofs, and more thoughtful themes. On the back of the place mat are printed creative games that can be played over supper to isolate a theme. (Naturally these place mats can be taken home to remind potential customers of our address, and to stimulate word-of-mouth.)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">The apprentices who pick up suggestions do not do it routinely. They find out if the person who's made the suggestion plans to come to the show. If so, they sit for a minute at his table to see if he's willing or able to direct the action - or play into it. They prepare the customer for what will happen so that The Mirror can reflect the maximum creativity of the group that will come together at show time.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">The apprentice is in face a talent scout searching for people who can illuminate roles, and roles that can illuminate people.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><u>Preparing scenario card decks:</u></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Information gathered by apprentices is woven by the professional staff of The Mirror into scenarios. The flood of themes is channeled under recurrent stories. These stories can be expressed in the same "master" scenarios, for instance: "Boy meets girl," "Boy loses girl," "Boy gets girl back again."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">The professional players also choose a few sound and lighting effects that can enrich the scenario. They know that the oldest scenario is bound to come out differently every time it's done because critical details will shift. The lovers will have different jobs, different ages, different origins. Their story will be played out by different players against different activities or backgrounds.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Each event in the scenario is stated on a card large enough so everyone in the audience can read it under a spotlight during the blackout. A complete scenario might include a dozen cards, arranged in a time sequence. It's the audience that chooses <u>where to start</u> in the sequence and <u>how fast</u> to go through it.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Each improvised scene is kept short and is framed by blackouts. Each theme can be explored in about fifteen minutes. A show consists of about three themes - plus the warmups that prepare audience members to direct and play into improvisations.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><u>The role of the professional:</u></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Professional players are limited to one man and one woman - in order to assure the audience of opportunities to intervene in many ways. The professionals promise the amateurs in advance <u>that no one will be forced to play, </u> but everyone will be asked to vote on which theme to explore first, and on whom to cast.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">First: a few minutes of warmups. Next: two pools of volunteers emerge - one of directors and one of players. The second pool is spotlighted so that the audience can at all times see its cast options. At any moment it can vote to replace a player, and some scenes may be done several times with several casts - until the audience is satisfied.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Naturally, if no one volunteers to play, the two professionals will play out the whole scenario by themselves - snatching hand props and costume pieces to double as the various characters called for. But this never happens.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">The audience soon finds itself adding sound effects and off-stage voices to enrich the action. Directors in the directing pool stop action and change a factor - such as the emotion or activity of a character. And from the acting pool real people provide real alternative to the strict limitation of one professional actor and one professional actress.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">By the end of the evening these pro's have usually left the stage to direct, or have limited their roles to "one-liners" or silent "cross overs." The Mirror has happened: by simply sitting in front of the stage, the audience has created its own show.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><u>Prizes</u>:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Part of each night's income is retained to reward volunteer players. These prizes are not intended to make for a TV game show competition. They are offered to promote audiences, to validate audience talent, to enlarge the pool of volunteers and to decrease the gap between the amateur and the professional.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpu0qVSXTOhNh_IZcYR0H_AbjhzjM0S9qHKIEp9aeBcD9CJeiqVaaILAZ2B9mJTrf8SE5mjTNm5JDx5rY5T_-4uncVZIUZL74eKEU_n6vu8S-6f64hvWHy6pD9h9eRFGydLaR32PHzZTy/s1976/mirror+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1976" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpu0qVSXTOhNh_IZcYR0H_AbjhzjM0S9qHKIEp9aeBcD9CJeiqVaaILAZ2B9mJTrf8SE5mjTNm5JDx5rY5T_-4uncVZIUZL74eKEU_n6vu8S-6f64hvWHy6pD9h9eRFGydLaR32PHzZTy/s320/mirror+1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrgf5ap8p3G_fDeQbjPSdd66D-Eh5FnZlbr0yKlC2zCzVdKEKuibgIk7rFJiNoKRpe8_2bmJpZ1cBa1H7vGYLRmhvfx7m_2Al3fu2bU2MDPPhyphenhyphen7qQ3Rmowi_ncBasmDHTCKHsJPiuilhy/s1881/mirror+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1881" data-original-width="1503" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrgf5ap8p3G_fDeQbjPSdd66D-Eh5FnZlbr0yKlC2zCzVdKEKuibgIk7rFJiNoKRpe8_2bmJpZ1cBa1H7vGYLRmhvfx7m_2Al3fu2bU2MDPPhyphenhyphen7qQ3Rmowi_ncBasmDHTCKHsJPiuilhy/s320/mirror+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From David Shepherd's IBM electric typewriter, 1974.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv teacher. He is a founding member of the Improv Olympics and the Canadian Improv Games. Michael created the Insight Theatre Company for Planned Parenthood, Ottawa and the Comic Strip Improv Group in New York. He co-produced and wrote the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational Theatre" (available on YouTube) and his book, "Listen Harder," is available on Amazon. Michael is a faculty member at Compton College in Los Angeles, where he works with traditional and at-risk students. He holds a BFA degree in drama from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and an MA degree in education theatre from NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. He can be contacted at migaluch@yahoo.com.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-89739885011122160022021-01-20T15:04:00.046-08:002021-06-12T20:06:50.945-07:00COMPASS: The Living Newspaper by David Shepherd <p> <span style="font-size: medium;">A constant in David Shepherd's improv career was periodically revisiting his groundbreaking format, COMPASS (a "people's theatre," co-created with Paul Sills in 1955) and attempting to update it with the collaboration of improvisers who were in his orbit at that time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">David continued conducting COMPASS workshops in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, St. Louis and Chicago, well into his late eighties. These workshops focused on creating scenarios and rehearsing the Living Newspaper, the curtain raiser for COMPASS where newspaper and magazine articles were brought to life as players segued back and forth between narration, character dialogue, pantomime and tableau.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In 2002, David wrote this description of the Living Newspaper for Stephen Sim, the Artistic Director of the Winnipeg If....Improv Festival and co-founder of The Improv Company.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>COMPASS: THE LIVING NEWSPAPER</u> for Stephen Sim</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The 1955 Chicago COMPASS was supposedly a sociopolitical statement in the environment of Senator Joe McCarthy. At that time, the University of Chicago had just passed through the leadership of a radical humanist - John Maynard Hutchins. And people were ready to drive great distances to hear what could be heard no place else. Nowadays expletives and derision (of this president or that premier) are not going to draw radicals and rebels to your theatre. So what do you do?</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At COMPASS we set out to SHOW THE AUDIENCE WHAT IT WAS READING. "This is the Chicago Defender," we said. "This is its ethnic self image and this is its pretension to be unprejudiced." This is the Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Argosy, the New Yorker, The Ring, Sports Illustrated, Journal of Lifetime Living.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxsEsy5JTcPp0O1DGuXjBeJs3RlAr5-R-Nji26orgGWz5K2FJBpqBVjZ7TMZHdJMYdiU7-E3kLv1b_6RXKjed3kD4zNPQNkYYyRqABTXcPzGXatwdNRfu96h4_DLN5wXrwBUN7fg6LEnr/s500/compass+6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="500" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxsEsy5JTcPp0O1DGuXjBeJs3RlAr5-R-Nji26orgGWz5K2FJBpqBVjZ7TMZHdJMYdiU7-E3kLv1b_6RXKjed3kD4zNPQNkYYyRqABTXcPzGXatwdNRfu96h4_DLN5wXrwBUN7fg6LEnr/w400-h293/compass+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Compass Players (1955), Severn Darden, Larry Arrick, Elaine May, Shelley Berman, Mike Nichols, Rose Arrick, Barbara Harris.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our Living Newspaper came before our scenario play, which came before audience suggestions. The Living Newspaper was short, pithy, conceptual, sarcastic, surprising.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What were some components?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"> Shelley Berman did an advertisement for treasure diving. He pantomimed swimming underwater while reciting the ad in a froggy voice. The pretense of discovering doubloons under one's local pond was ridiculous. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Mike Nichols flopped his bony arm over a louvre and read New Yorker copy for a million dollar Tiffany bracelet.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSw5mqg0aNfN-O94RsqVqUTk1M7LL-QkCc-I-MAfKyXjtoUVdpIb1XJqmhp1d_GqJLnQjFOHS6DfpD12LTTHcvLD34OZdZpxm_tEqty-yaHynohUrlWx6oKte7AswkeEdwdcE6H27d6bg/s2048/compass+7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSw5mqg0aNfN-O94RsqVqUTk1M7LL-QkCc-I-MAfKyXjtoUVdpIb1XJqmhp1d_GqJLnQjFOHS6DfpD12LTTHcvLD34OZdZpxm_tEqty-yaHynohUrlWx6oKte7AswkeEdwdcE6H27d6bg/w400-h300/compass+7.jpg" title="Mike Nichols and Andrew Duncan" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span> <span style="font-size: medium;"> Two commentators (Mike Nichols and Andrew Duncan) describe each round of a boxing match in the style of Sports Illustrated and then the Ring. The fighters appeared alternately as brutes and carefully trained strategists.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> Andrew Duncan measured Barbara Harris' dress in the salon of Christian Dior - miming a photo from the Daily News. I played Dior and read the article in the style of story theatre, speaking of myself in the third person.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxDGHezeh6ylFKLxehW-FCDL82VFB4Si8zCdiNT2YkD48M2zCwo6IXLa0u7RciqPnoprYrPb1r01YrHzuubhU_yt-br9Z_iFQENgdceLbfmp_yWDdYCgQzhRM-PxwCEIZRwVEOUwdXHNF/s720/compass1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="534" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxDGHezeh6ylFKLxehW-FCDL82VFB4Si8zCdiNT2YkD48M2zCwo6IXLa0u7RciqPnoprYrPb1r01YrHzuubhU_yt-br9Z_iFQENgdceLbfmp_yWDdYCgQzhRM-PxwCEIZRwVEOUwdXHNF/w296-h400/compass1.jpg" title="Andrew Duncan, Barbara Harris and David Shepherd" width="296" /></a></div><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">In all these scenes we pretended to know exactly what the point was and why we were making it. We assumed that the audience knew what we were saying, and most of the time they did. The university produced thousands of smart, curious people who didn't happen to want to get up on stage. Some frequent flyers did get back stage to join the company and take short roles.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-size: medium;">As for a political tinge, Second City was more overt than we were. In fact several people in COMPASS objected to political slants, and when I got them to do a scenario about the Black List in radio, it lacked COMPASS joy.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-size: medium;">However, LIVING NEWSPAPER COULD NOT BE ACCUSED OF DISTORTION because the very words of the periodicals were there in print in our hands as we played.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-size: medium;">TODAY 2002, most news is on TV. Players satirize weathermen. A good visual is the TV spot - shot at home or in the office. War scenes and home disasters can be adapted for stage performance. A few sound effects on audio tape will make these locations seem more real.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqjuskpaq_cgJ1ZN-03bVuqcShJgcP0DocARKtWCyaXOknivF1mh3ZUVeCI6PckXTtzrMjm5qIbfmq8jXQ-St4lDhKltjwplHt6_Wh49curjh7Vls6TExWThC-rspNfuuDTslsuud6JbB/s968/compass+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="672" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqjuskpaq_cgJ1ZN-03bVuqcShJgcP0DocARKtWCyaXOknivF1mh3ZUVeCI6PckXTtzrMjm5qIbfmq8jXQ-St4lDhKltjwplHt6_Wh49curjh7Vls6TExWThC-rspNfuuDTslsuud6JbB/w278-h400/compass+3.jpg" width="278" /></a></div> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: large;">Michael Golding is an improv teacher, writer and director who participated in the evolution of the Improv Olympics, the Canadian Improv Games, and created the Insight Theatre Company for Planned Parenthood, Ottawa. He is currently a faculty member at Compton College working with at-risk teens and traditional students. Michael was the artistic director of the Comic Strip Improv Group in New York City and co-produced and wrote the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational Theatre." His book, "Listen Harder," a collection of essays, curriculum and memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre is available on Amazon. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-1126682618409110472020-07-28T20:16:00.002-07:002020-09-08T06:50:01.320-07:00The First Improvisation Olympics Match by David Shepherd<span style="font-size: large;">The following is a description </span><span style="font-size: large;">by David Shepherd (co-founder of Compass with Paul Sills) </span><span style="font-size: large;">of the first Improvisation Olympics match at the Space for Innovative Development in New York City</span><span style="font-size: large;">. David and Howard Jerome created the Improvisation Olympics in 1972. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Howard later formed the Canadian Improv Games, the high school version of the Olympics, with Jamie "Willie" Wyllie in 1977.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A SPORT IS BORN!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Friday, December 8, 1972: videotape recorded a new sport as Jerome's <u>Bombers</u> met Shepherd's <u>Soul All Stars.</u> Each team consisted of four pro players with two amateurs chosen from fans attending the "Improvisation Olympics."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the pre-game warmups fans joined pros to play out <u>where</u> they'd like to be and <u>who</u> they'd like to be there. Fans also suggested themes on Story Starter Cards, which were posted on the cork wall by referee Arthur Field.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">At 7:30, Field explained the rules and introduced the teams. The coin flip was won by Jerome, who opted to play second. Shepherd's SOULS then picked their first theme from the cork wall. <u>Teacher Accused by his Students of Turning them in for Drugs.</u> Shepherd directed briskly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The BOMBERS now chose <u>Pregnant 15-year old Returning Home.</u> In the director's slot, Jerome switched the identity of the man the pregnant girl finally marries. His players followed through to a sardonic blackout, and the BOMBERS surged into a comfortable lead: 5-1.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the second quarter, SOULS took to the video-camera with <u>Neurotic Mother telling Her Son the Facts of Life.</u> It was now the BOMBERS turn to direct: "Mother come on stronger with your son!" Susan Williams' response to this hot potato provoked the deepest laughter of the night. SOULS then directed BOMBERS in <u>When Men Get Liberated Enough to Let Women Go to Work.</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">At the half, the SOULS trailed by 4 points. However, their morale was high enough to do a TV commercial set in a hospital, where a man wisely buys life </span><span style="font-size: large;">insurance</span><span style="font-size: large;"> before entering surgery</span><span style="font-size: large;">. Shepherd played the patient as a deaf 90 - to Glen Allen's fast talking salesman.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For the third quarter, fans chose one theme for both teams to play: <u>Mother Tells Daughter why Daddy Isn't Coming Home.</u> The BOMBERS led off with fans directing Claire Michaels to be 7 years old, then 2 and finally a triumphant 15. For the SOULS, Sydney Johnson scored heavily as a "mother," a swinging mother," a "grandmother," and a "swinging grandmother." Even so, the BOMBERS picked up so many points that Shepherd conceded for the SOULS. "We're going back into training," he announced before settling down to a video playback of the game.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jerome, captain of the BOMBERS, said in a victory interview, "A lot of things that were <u>not</u> clear in play became clear in <u>replay</u> - - a lot of content. The SOULS were strong in the closeup."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">When asked to analyze the game, Referee Field remarked: "The BOMBERS had better dialog. Claire Michaels played strongly -- for comedy -- and with the backing of Jon Tanner, the BOMBERS had heavier skills. The SOULS limited the time-on-camera of their strongest player, Shepherd, who was not playing to win! Themes suggested by the fans were all <u>lousy</u> -- even mine! I'm surprised the teams made so much of them."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Michael Golding is an improv teacher, writer and director who participated in the evolution of the Improv Olympics, the Canadian Improv Games and created the Insight Theatre Company for Planned Parenthood, Ottawa. He is currently a faculty member at Compton College working with at-risk teens and traditional students. Michael was the artistic director of the Comic Strip Improv Group in New York City and co-produced and wrote the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational Theatre." His book, "Listen Harder," a collection of essays, curriculum and memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre is available on Amazon.</i></span><br />
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</div>Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-43703574217236571292020-05-20T22:10:00.000-07:002020-05-20T22:19:43.032-07:00Evolution of an Online Course by Michael Golding"Some of my students are wearing masks in class, because trying to remember names when you're in your sixties isn't challenging enough." March 6, 2020 journal entry.<br />
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I am a faculty member at Compton College in Los Angeles where I teach Theatre Appreciation to college and high school students. Taught primarily through theatre games, the students become an ensemble, created by their values and interests. For over twenty years, this approach has been enormously successful, particularly with at-risk populations. In the age of texting and social media, which diminishes interpersonal skills, a learning-by-doing approach trumps lecturing and coerces students to be in the moment.<br />
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On March 19, 2020, an executive order directed all Californians to stay home, except to go to an essential job or to shop for essential needs. A week later, Compton College announced that all college and high school courses were moving to alternative methods of instruction. Initially, I felt that my courses would not survive the transition. I was assigned three for the current semester, two high school, one college. Certainly I could provide online assignments, but so much of what I do is based on face-to-face interaction, connecting students with each other.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alternative method of instruction.</td></tr>
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My concern was short lived, when it occurred to me that Life-Play, the last format I worked on with my late friend and mentor David Shepherd (co-creator of Compass and Improv Olympics) involved a collection of theatre games played on the phone or online with video turned off. A player, guided by another player, explores aspects of his/her life - a made up dream, a recent event, a strong feeling, an ideal meal. Stories and poems are co-created and beliefs are examined. The results were often surprising and revelatory.<br />
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Ironically, the first format I worked on with David, Responsive Scene Radio Show, was also a verbal one. The listening audience for the show called in with scene suggestions for the studio actors to improvise. Callers could also play, direct, or just listen in. Perfect for Zoom conferences where participants might be intimidated being on camera. An audio only session is also more intimate. I felt a little more confident having two strong resources to draw from and looked forward to interacting with my students again after a two week break.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Responsive Scene Radio Show - Lynne Bernfield, David Shepherd, Howard Jerome, Penny Kurtz</td></tr>
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April 1, 2020.<br />
First week of teaching my courses online via Zoom and so far the results have been surprisingly positive. In addition to David's games, I'm using a few of my own design. Essentially, I'm now the host of a call-in radio show. On a therapeutic level, the sessions have been a release for the students in exploring the weeks leading up to the quarantine and how they're now coping with the isolation. That just happened organically. It's hard to ignore the pandemic elephant in the room. After being incarcerated for two weeks, the students are grateful that they can reconnect with each other online and continue working towards my objective of transforming them into an ensemble. The audio only sessions are encouraging the more self-conscious students to participate.<br />
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April 13, 2020<br />
I'm on Spring break this week, which sucks, because teaching online via Zoom provided needed structure in my isolation. It also brought me back to my roots with David's approach in utilizing improvisation as a people's theatre to correct ailing communities.<br />
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During the warm-up portion of the workshops, students share how their lives have changed since self-quarantining, which I use as a springboard for scenes, monologues and games. The quality of play has become more realistic, as we explore siblings slowly getting on each other's nerve's over a month's time, a single mother suddenly having to home-school her kids, parents who work in grocery stores and hospitals distancing themselves from their families at home, and of course, the paucity of toilet paper.<br />
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We have also been using the workshops to explore the future once the quarantine has ended; first party, date, trip, meal in a restaurant. One scene was set sixty years in the future, where grandparents described to their grandchildren what life was like in 2020. What I originally thought was going to be a disastrous situation switching over to online instruction, has turned into one of the more exciting periods of my teaching career.<br />
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I do miss the face-to-face interaction. I don't miss the commute.<br />
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April 22, 2020<br />
Today in my high school online theatre workshop, a student had an idea on how to play "Zip, Zap, Zop" a physical pass the energy game as a verbal warm-up. Focusing on an aural impulse rather than a visual one, a player starts with calling out "Zip!" followed by the name of the player he/she is passing the impulse to. That player responds with "Zap!" and name of a player who is next. Then, "Zop" and the name of a player to start from the beginning. It went like this;<br />
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Alex: Zip! Evelyn!<br />
Evelyn: Zap! Carlos!<br />
Carlos: Zop! Maribel!<br />
Maribel: Zip! Angel!<br />
Angel: What? Wait! What are we doing again?<br />
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Okay, the first round wasn't perfect, as is often the case in the physical workshops. So, we started slowly, increasing the pace once they got the hang of it. It ended up working quite well. Inspired by my student's innovation, I am encouraging the class to come up with ideas on how to transform some of their favorite physical games into verbal ones.<br />
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The revolution has begun. Young minds, fresh ideas.<br />
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May 4, 2020<br />
Never Say (a Life-Play game) - express an emotion to someone from your world, that you would never express in real life. During today's online theatre appreciation workshop, Brisa, a shy, soft-spoken high school student, volunteered to play this game. she took a breath, and what emanated from my speakers sounded like a feral growl; "You cheap, bald, four-eyed, cheating bastard!" Unexpectedly, Brisa transformed into Susie Essman from Curb Your Enthusiasm. Several dogs in my neighborhood start barking.<br />
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May 11, 2020<br />
After yesterday's Zoom session with one of my high school groups (actually middle schoolers) five students wanted to stay online to hang with each other for awhile. Not realizing that as the host I could leave without ending the meeting I said "sure," took myself off video, muted mic, then went into the kitchen to do dishes, Hearing their voices from another room was comforting. The apartment didn't feel empty.<br />
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An hour later, they were still at it. I couldn't resist eavesdropping a little. Other than some commiseration about missing friends and not being able to go out, the conversation covered typical teenage topics: favorite tv shows, movies, mutual friends, music, video games, other classes. Two of the students had a separate nonverbal conversation going with a sign language they created. One shared her artwork onscreen. It was a reassuring sense of normalcy for me. I was moved by how they were adapting and their resilience. I wanted to hug them, and was instantly saddened by the reality that I couldn't.<br />
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While my workshops are conducted without video, we do check in with each other on camera at the beginning and end of session. I'm going to start making it a regular thing that they can stay online after the workshop if they wish. I'll assign a host and take my leave. It's good to know they're out there maintaining a semblance of community.<br />
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May 20, 2020<br />
I'm in the final two weeks of the semester. As was the case with the physical workshops, students are bringing in their final projects; conducting games I have not covered and a scene with a partner that was developed away from class. We're continuing to experiment. Illustrations are created during story games. Chat window is used for directions and scene ideas. The quarantine is affecting the energy level of students. Many are up late binge watching. Some have admitted that they're attending the workshops from their beds.<br />
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It has been a semester of trial and error. I've been offered an online summer course, which is an opportunity to further perfect my online curriculum. It's possible that the college will return to physical classes in the Fall and a mountain of concerns has been raised by instructors and students. Class sizes, availability of masks, gloves and sanitizers. How effectively will the space be cleaned? It's already overwhelming.<br />
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New obstacles will present themselves. Social distancing will exclude many theatre games, Viola Spolin's Contact and Kitty Wants A Corner are two that come to mind. I think I'm up to the challenge. My students certainly are. They're an innovative bunch.<br />
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<i>Michael Golding is a writer, director, performer and teacher. He participated in the evolution of the Improv Olympics, the Canadian Improv Games and directed the Comic Strip Improv Group and Planned Parenthood's Insight Theatre Company.</i> <i>Michael is the author of "Listen Harder" a collection of essays, curriculum and memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre, and co-produced and wrote the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational Theatre." Michael can be contacted at migaluch@yahoo.com</i><br />
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<br />Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-15705650921535324512020-02-14T10:10:00.000-08:002020-02-14T14:01:00.208-08:00MEET THE REAL VALENTINE BY DAVID SHEPHERD<div>
David Shepherd, the visionary behind Compass (forerunner of Second City), Improv Olympics and Canadian Improv Games, celebrated Valentine's Day in 2004 by improvising a scenario with an invited group in Hadley, MA, based on the real story of St. Valentine; the struggle for individuality against the interests of the Empire. David explored other "holy days" through his nonprofit organization Group Creativity Projects, which enabled groups to create their own movies, plays, novels, poetry and radio shows through improvisation. The following is from his invitation.</div>
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MEET THE REAL VALENTINE BY DAVID SHEPHERD</div>
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For thirty years, Group Creativity Projects has celebrated Interactivity with actors, comedians and filmmakers. This weekend we enter the 21st century by visiting Valentine's Day to discover the questions, and our talents, answer to an important question: Who was Valentine? </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9XOYyJgjGf-gm127Z0cTPH3vzYigL8nRTVex-YgLa8ykSgZ14lrw1RInAuAmh1CVyAXJUjkr3Kfs2joeoRDJ4kixBHMQWv0avHcejHiVEVIf9jXxmdnCX8BaEPTP_VFCCFWNqZsik8BA/s1600/love%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="732" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9XOYyJgjGf-gm127Z0cTPH3vzYigL8nRTVex-YgLa8ykSgZ14lrw1RInAuAmh1CVyAXJUjkr3Kfs2joeoRDJ4kixBHMQWv0avHcejHiVEVIf9jXxmdnCX8BaEPTP_VFCCFWNqZsik8BA/s400/love%25232.jpg" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Shepherd's invitation for 2004 shoot</td></tr>
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Over the years, Valentine's Day has become a day to express your affection for people by giving them gifts, cards and candlelit dinners. As a result, card companies, gift factories and restaurants make a lot of money on Valentine's Day. To ensure that the money keeps rolling in, manufacturers have produced a veritable Valentine's Day assembly-kit: roses, chocolate, red hearts, white lace and a card saying "I love you." Doesn't it seem strange that a unique love, between unique people, is celebrated formulaically? </div>
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As it turns out, the original Valentine was not a romantic message, and it was not flurried with lace and hearts. It comes at the end of an old story with a surprisingly contemporary theme: the struggle for Individuality against the interests of Empire. </div>
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Like all ancient history, the story of Valentine grew from an amalgam of whispers, facts, theories and crosshatchings. In this sense, St. Valentine was and is a product of group improvisation.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2004 invitation</td></tr>
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Legends abound about a mysteriously romantic St. Valentine who wed lovelorn couples during the reign of Claudius II in the third century A.D. The emperor had outlawed marriages to increase numbers in his army, and the sympathetic priest married couples in secrecy.</div>
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In reality, there are three St. Valentines on record. The first was priest in Rome who assisted martyrs who were persecuted under Claudius II. He was beheaded in 270 because he wouldn't renounce his faith. The second St. Valentine was a bishop of Interamna (now Terni, located about 60 miles from Rome) who was also martyred under the reign of Claudius II. The third bearer of the name suffered martyrdom in Africa along with some companions - but nothing further is known of this saint. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cast and crew for 2004 shoot.</td></tr>
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David Shepherd - Feb. 14, 2018</div>
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<i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: white; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 18.06px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher. He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa. He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).
His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and
memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon,
Barnes & Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from
New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in
Educational Theatre from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education &
Human Development. </i><span style="background-color: #141414; color: white; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-53337265798947457032019-08-01T15:36:00.002-07:002022-11-22T16:24:13.711-08:00 IMPROV OLYMPIX HISTORY BY DAVID SHEPHERD<div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In 2007, David Shepherd's cousin suggested he write up the three most important programs of his life. First one David tackled, was the Improv Olympix (originally called the Improv Olympics, before the Olympic Committee threatened a lawsuit), which David co-created with Howard Jerome. David never got around to writing up the other two programs, having been sidetracked by the creation of a new format in 2008; Life-Play, improv games designed to be played over the phone. I recently found David's chapter on the Improv Olympix and it's a fascinating piece of history from his perspective. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">IMPROV OLYMPIX HISTORY BY DAVID SHEPHERD</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Beginning in the 1970’s theatre saw a raft of innovations. In Chicago, Del Close introduced his “Harold” format, for instance, by which a small group creates a coherent piece
of 30-40 minutes from one audience suggestion; themes, characters and
locations are positioned in improvs for two players or the whole group. In
Calgary, Keith Johnstone introduced Theatre Sports, a collection for two
teams of over 50 games, which is now franchised across the world. The first of these new structures was invented in New York City—the Improv Olympix; family and friends have asked me to describe its origins from memory.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnsS3sxTm6LeaQ_uf1r3anq4H9hTDN-WDnuALJlkGATwHfWIAbHI0EbrA8XcN75n9hJcLtqtXAJq2IHSU4en4zh-JHHaHjaKq7akFdZ66I9PACMIZNR9ngdes8VIPFOb8ChBI3oHW1S_1/s1600/redimprov1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="417" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnsS3sxTm6LeaQ_uf1r3anq4H9hTDN-WDnuALJlkGATwHfWIAbHI0EbrA8XcN75n9hJcLtqtXAJq2IHSU4en4zh-JHHaHjaKq7akFdZ66I9PACMIZNR9ngdes8VIPFOb8ChBI3oHW1S_1/s400/redimprov1.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In 1969 my ten-year marriage to Honey Stern unraveled abruptly in NYC. I moved to 13 W. 89 St: a big second-story room, which I believed would pass for an office. It
was purposefully close to my kids, who visited and played under a
wooden door that I fitted flat against one corner and draped with
curtains to hide the fact that it was full of blocks, crayons, trucks and other toys. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here I committed myself to what my father would call a “do good” role: to identify root causes of group friction, malfunction and conflict. I would summon communication and productivity. I would be a community “maker.” Such ideals had considerable currency in the 60’s and had already won me two jobs at NJ Community Action and at Scientific Resources Institute. Community was graced by billions from Kennedy. Under his handsome umbrella I would locate clients and supply training and public relations—delivered by a powerful phalanx of Community Makers. Thousands of consultants were similarly busy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Commerce Business Daily”--plump with listings like “deliver 1000 rats to Lab X by Mar. 1--” provided me with my first example of what a Community Maker will do: for instance, he or she will travel to a high-rise in St. Louis. Find out why elevators that stop every other floor to serve small, decaying apartments, somehow attract violence and social despair (have done so for years.) You will then design ways to cure the malaise, staff your proposal, get it approved, tool up and go to work. In
actuality, after years of tinkering, the city declined all bids, moved
all tenants out to smaller buildings in other areas, and simply blew the
buildings up. By “imploded” demolition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One
of the first to enroll in my tiny army was Howard Jerome Gomberg—ex
football player, wrestler and tab-musical performer, who called himself
Jerome. (I insisted on calling him Gomberg, showing my prejudice for reality and contempt for self-regard.) Howard quickly ingested my ambitions.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Howard Jerome</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Encouraged
by other idealists, we decided that a more likely target for our
reforms was theatre, which we saw, long after the advent of improv, as
mired still in egotism--stardom. Each actor acted in his or her own shell, while the dynamic of each performance was limited to the verbal pyrotechnics of the playwright. A play was more a chess game than an occasion to celebrate human emotions and interactions. Most scripts bored us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In our plan the playwright would be replaced by the audience, which knows exactly what it wants and supplies ample ideas for content. Tonight’s audience knows better than any playwright exactly what will satisfy it tonight. Treat the stage like a sports arena. Actors become players. Action becomes team play. Who wins (and how) becomes more absorbing than the often abstruse point of a play written at another time far away from the audience in these seats.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For a base structure use games, of which there are hundreds floating around. But for our sport use only games that give players exposure to the basics of theatre. Give actors a keener experience in acting than most scripts can. Immerse them in skills, for instance:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> character observed clearly--on the spot</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> deep, transforming emotion</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> relationship dependent in no way on words</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> creation of objects by pantomime only </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> close relationship through gibberish</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> improvising a song</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> improvising a story</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> improvising through slices of time</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> improvising in different locations at the same time</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> treating a subject with maximum negative or positive</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> feeling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We called our sport the “Improvisational Olympic" and later (since the Olympic Committee objected) the “Improv Olym<b><i>pix,</i></b>” when we began video coverage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">With Howard on board, I changed our name from Community Makers to the less ambitious Group Creativity. After all, group creativity had inspired COMPASS--with its strolling audience, improvising cast, creative spectators and a network of neighbors writing scenarios. We moved from our remote Upper West Side location to a large building near Madison Square Garden—the Space for Innovative Development. Here we were within reach of national dance companies and adventurous groups like ourselves. Here we could rent space in which to perform. It was 1973.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Space for Innovative Development</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The first teams were composed of staff and old friends. “Jerome’s Bombers” played “Running Bare,” which included Janet Coleman, author of “The Compass,” and David Dozer. The match was reviewed in the press. The college aged sons of a consultant for whom I shot video offered to play. We discovered that, depending on life experience and willingness to risk, a new team could be launched in hours. A correctional facility in Westchester sent a half dozen men plus guards, who were received at the door by Sydney Johnson. She
asked, “Do you want to play, boys?” and took them through training
enough to perform a scene I will never forget: inmates in a cell where a
vial of heroin has just be spilled by mistake on the floor. They
invested it with humor but also, surprisingly, with pain.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jerome's Bombers</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I formed a Soul team, whose intention was to play big and hard as possible--but lose. Soul’s job was to model the games and show how accessible they were. We drew strangers to take a chance, do the training, enter the league and win.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One afternoon we were visited by a thin, nervous teenager
from Queens—Michael Golding. He was participating weekly in Responsive
Scene, our improv radio show over WRVR, where 35,000 listeners could
phone in suggestions, stay on line, direct action and even improvise
with the cast. Michael had had the nerve to record his own
improv bits with his own friends and squeeze his tape onto the air via
phone calls he made to the station.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We saw Michael was a candidate for the Olympix. I immediately offered to play whatever group he came up with. Soul
met his team in somebody’s home (so we wouldn’t have to pay rent for
space). The location was frumpy: sofa, stuffed chairs, carpets. No matter. Soul warmed up casually until we noticed Michael’s group was intense. An anomaly: I was developing a new sport that might one day contribute to my income, but I was laid back. Michael was one of a vast, to me colorless, lax population that many adults write off as disinterested in culture. But he was up tight!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20xv67jbmrcZCGBovp1UtblJ8Ym-o0Pc3bnTbCl8abBanJ6_P0Hz8DJkBpShZrIsrO20kmqkj-RapX8UEZBEEFnFNzM8FTjB4AXePlw2WDnvRbZ87vfNYCa2GHl81rPzaBqSyc3uirYnM/s1600/paradise066.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="1600" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20xv67jbmrcZCGBovp1UtblJ8Ym-o0Pc3bnTbCl8abBanJ6_P0Hz8DJkBpShZrIsrO20kmqkj-RapX8UEZBEEFnFNzM8FTjB4AXePlw2WDnvRbZ87vfNYCa2GHl81rPzaBqSyc3uirYnM/s400/paradise066.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Golding (LR) and his team Fool's Paradise</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Every “event” his teens attempted was a see-saw challenge for them. Every time they lost their confidence crumpled. If they won, their triumph galvanized them for the next event. Essentially the match was Fun
for us but Life for them. I saw that Soul could no longer play to lose,
but as our concentration and energy picked up, so did Michael’s.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We lost! I was flabbergasted, limp, crawling with uncomfortable surprise. Michael’s
team leapt directly into a sports cliché. They crowed, they spurted
energy, they slapped five and clapped each other on the back, they ran
around the room. Some jumped on the couch, then mocked our adult superiority and summoned a phony sympathy for us losers. Still
there was more to come: they went over details from their training,
their minute-to-minute expectations, the match itself—event by event. Where they had lagged, where they’d surged ahead. At that embarrassing moment I realized: we had made converts. We had in fact invented a sport.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1974: we were invited to Toronto by Howard’s friends at HomeMade Theater. A half dozen Canadian directors were invited to sit in on a trial match. These men and women quarreled for two hours, questioning the names we’d assigned each event, rules of play, standards for judging, number of players. For instance, could two or more players from one team play two or more from another? What emerged was tighter, more competitive—with a Canadian sparkle and practicality.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HomeMade Theatre</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Home Made Theater promptly combed Ontario for teams and found about 8 groups willing to play into a tournament. I was astonished at their diversity. On
one hand was the national theatre school, composed of affluent giants
who treated the Olympix as they would life after graduation: it was something to overcome, to
win--from finding lodging to locating auditions, from making friends of
agents to winning jobs in all media. Their play was boisterous. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the other hand was a team of Mummers, who circle Lake Huron by whatever transportation they can find, inquiring as they go if some family would like a show mounted in their living room or barn. They
adapt what they carry in their back packs to the tastes of the
family—much like the players that Hamlet uses to “catch the conscience
of a king.” Where do they eat and sleep? with the family for which they play, so their material better not disappoint.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That summer Howard and I were hired to behave like Mummers in the northern ski area—with amateur ski workers willing to face rough competition, at a Lions Club gala, from dentist teams we trained. The event I remember best was a match between 16 year olds who welcomed interruptions during training at their posh club and 13 year olds who met in a meager barn and paid attention--for days. Much to the surprise of the swank team the younger set won easily. The match revealed social status—upset.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Next came the search—city by city-- for funds to pay for the sustenance of a program whose participants could claim it produced value: it generated skills, brought isolated people together, fostered teamwork. It was also cheap, fun, easy to mount, psychologically rewarding and attractive to many ages.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">First came New York City, where we had already identified and pursued a dozen foundations--without success. Now we broached the school system and were invited to the Bronx. On my first visit I arrived 8am at a school where the teacher had not yet arrived.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I approached a group of students, told them what I had for them and got them playing. By the time the teacher started looking for me, she found her kids in full swing. Eventually 11 schools joined the Bronx league, which was run by a student of Paul Sills—Paul Lazar. Every year there was intense competition; every year the same school won.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I remember a match at which not enough students showed to form one team: our bottom line was 5, but only two boys were present. I broke my rule and allowed them to play. One of our judges, Daren Daly, had traveled miles on his red motor bike to attend; he was dubious. But
surprisingly the team of two managed to pull off all ten events ,
adapting suggestions to avoid the void of mothers, for instance, or
sisters. Daren and I were amazed. Their handicap had given the two double zest, imagination and confidence. In comparison the big team they played looked limp.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dealing with the Bronx Board was tough. It didn’t want to pay Group Creativity the small salaries allotted for coaching. Eleven coaches got paid, but I got almost nothing of their checks. I couldn’t invest more of my own money in phone, mail, transportation, props, </span><span style="font-size: large;">xerox, photos. I gave up N.Y.C.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Next: Chicago, where I visited for several months in 1981. Jo Forsberg let me teach at her theater school, where a new student, Charna Halpern, implored me to give her a scholarship. Charna had been teaching disadvantaged girls and felt improv offered no terrors more difficult to cope with. In the first weeks of our association, I sensed she was going to take over any Chicago program that came to life. The first teams played on a spectacular all-metal floor in a local bar. “The
Reader” gave us great press, and soon we had six volunteer coaches to
train all the teams that wanted to enter a Chicago league.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Shepherd and Charna Halpern</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Training was often done in six hours—on six packs, in basements. We
started to get what we called “affinity” teams--professional actors,
seniors, cops, rabbis, psychiatrists, musicians, lawyers, an all women’s
team. It seemed word of mouth was by lightning. When I visited New York, I heard at parties that this great game was embracing the Mid-West. When in Chicago, the thing to do was Improv Olympix.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We played Cook County jail, where men were dumbfounded to discover that there was something they could excel at: an improv match against a middle-class team with white women on it. This is where Charna first tried out her way of announcing scores. She
announces the loser and point number first, giving that team the hope
that they won, and then the winner with a greater point number. However
the jail had no money for a permanent program giving inmates the
experience of winning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Next I took on the Chicago school system, but I didn’t have the right connections. I ran into the same attitude that I found in most NYC boros: the schools know what you have and don’t want it. The schools know that your program will not succeed. The schools are sure that your design is wrong for their classes and your curriculum is inadequate, so please don’t send it. I didn’t have the razzle-dazzle video that Canada was about to produce.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One
night on Amtrak, passing the jail with a match in progress, on my way
home to my wife Connie and my kids in NYC, I was gripped by sadness. I
was slowly realizing that my best designs for improv formats were never
going to earn me much cash, and that I was going to have to support my
family on money earned in sales, copy writing, PR, children’s books,
personnel, administration—not to mention a few other gigs too demeaning
to mention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of
course, if Lazar and Halpern and Howard and Willie were willing to
write proposals not for the Olympix but for autistic children or
unemployed girls at risk or psychiatric patients, if we could afford to turn out a dozen grant applications a year, one of us might have scored. Once at least. We might have proved that the Olympix just happened to be the ideal way to benefit this or that population. If I had to do it again?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The end of the Chicago story is revealing. We’d played Second City, where Joyce Sloane allowed our annual tournament to take place Monday nights at her main stage. We’d played a downtown bank auditorium during a festival in the Loop. We’d acquired great press--due often to our photographer, Virgil Shrock, who captured any match we sent him to any time of day or night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thousands had enjoyed watching our format or playing into it. National tournaments had brought teams to Chicago or NYC. But Charna was not making a living. Unlike the Canadians she complained our games demanded too much competition, which made them less commercial. She and the late Del Close closed shop and went up the street to Wrigley Park, There they founded a training program for comedians. Not satisfied with this, they opened a branch in L.A. Both pack customers in much of the week.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Del Close and Charna Halpern</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> In 1984 the International Olympic was held in LA. I decided to attend. I’d present our new format at a public location. The timing was perfect. Competition in performance would meld with competition in sports. My trip began with a triumph: I got permission to use Santa Monica pier, which was thick with strollers and customers every weekend. Ads and flyers were picked up smartly by the press, and I was welcomed by a large improv community that knew who I was. </span><span style="font-size: large;">What did I imagine would happen if I appealed to the city for </span><span style="font-size: large;">as many teams as I could imagine—each speaking its own tongue? </span><span style="font-size: large;">I suspected we could reveal a rich cultural mix that was not possible </span><span style="font-size: large;">on track, high board or wrestling mat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I arranged to meet a real Russian restaurant ow</span><span style="font-size: large;">ner and get him to allow my brand new Russian assistant to train Russians to improvise. Carefully I prepared him by speaking of the magic of improv, the discoveries it made possible, its delightful evanescence, the comic undercurrents in any dramatic situation, the characters uncovered by improv, its commercial acceptance on TV. I promised to bring matches onto his stage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">He smiled. He understood? He paused. He considered what to say. T</span><span style="font-size: large;">hen he started to sing. His his eyes shone but his voice was lead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I didn’t get his meaning. Could he be making ponderous love to a style, a carefully crafted anthem, a musical masterpiece that had exemplified Russian art for centuries? Was he saying, "Improvisation cannot equal this solidity. Improvisation is for performers who can’t feel this surge of belief. Improvisation cannot exist in the Russian heartland.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But suppose he had said “yes.” Suppose a dozen cultural groups</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">asked to be trained. Where were the Chicago coaches that would</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">appear magically in basements bearing the six-packs that </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">guarantee a team is formed in six hours? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Would the team perform in English? If not, where would I find</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">judges who understood the languages used by both teams playing?
Who would have trained the Mexican team, the French team, the Indian,
Iraqi, Tibetan, Ethiopian, Brazilian, Serbian....teams? What criteria
would I use to judge when a team was ready to compete? All such considerations were swept aside by my mania. And mania is a welcome state of being in the tinsel and celluloid corridors of LA. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I remember--in a bout of loneliness--phoning the Coach of the Chicago police team “Magnum Farce” to get phone numbers of his cast, then inviting them all to fly to LA and appear on the Santa Monica stage. Leave their jobs for lodgings I would be paying for at a salary unknown. I wanted them because they had come in second twice at annual tournaments. They had improvised my favorite Time Dash to the theme of “filing:” in the first frame a group of officers belittle an unpleasant know-it-all. In the second this same incompetent is handing out orders that irritate them. In the last frame the nebbish has graduated to Head of the Department, and (still filing) his former critics are all in fear of him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Magnum Farce stayed in Chicago; policemen are seldom manic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I did run workshops, train teams, set up performance schedules.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sensing overload, I did ask Howard to come assist. He arrived</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">promptly after my phone call. I did find video coverage. More and more local people became involved, until I was overwhelmed by detail: presentation, sales, training, PR, organization. My program appeared to be successful, and success was killing me. The best thing that could happen to me would be the end, toward which I improvised as I went along.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My best memory: two German tourists were given Silent Wrestling to </span><span style="font-size: large;">play. They improvised a vast silence between “Der auto ist kaput” and </span><span style="font-size: large;">“Ach, mein Gott.” Effortless. Effortlessly Canada won the competition. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Something else happened in LA. Howard discovered an electronic link </span><span style="font-size: large;">between 3
widely separated stages, where it was possible for three teams to
improvise simultaneously in what I remember was called a “slow scan;” the listener heard only a portion of what was broadcast. Ingenious. Futuristic. Suggestive of future technologies. But a reason to visit LA?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Canadian Olympic Games (CIG) started in New York. Chicago City Limits, located far west on 42<span class="yiv7460384238ydpe38362c9yiv3926256225Apple-style-span"><span class="yiv7460384238ydpe38362c9yiv3926256225Apple-style-span">nd</span></span> St, invited us to hold international matches on their stage. Only Canada and the USA were involved. Ottawa high school students were guided by Willie Wyllie, who later ran the Stage Fright team. The Canadian kids spent the night of the match at the home of Barbara Caporale’s parents, where there was just enough rug and sofa room to accommodate 20 boys and girls. We all discovered that their experience of travel, comradeship and performance was intoxicating. These elements propel CIG to this day. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMbgKC2NQCQq9ZfNYHM_WbghmcTIRn7OyydYTpn5QUomZ5xj-9V1966FbTdmy_k1SMyWQZoErXU4CKr8vmgW4gaBw0tGQuIfLEV3COczwlDeEC-3co42d1eKRqKm_A6sx66mUn3RJp-p4/s1600/limit1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMbgKC2NQCQq9ZfNYHM_WbghmcTIRn7OyydYTpn5QUomZ5xj-9V1966FbTdmy_k1SMyWQZoErXU4CKr8vmgW4gaBw0tGQuIfLEV3COczwlDeEC-3co42d1eKRqKm_A6sx66mUn3RJp-p4/s400/limit1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Golding, referee of teenage match at Chicago City Limits, with Willie Wyllie</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTDAkJriQqyabKSdWVIvtamVLnEeV6J7h_LPvPZ5e9cyTQMAZyOJZkHALC1Bv1b8H0Uzul7DCBWRpo3i7eAYkMpk8ODZxoGXQLfntr1L34WyjAKLUslhbI-rCDFE0Z2q5rHBqIq8d3eH6/s1600/limit2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1086" data-original-width="1600" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTDAkJriQqyabKSdWVIvtamVLnEeV6J7h_LPvPZ5e9cyTQMAZyOJZkHALC1Bv1b8H0Uzul7DCBWRpo3i7eAYkMpk8ODZxoGXQLfntr1L34WyjAKLUslhbI-rCDFE0Z2q5rHBqIq8d3eH6/s400/limit2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canadian teenagers with Chicago City Limits cast</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagQ8BAIoCwgTk-uBKz3svTsdTWTY66je8FDObyqXbaBzKkskubVTdUGwHaDYPgcjKiV0Gr_PGtfhryueN6qLxsDv7p1GcXNrsG2f9ZtM-m2suQwiaQ7sZ-t-FvWeCZmursrf6D4v7q41Y/s1600/williecard7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagQ8BAIoCwgTk-uBKz3svTsdTWTY66je8FDObyqXbaBzKkskubVTdUGwHaDYPgcjKiV0Gr_PGtfhryueN6qLxsDv7p1GcXNrsG2f9ZtM-m2suQwiaQ7sZ-t-FvWeCZmursrf6D4v7q41Y/s400/williecard7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stage Fright, producers of the Canadian Improv Games, Willie Wyllie, center.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Willie asked me to give him rights to the games. I demanded a percentage of his gross as royalties, which he said would be nil (he was right). We dickered and eventually I avoided a nasty falling out by my giving in. Since then he’s been immoderately generous, inviting me, Golding and Jerome to many Ottawa anniversaries. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On my 80<span class="yiv7460384238ydpe38362c9yiv3926256225Apple-style-span"><span class="yiv7460384238ydpe38362c9yiv3926256225Apple-style-span">th</span></span> birthday, as I peered out of the window of my office near Amherst, I spied what appeared to be Willie. “Must be someone who looks like him,” I rationalized, “since the real Willie is in Ottawa. I came to the same conclusion with Golding: “he’s in L.A.” But Willie, Golding and Howard were all three really in my backyard. They played into an impromptu show for my guests, and we spent half the night catching up.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7KJrTrutDyB5fGhtQwwyX8sKpa1y2paXCOHtBCjKOvUgqmItjxRsUoE_jpDwNi3mSo4XIVKZKtlEK7-eBqNWX9S3QYXb2vCspSACi0adM4OTkbhoxD6Xk14W-2NJeOqvQnNQ8wFdptTa/s1600/Canadian+Improv+Games+Founderslarge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1544" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7KJrTrutDyB5fGhtQwwyX8sKpa1y2paXCOHtBCjKOvUgqmItjxRsUoE_jpDwNi3mSo4XIVKZKtlEK7-eBqNWX9S3QYXb2vCspSACi0adM4OTkbhoxD6Xk14W-2NJeOqvQnNQ8wFdptTa/s400/Canadian+Improv+Games+Founderslarge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Golding, Willie Wyllie, Howard Jerome, David Shepherd</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqQq73KucLUhp0wwXaJfnftfIOQvbHPu2zFr73vcr7KbV0aycV_Ux2RpHgI3ltVRcqX_84p_yi1s9ThrH-95v1X7unTbtqG03DuanvjHSkWA3YXG4UgULBljvyTko1SXqn9nR-QzfEDHj/s1600/77400007.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqQq73KucLUhp0wwXaJfnftfIOQvbHPu2zFr73vcr7KbV0aycV_Ux2RpHgI3ltVRcqX_84p_yi1s9ThrH-95v1X7unTbtqG03DuanvjHSkWA3YXG4UgULBljvyTko1SXqn9nR-QzfEDHj/s400/77400007.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Shepherd's 80th birthday party</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today in Canada 300 high school teams start matches by chanting an oath originally inspired by Howard:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> We have come together</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> in the spirit of loving competition</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> to celebrate the (CIG or Improv Olympix).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> We promise to uphold the ideals of improvisation:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> to cooperate with one another, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> to learn from each other,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> to commit ourselves to the moment</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> and above all....</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> to have a good time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The CIG does not celebrate and exercise 10 theatrical skills. But it gives thousands of kids an alternative to the dreary monotony and isolation they may experience in high school. Self-esteem
(and often lives) have been saved by the CIG, which has endured only
because thousands of young Canadians have learned over decades how to
manage. For instance, they have cut the games down to 5. In their words:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <b><i>Character Event</i></b> portrays characteristics such as flamboyant or bashful,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <b><i>Life Event</i></b> shows an event perceived to be pivotal--with sincere and realistic emotion,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <b><i>Story</i></b> conveys a story with beginning, middle and end,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <b><i>Style</i></b> projects a style of film, literature, etc., such as children’s book or film noire,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <b><i>Theme </i></b>explores an aspect of a given topic such as “communication” or “choices.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are a dozen regional tournaments, with winners traveling to Ottawa for annual finals. Improvisation has truly demanded to be treated as a sport. Teams are now allowed to enter CIG by shooting video of their play and sending it to be judged.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What I enjoy most about CIG are, first, their warmups, which are held in one room. Open the door and you are assaulted by many energies in boisterous tumult. You may predict the approach of each team to the games. Later when they play you notice how their warmup prepared each for competition. It’s a miracle to see teams suddenly achieve the seamless interaction of its players. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Second I enjoy the dead eye concentration of the coaches who serve as judges. They take themselves very seriously because they may have coached one of the teams on stage. Some coach dozens of teams in one region, such as Toronto—often with no compensation: a national program based solidly on love and commitment!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the future we’ll see CIG branch into other countries—including the USA. We can expect more matches on TV and maybe more participation by younger children and adults. After all, there is nothing about the Olympix that restricts it to a teen activity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher. He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa. He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).
His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and
memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon,
Barnes & Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from
New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in
Educational Theatre from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education &
Human Development. </i> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
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Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-4338437252588742202019-04-08T18:45:00.000-07:002019-04-08T18:45:59.606-07:00Teen Improv Fight Club by Michael Golding It is not unusual for the at-risk teens I work with in workshops to be reluctant to embrace the unknown and allow an improvised scene to flow organically within the structure of a game. They require advance information with dialogue and action before participating, so they don't appear foolish. Directing focus on the rules of a format, which grounds players in the moment, eventually<br />
weans the students off their perceived safety net. The current group I'm working with has provided a new challenge, leading me to formulate a new approach.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkp_P_zPtDHq4UTBx9sSDJ9f3zm89Qh_WVt_rvkaYYXRvcY-PBSIRooCa2ttGTN6zGwMYej48WlB04SRUTQMca0Czr-MsvNPdedagKU70O7G3YpcXNPQ62bDwGKs4dXglG5ZwMdHybZC7E/s1600/teachermike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkp_P_zPtDHq4UTBx9sSDJ9f3zm89Qh_WVt_rvkaYYXRvcY-PBSIRooCa2ttGTN6zGwMYej48WlB04SRUTQMca0Czr-MsvNPdedagKU70O7G3YpcXNPQ62bDwGKs4dXglG5ZwMdHybZC7E/s400/teachermike.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the middle of a throng of students</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
With several decades of working with at-risk populations, I've become more flexible with how the rules of a structure are perceived and played. Being an improv martinet can be counterproductive in allowing the identity of the group to emerge. It's a fine line to walk; are rules being ignored because the players found an innovative way to achieve the objective - or they simply didn't listen to the guidelines and decided to do whatever they want?<br />
<br />
At a recent workshop two players were given a scenario to improvise by the class (brother tells his sister that her boyfriend is cheating on her). The players immediately started strategizing on how it should be performed. Normally I would chime in with "No, don't plan it. All you need to know is who you are, what you're doing and where you are. That's it." Instead, I allowed them to strategize, because they were on fire collaborating and connecting with each other.<br />
<br />
The students watching started contributing their suggestions on how to play the scene. I almost put a stop to that - determining that it was up to the two players, not the audience to decide what to do. But the class was enthusiastic, the players liked some of their suggestions, built on them, so I allowed the process to continue.<br />
<br />
As the scene commenced, the class proceed to side-coach, which I have encouraged in previous workshops with the guideline "say freeze, first. Wait for the action to stop, then add your direction." That wasn't happening this time. The class was overlapping, yelling out suggestions, sometimes debating amongst themselves over choices. None of this was contentious. The players would pause to consider options, occasionally asking questions for clarification, then move on. While the atmosphere became raucous there was a positive energy between the student audience and players working together to navigate the intricacies of a scene that was presented by the group. There were shifts in time, locations, emotions, activities and additional characters were added and removed. When the scene was over everyone felt they contributed to its success, and left the session feeling joyous and congratulatory towards each other.<br />
<br />
Thinking about the session on my commute home, I felt that I had just witnessed a new guerrilla theatre/cage match approach to improvisation. Perhaps the birth of a new format; Teen Improv Fight Club. The first rule of Teen Improv Fight Club is: You don't talk about Teen Improv Fight Club.<br />
<br />
Considering this current group, I have a feeling they would find a way to circumvent that rule.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv teacher. He can be contacted for workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. Michael participated in the evolution of the Improv Olympics and Canadian Improv Games. He was t</i><i>he artistic director of the Comic Strip Improv Group in New York </i><i>and created the Insight Theatre Company for Planned Parenthood, Ottawa. Michael is a faculty member at El Camino College in Los Angeles working with at-risk teens and traditional college students. he co-wrote and produced the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational Theatre" (available for free on YouTube). His book, Listen Harder, a collection </i><i>of essays, curriculum and memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre is available on Amazon, Barned and Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts </i><i>and an MA degree in Educational Theatr</i><i>e from NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, education and Human Development.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-29290067960566665422019-03-20T19:04:00.000-07:002019-03-20T19:04:29.828-07:00David Shepherd's Journals by Michael Golding<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">David
Shepherd (October 10, 1924 – December 17, 2018) the co-founder of Playwrights
Theatre Club, Compass (forerunner of Second City), the Improv Olympics and
Canadian Improv Games, left behind a library of personal journals. D</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">avid was
diligent about making daily entries, a practice he started at thirteen, inspired
by his father William Edgar Shepherd, an architect, and continued into his
nineties. The journals are replete with designs for new forms of theatre and
outlines for potential books. I am including two brief excerpts. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>David’s journals, along with his archives,
were donated to Northwestern University’s Charles Deering McCormick Library of
Special Collections in 2016 and are currently being processed. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
</div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">MANIFESTO</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
</div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">BLUEPRINT FOR THE NEW FREE THEATRE
(NFT)</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
</div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Paris 1949 </span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
</span><div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">The NFT
should be small at first. The connection between actor and audience has been
lost in the coy hypocrisy of the realistic theatre but can be found again by
testing effects at close range. To counteract the sloppy diffusion of the
modern sensibility, the NFT will be, if nothing else, vigorous and disciplined.
Discipline is necessary both for conciseness and for style. In modern acting
efficiency is lost in movement and speech; both are diffuse and meaningless
since both copy natural life, which is almost always diffuse and meaningless. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">A
play cannot be a novel because a play has only an hour or two to make its mark.
The single exception in this rule is Chekhov. Great craftsmen of today
(Picasso, Rouault, Pound, Thomas, Stravinsky, Hindemith) either set out to work
in any style or else limit themselves severely to one. Great drama is not
written today because playwrights have cut themselves not only from the roots
of drama but also from the understanding use of styles. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We need both eclectic genius and the craftsman
with a single tool and single sheet of metal.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">The vigorous
roots of drama are song and dance, which must be brought back, if not outright,
then in precise and suggestive speech and movement.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Since a play
is the most clearly social of all art forms, the NFT must assure directness and
simplicity in its productions. Whatever conventions it adopts must be quickly
understandable. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-DnDALF4szxkcn_tLpNN3CYE6wgVmEK3g-_FnywckYj1A-rYjWibjrA9rmAmgr7sxwvErnn6AALl94QQ5UB8swfL0GuD6x_atO4yePpH_K612RkP34subvERjKMOKIOBsGVqfoB_87n8/s1600/Paris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1565" data-original-width="1600" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-DnDALF4szxkcn_tLpNN3CYE6wgVmEK3g-_FnywckYj1A-rYjWibjrA9rmAmgr7sxwvErnn6AALl94QQ5UB8swfL0GuD6x_atO4yePpH_K612RkP34subvERjKMOKIOBsGVqfoB_87n8/s400/Paris.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Journal entry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
</div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">MANIFESTO – SYNOPSIS OF INTRO TO BOOK</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
</div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">August 1952</span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">The first
purpose of this book is to advertise a theatre movement.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
</div>
</span><div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">We are
working to build a body of good American plays on the assumption that a great
play has yet to come out of America, that the theatre of the future will be the
“popular” theatre, and that we have discovered some of the ways of writing
better plays than the current crop offers. We need partners to help us.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCKFOeBYj85BZvI27sPKkkiGf_vctttUJpw0GF8oL6KGwT4GBkQoYFDlParXEINysaKFuK0dO5Vk02qxQbESUd9hetmKajq4Mm_vaWfOYVmMdYSulgYZqO8qL_fkUIbCP5zxEvPaE8hda/s1600/young+dave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="960" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCKFOeBYj85BZvI27sPKkkiGf_vctttUJpw0GF8oL6KGwT4GBkQoYFDlParXEINysaKFuK0dO5Vk02qxQbESUd9hetmKajq4Mm_vaWfOYVmMdYSulgYZqO8qL_fkUIbCP5zxEvPaE8hda/s400/young+dave.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Shepherd</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">We believe
the easiest way to get the good plays we need is by attending to style; you
will find exercises in this book which show what we mean by style. We believe
that plays can be written on any subject, in any style and to any length: in
this book you will find copies of the styles of some major dramatists today. In
other words, we believe plays are logical statements, not bursts of
inspiration.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Just as
style is an exploitation of the word, so the choice of the action or subject
matter of a play is an exploitation of the world of the dramatist. We deplore
the fact that whereas the world of the dramatist today is so broad, his plays
are so narrow. We give reasons in this book for such a paradox, and we explain
what our second problem is after style: to broaden the frame and focus the
thought of our plays. We suggest some dramatic forms by which that can be done,
although we doubt that bourgeois writers will want to use them.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNALIt1iAM7q9-12vRb_2-g0pn89KIDx2QinURszrijWHBtLRqHF6QOah9yRgeN5GyQ_WdimT9LQGasgxoyQbyeP8s2W0D2vw5tKVs-cSh8Y_hD6xBlwG-pWxJmPGkjcklwtjj9H8RxjG/s1600/aug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1310" data-original-width="1600" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNALIt1iAM7q9-12vRb_2-g0pn89KIDx2QinURszrijWHBtLRqHF6QOah9yRgeN5GyQ_WdimT9LQGasgxoyQbyeP8s2W0D2vw5tKVs-cSh8Y_hD6xBlwG-pWxJmPGkjcklwtjj9H8RxjG/s400/aug.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Journal entry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="margin: 0px;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Ottawa</st1:city></st1:place>.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:city>,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and
memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon,
Barnes & Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from
New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in
Educational Theatre from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education &
Human Development.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
</span><div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-42981056873907976632019-02-03T11:28:00.000-08:002019-03-20T17:22:27.816-07:00David Shepherd and the ImprovBoston Festival by Michael Golding<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">My close friend
and mentor for 46 years, David Shepherd, the father of improvisation, passed
away on December 17, 2018. He was 94 years old. With Paul Sills, David created
Compass (1955), the first professional improv cabaret in North America and
forerunner of Second City (1959). With Howard Jerome, David created the Improv
Olympics (1972) which inspired the Canadian Improv Games (1977, created by
Howard Jerome and Willie Wyllie) and i.O. (1981, founded by Charna Halpern and
Del Close). In 1998, David brought MOVIExperience,<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 18.66px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span>his improvising movies
with nonprofessionals format to Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts. Nancy Fletcher, one of the MOVIExperience participants, believed the format could be used to build confidence and character in
adolescent girls and founded Act Now! (2000). David's last format was Life-Play
(2009), improv games designed to be played over the phone. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-t6jUZ-X93e-9uA9TcjG7AiYLgal6IJKx7eGBNU_Csi1LDstIDOGdYNKWweEtEtQ-MuyZ-IcTnI9TpYxrYwhc6wKfppzXbeQH9otyLex5dBEVOl9PAhxOnmiZbqUkn7wzm6pkftFnPzE/s1600/davemike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-t6jUZ-X93e-9uA9TcjG7AiYLgal6IJKx7eGBNU_Csi1LDstIDOGdYNKWweEtEtQ-MuyZ-IcTnI9TpYxrYwhc6wKfppzXbeQH9otyLex5dBEVOl9PAhxOnmiZbqUkn7wzm6pkftFnPzE/s400/davemike.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Shepherd & Michael Golding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">David
Shepherd suffered from manic depression most of his adult life. His wild mood
swings were at times terrifying for me in my early teens. Paul Sills had a gift
for being able to diffuse David’s temper and I’d like to think that I learned
from the best. I felt the two were polar opposites when it came to temperament,
which is why I was surprised to learn in Jeffrey Sweet’s “Something Wonderful
Right Away” that Paul had a formidable temper of his own. I remember thinking
“I know not this Paul Sills people are talking about.” Paul was always warm,
funny and supportive in the workshops I took with him. He never threw a chair
at me (not even an imaginary one), which was a recurring memory from the
founding members of Playwrights Theatre Club, Compass and Second City. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Through
David’s association with ImprovBoston, we had arranged for his documentary “David
Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational Theatre” to be screened at their annual
festival in 2011. It would include a Q & A session with me, David, Howard
Jerome and Nancy Fletcher and a workshop demonstration of
Life-Play, David’s latest format.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I
agreed to fly to Belchertown from Los Angeles so that I could drive with David
and Nancy to the event. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">When I
arrived in Belchertown, David surprised me with the news that he planned on
showing an instructional Life-Play video after the screening, aiming towards
selling copies to the audience. I told him that was not the agreement with the
festival and Life-Play was already represented quite well in the
documentary.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>David was not pleased with
that answer and wanted me to approach the festival about changing the program.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">By nightfall
Howard arrived from Toronto. I had heard back from the festival. We were going
to stick to the original plan. David was incensed, ranting about how hard he
worked on the videos. Willie Wyllie, the executive producer of the documentary
called David from Ottawa (responding to my S.O.S. text) hoping to reason with
him. The work on the videos wasn’t wasted. He just couldn’t show or sell them
at the screening. The focus was on the documentary and the fine work of our
director, Mike Fly and writer, (me). David had an enormous amount of respect
for Willie, who could always be counted on to give the final word he would accept.
Willie was successful once again.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Howard and I
agreed to look at the video so that David could get our feedback. It was
dreadful. Poorly lit, bad editing and hard to follow. Not the best
representation of David’s work and we told him that. His cork popped; “Fuck it!
I’m getting too old for this shit! I can’t do this anymore, schlepping from
place to place trying to get gigs and selling my formats!”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Of course, none of this was the case with the
festival, where he was to be honored.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Maybe he couldn’t accept that even though the documentary was about him,
it wasn’t his project and he needed to focus on something where he had some
control. To David, the documentary represented the past, Life-Play, the present
and future. So that evening the three of us in an instant went from a loving
reunion to a lot of yelling and “fuck you!” </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Next
morning, I greeted David with my usual “Good morning, Mr. Shepherd. How are we
today?” David somberly replied, “I can’t wait for this day to be over.” I
laughed; “Atta boy. That’s the spirit.” My approach whenever David was in the
dark zone was to treat his every response with optimism, love and humor.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Howard was already on his way to Boston to
catch some shows before our screening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Once we were
in the car and on the road, (me at the wheel, David in the passenger seat and
Nancy in the back), he relaxed considerably. Road trips were a big part of our
relationship and we seamlessly eased into our travel banter – improv, expanding
Life-Play, future projects, my work with at-risk populations. We picked up
lunch from MacDonald’s on the way, and David slowly fed me French fries one at
a time as I drove.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I loved that. When we
arrived in Boston, David was wide-eyed. It had been a while since he’s been
there and was fascinated by the architecture and people. By the time we arrived
at the theatre, David was in a playful, joyful mood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Well, that
quickly ended as the audience entered for the screening. The event wasn’t well
publicized and there were about 25 people in the audience. David glared at me
and I could see that he was ready to determine that the screening was going to
be a humiliating failure for him.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Just
then, a young woman sitting behind David started talking about how excited she
was to see the documentary. She had driven with friends from Rhode Island, was
currently reading The Compass by Janet Coleman (who was also in the
documentary) and was hoping that she could get to meet David Shepherd.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I turned around and said, “Are you aware that
the father of improvisation is sitting right in front of you?” She exploded
with excitement. A sly smile appeared on David’s face as she showered him with
appreciation. After they talked a bit, David turned around and the house lights
started to dim. I leaned over to David and whispered, “that didn’t suck, did
it?”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“No. It did not.” He patted my knee
affectionately.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">This was the third time I had watched the documentary from
start to finish with David and he’s always totally engrossed. I could only
imagine what memories sparked inside him with every viewing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The audience while small, was extremely
responsive.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As the end credits rolled,
David whispered, “that was excellent.” His standard response, always with a
tinge of amazement in it. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I was happy to
see Carman Dewees at the screening. He, along with Chris Britt, developed
Life-Play with David. Carman and David had a falling out due to David’s
unreasonable demands (a constant with partners David has collaborated with over
the years) and had not spoken for some time.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>David was sincerely pleased to see Carman and the two had a warm, brief reconciliation.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>After they spoke, David confided in me that
he accepted full responsibility for Carman leaving Life-Play. Carman was solely
responsible for the launch and initial success of Life-Play, recruiting
players, setting up conference calls and putting together a polished handbook
of the format’s games with essays from me, David, Howard and himself. David
realized he had let a gem slip through his fingers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">The Q &
A portion went well, as did the Life-Play demonstration, which I conducted with
volunteers from the audience. David and Howard side-coached some of the games.
Originally scheduled for ten minutes, I ended up doing a half hour because it
was going so well. Jeremiah Jordan, the artistic director of the festival who
was watching from the side gave me the okay. When it was over, we had to
quickly leave the theatre for the next event to set up. The audience followed
us out into the lobby, enveloping David with attention, then outside the
theatre, then joined us for dinner at a restaurant down the block.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>David was energized, talking improv and
meeting new people. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrSyuaMirSBkUdFGJYoH7lHAoYnzL8F41TMuCuE279PjlBbkE0fNEvI6csdztakV-ASW2aKT7jg6DS1ivXte2BBC_fWmhyFjY8RxV3JR9gfaOqC82nd_lOPNchrOdJ0RVylyapYV46G1I/s1600/Q%2526A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrSyuaMirSBkUdFGJYoH7lHAoYnzL8F41TMuCuE279PjlBbkE0fNEvI6csdztakV-ASW2aKT7jg6DS1ivXte2BBC_fWmhyFjY8RxV3JR9gfaOqC82nd_lOPNchrOdJ0RVylyapYV46G1I/s400/Q%2526A.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Q&A moderated by Jeremiah Jordan with Michael Golding, Nancy Fletcher, David Shepherd and Howard Jerome.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84CvaBkoVIC04_5O6LVbO3fpody2lmPXVzIxr-J3TdLa1IUBCRQM8OCG1-l1nZ5ep_92Tgo-iWVG_Gi6chpMF3EfsV0Hix1E-7tQAFkVcWL4YMumBtuQGTlVitB5BlPgR5bVvxJ_TGTcg/s1600/lifework.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84CvaBkoVIC04_5O6LVbO3fpody2lmPXVzIxr-J3TdLa1IUBCRQM8OCG1-l1nZ5ep_92Tgo-iWVG_Gi6chpMF3EfsV0Hix1E-7tQAFkVcWL4YMumBtuQGTlVitB5BlPgR5bVvxJ_TGTcg/s400/lifework.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Setting up Life-Play guidelines with two volunteers.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cMLPR9WeiMIPu9JmkIinXG0f22drplKFjOnAtocvt3H3mupaQ3Jv_h6chOOcHPNA2TAwhtdOA49Q1Q2sAnxaSfuQIKzIzsSZlna2S2rOxemsW5pLc9he7OfFCbMiXqGGjdONQ-xPmv4L/s1600/sidecoach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cMLPR9WeiMIPu9JmkIinXG0f22drplKFjOnAtocvt3H3mupaQ3Jv_h6chOOcHPNA2TAwhtdOA49Q1Q2sAnxaSfuQIKzIzsSZlna2S2rOxemsW5pLc9he7OfFCbMiXqGGjdONQ-xPmv4L/s400/sidecoach.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Shepherd and Howard Jerome side-coach two volunteers playing a Life-Play game.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Driving
home, I fielded calls from Mike Fly and Willie Wyllie.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It was a ninety-minute drive and I was
pushing the speed a bit. With David holding the phone to my ear and Willie
draining me for every detail, I tell my improv brother that “the life of the
father of improvisation is in my hands right now so maybe I should focus on my
driving.” For the rest of the drive, we talked about all the new people we met
at the screening and how David was going to recruit them for future projects.
He had given out all his business cards. He was happy.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Back at the
house, Nancy goes immediately to bed and David and I stay up for a while,
sharing a joint. Yes, I was smoking with an 87-year old man. It was a long
active day. Navigating David’s emotional minefields can be draining, but now I
was getting stoned, playful, fun, David. It made the day worthwhile for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">After we say
our goodnights I walk towards my room. David sings out “Michael!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">“Yes,
David?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">“You’re an
excellent workshop director.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">“Thank you,
David. I had a great teacher.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">“Thank you.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">For a moment
I thought about screwing around with him by adding “Oh, you thought I meant
you?” But it would have ruined a perfect moment. And it would have been a lie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Next morning
David wanted to know when we were going on our next road trip.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Shepherd, Michael Golding, Howard Jerome and Nancy Fletcher at ImprovBoston, 2011.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><i>Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv teacher. He can be contacted for workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. Michael participated in the evolution of the Improv Olympics and Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic Strip Improv Group in N.Y. and created the Insight Theatre Company for Planned Parenthood, Ottawa. He is a faculty member at El Camino College in Los Angeles, working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational Theatre" (available for free on YouTube). His book, "Listen Harder," a collection of essays, curriculum and memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and an MA degree in Educational Theatre from NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. </i></span></div>
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Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-15163643035803974252018-07-01T10:43:00.002-07:002019-02-03T10:03:54.766-08:00A Canadian Improviser in New York by Michael Golding<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"This is what we are supposed to do when we are at our best - make it all up - but make it up so truly that later it will happen that way."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ernest Hemmingway, in a letter to F. Scott Fitzgerald.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Jamie "Willie" Wyllie (May 22, 1958 - October 2, 2014) created with Howard Jerome the Canadian Improv Games (CIG) a national high school improv tournament inspired by the Improv Olympics, created by David Shepherd and Howard Jerome. The program recently celebrated its 41st anniversary. In addition to CIG, Willie was also a dedicated lawyer, producer, director, teacher and one of my dearest friends.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jamie "Willie" Wyllie</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Several months before he passed away, Willie saw the above Hemmingway quote posted on the Facebook page of Chris Ramelan, regional director of the Toronto CIG tournament, as well as serving as a national judge, player, trainer, adjudicator and a masterful head referee (the CIG staff wear a lot of hats). The quote inspired Willie to write the following reminiscence on Chris' wall about the first time he traveled to Ottawa to New York to spend a weekend with David Shepherd. Willie sent me his post, feeling it might make a meaningful blog about David on my blog site. Then his health started its downward spiral, and other matters took precedence for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I recently found Willie's reminiscence. Unfortunately, it did not include Hemmingway's quote. I reached out to Chris, who not only sent me the quote, but the entirety of Willie's post;</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris Ramelan at the Canadian Improv Games National Tournament</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">From Willie:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">That quote reminds me of the first weekend I spent in Manhattan visiting one of my mentors (David Shepherd, the co-founder of the modern era's first professional improv group "The Compass"). After driving for about 9 straight hours and getting lost in a part of the Bronx where police feared to go, I eventually found David's work space (which we called the "Loft").</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When I first entered the Loft at about 8:00 pm, it was teaming with people talking loudly. I was numb from the drive and the cold weather outside. So, I just quietly watched what was going on. Periodically David would intervene, quiet down the action in the Loft and ask a question or make a comment. Then, the action would resume.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5yb5F56LJpNSB3M2OiJ7RUEiTHt0rhge16VmeVcff0VgUuEzZytCu1nBosKUr3_mnYZT2FbCeOyP1YDpDlQR_YDsYKKbpuAN8-xxj-XgjMAbBmZ0dhTyvkkDxSsbxnbY6TImSvgJn4zI/s1600/davidwillie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="745" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5yb5F56LJpNSB3M2OiJ7RUEiTHt0rhge16VmeVcff0VgUuEzZytCu1nBosKUr3_mnYZT2FbCeOyP1YDpDlQR_YDsYKKbpuAN8-xxj-XgjMAbBmZ0dhTyvkkDxSsbxnbY6TImSvgJn4zI/s320/davidwillie.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
David Shepherd and Willie Wyllie at the Loft.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After a while I caught on and realized that it was a mass improv of a party. I finally got a few seconds with David and asked him, "why are you all improvising a party?" He explained that they were rehearsing what might happen at the party he would be having in two nights (i.e. the following Saturday night). By rehearsing it, he explained, they could discover what interactions wouldn't work and which interactions warranted further exploration at the actual party. It seemed to me that the rehearsal was a fun, or funnier, than the actual party would be.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A person would have otherwise come to the party alone and knowing no one other than David, instead arrived to find the Loft full of people he knew to some extent (by reason of their shared rehearsal a couple of nights earlier). Each guy at the actual party had had a couple of days since the rehearsal to think about things he wished he had said two nights before at the rehearsal party. Each lady at the actual party had the necessary foreknowledge to be patient with some of the dorky guys because they were actually really nice guys once you got past their dorky exterior.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Q7fOgqGxsVhkg1JtX9H4B3UnmzT1WGMnhmMJ5mU_l4K1NhgKJNB-xSAY8MocLnRUDjeWKX7tXv2xMYNZcXQ4xX7E9kwpLvtLVo6tnRR6w6F_jDTazaCbsECLkUGI4hzPYBZgT8bKUFPQ/s1600/dave+party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="1600" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Q7fOgqGxsVhkg1JtX9H4B3UnmzT1WGMnhmMJ5mU_l4K1NhgKJNB-xSAY8MocLnRUDjeWKX7tXv2xMYNZcXQ4xX7E9kwpLvtLVo6tnRR6w6F_jDTazaCbsECLkUGI4hzPYBZgT8bKUFPQ/s320/dave+party.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
David Shepherd rehearsing a party</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It turned out that the actual party, that Saturday evening, was even bett</span><span style="font-size: large;">er than the rehearsal had been. Instead of attending one lame party, we each shared a very fascinating and memorable rehearsal, and attended one amazing party!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Hemmingway himself would have loved the end result of David's way of throwing a party. The party avoided the pitfalls that were discovered at the rehearsal, and embraced and further examined the bright spots identified during the rehearsal. Needless to say, over that weekend and many, many weekends thereafter, I always had a great time spending time with my teacher, mentor and friend David Shepherd.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">P.S. I treated that first trip to NYC as a rehearsal for things to come. One of the things I learned from that rehearsal was that I should never drive alone to Manhattan. Thereafter, each weekend I would drive the 9 hour trip to Manhattan with a different, interesting and beautiful woman to keep me company during the long drives between Ottawa and NYC.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">P.P.S. Upon arriving in NYC I would go immediately to the family home of Michael Golding. Michael was then becoming David's creative protégé (a role that he has kept to this very day). As pre-arranged with my driving companion, I would drop her off (late on a Thursday or F</span><span style="font-size: large;">riday evening) with Michael. At that time I would make arrangements to pick her up after lunch the following Sunday (for the return trip to Ottawa). While I worked with David that weekend, Michael would act as her personal tour guide around Manhattan. On the drive home, my fellow traveler would: (1) tell me what she had seen or done over the weekend, (2) interrogate me about Michael (leading up to the big question) "does he have a girlfriend?", and (3) go on and on about the deep connection she had made with Michael, ask if I believed in love at first sight, and offer to drive to Manhattan with me anytime I might be headed there (although Michael and I stuck to our agreed arrangement that there would be no repeat visitors). These arrangements always seemed to work at out well for all concerned.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">P.P.</span><span style="font-size: large;">S. Given the great detail that David spent on throwing a party, I can understand why his protégé Michael became so detail oriented when planning out workshops he conducted. Michael's improv DNA comes directly from David.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Willie Wyllie - March, 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpLy45GU2tK2QuxNDk87ehAPgUEoJ7BGeN1FdvFlIGeQpdFIlXVgkiUE94USyRysj3gjtwVClI7ooLBf6jcFBaOMjsfxwT57E_VYqEbtJJf1YFzP2YZJtZ0n12iLDnswSEpquu1zgthjB/s1600/canadianolympics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="960" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpLy45GU2tK2QuxNDk87ehAPgUEoJ7BGeN1FdvFlIGeQpdFIlXVgkiUE94USyRysj3gjtwVClI7ooLBf6jcFBaOMjsfxwT57E_VYqEbtJJf1YFzP2YZJtZ0n12iLDnswSEpquu1zgthjB/s320/canadianolympics.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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1981 International Improv Olympic H.S. Match with Michael Golding & Willie Wyllie</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When Chris Ramelan re-read the Hemmingway quote, it was obvious to him that it would remind Willie of his younger days; "for the quote is something he was quite good at: Bringing to life that which was only dreamed."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">What a beautiful way to remember Willie. Thank you, Chris.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKGeUxD5HX71tMBb48PjKZEdQuat-9lkulelpNnWwdyDDq2iIAN8oXUZAnIDSbdCjugkOpcf29Lll1BnphEuxwgQNEEAEQQRDYB5u4rzQsEpafrB1rf1hCv_PpaYgMWH3-U7yjheCOAK-/s1600/improvbeatles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="960" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKGeUxD5HX71tMBb48PjKZEdQuat-9lkulelpNnWwdyDDq2iIAN8oXUZAnIDSbdCjugkOpcf29Lll1BnphEuxwgQNEEAEQQRDYB5u4rzQsEpafrB1rf1hCv_PpaYgMWH3-U7yjheCOAK-/s320/improvbeatles.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Michael Golding, Willie Wyllie, Howard Jerome, & David Shepherd</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and memorabilia
on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon, Barnes &
Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from New York
University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in Educational Theatre
from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education & Human Development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 18.66px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></span><br />
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-68580437806388574432018-02-28T13:43:00.000-08:002018-07-01T10:40:38.443-07:00Guns, Education and Improv by Michael Golding <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Due to budget cuts at high
schools who normally host El Camino College’s after school outreach courses, I
was not offered any assignments for the spring semester. This was not
unexpected. Last fall, when Trump’s cuts to education began to take effect, my
colleagues and I knew that it was just a matter of time before this impacted
our program. I didn’t think it would happen so quickly.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The students I work with are
at-risk. I teach Theatre Appreciation and Intro to Acting on a rotating
semester basis. Students show up expecting a lecture course. Instead, they are
exposed to my learning by doing approach. The objectives of the curriculum are
achieved via theatre games and the class is conducted like an improv workshop. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My courses, which run from
3:30pm – 5:30pm (sometimes longer), keep the students out of trouble and from
being targeted by gangs. It also instills the idea that college is a
possibility for them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being exposed to a
different approach in learning has a ripple effect on the students that
enhances their academic and social skills. Attendance improves as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Now we don’t have the budget
to keep this program going – on top of the recurring issue of no funds for
supplies and resources in classrooms where enrollment hits 40 or more. This is
not new for teachers. What is new is Trump’s proposal to arm teachers.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXM88azQYGE7-fTdlGCEaER2klikVfMNUD24dl0ApG_yIeVTSkyv2daj8U3YDWZlgcjpks-Qj_Oq25S81XvDgIRd4_ZCq6rlDMi4iid6QXmXZnCDldz88zbLoHCjBl9BuE8Vpm4vx87AZ/s1600/kottergun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="960" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXM88azQYGE7-fTdlGCEaER2klikVfMNUD24dl0ApG_yIeVTSkyv2daj8U3YDWZlgcjpks-Qj_Oq25S81XvDgIRd4_ZCq6rlDMi4iid6QXmXZnCDldz88zbLoHCjBl9BuE8Vpm4vx87AZ/s400/kottergun.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Here are my thoughts on that;
I have been working with at-risk teen populations in Los Angeles since 2002. First through Los Angeles City
College, then El Camino College (both
the Torrance and Compton divisions). I have taught at high
schools in Compton, Lynwood,
Carson, Inglewood,
Torrance and Hollywood. I have met and observed countless
teachers doing their job extraordinarily well under the most daunting
conditions. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I have also encountered a
large number of teachers who do not have the temperament, patience, empathy,
compassion or maturity to be working in education. Some are flat out sadists
who enjoy the control they have over their students. I have witnessed this
first hand. Believe me, a gun is the last thing you would want in their hands.
If they could get away with shooting a student by claiming self defense, they
would.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">If I was teaching this
semester, I would explore scenarios of a political environment that has armed teachers
and how that would affect the classroom dynamic and relationships with
students. A missed opportunity for me, to be sure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A large percentage of my male
students glorify guns. These students often want to improvise scenes about bank
robberies, kidnappings, and hostage situations. Guns are brandished side-ways
with a machismo that is simultaneously amusing and terrifying.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Occasionally, I’ll acquiesce
to a scene about a bank robbery, with the guidelines of no shooting or pistol
whipping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additionally, the guns have no
bullets (or aren’t real). First time I tried that in a workshop with the
guidelines one of the students playing a customer yelled out “hey, that gun
isn’t real!” and I had to end the scene before it collapsed into a mass fight
in the bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I instruct the students
playing customers and tellers “You don’t know that the gun isn’t real or has no
bullets.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The emphasis is on the threat
of the gun and power it wields – not seeing someone being shot.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I have a warm-up game where I
play a series of sound effects and students have to engage in an activity that
would correspond with it. The sound effects are typically bowling, ice skating,
rain forest, traffic, beach, pool hall, which the students perform with varying
degrees of commitment. When military battle sounds emanate from the speakers,
the energy and commitment from the students spikes and there is disappointment
from the class when after 30 seconds or so, the next sound effect pops up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So, let’s review my
perspective on inner city high schools in Los
Angeles.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There is now no money for an
after school program that keeps high school students out of trouble, enhances
their academic and social skills and prepares them for college. A proposal has
been made to arm teachers (some who carry resentment towards their students)
around teenagers who glorify guns (and would figure out how to get the weapon
from the teacher). Classes are still overcrowded.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What could possibly go wrong?</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and memorabilia
on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon, Barnes &
Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from New York
University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in Educational Theatre
from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education & Human Development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-47097908017721688882017-10-07T15:57:00.000-07:002018-10-08T04:39:34.227-07:00Improvising with my Father By Michael Golding<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The last format I worked on
with David Shepherd (co-creator of Compass and the Improv Olympics) was
Life-Play, improv games designed to be played over the phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Created by David, Carman Dewees and Chris
Britt, the format was utilized extensively from 2009 to 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had weekly conference calls, where
improvisers phoned in from all over the country and Canada to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A handbook of games was published and I adapted
several of them for my workshops with at-risk teens and college students. Unexpectedly,
it brought me closer to my father.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A year into the format, David
fell and broke his hip and spent a month in a facility undergoing physical
therapy. I called him daily during his incarceration, where we played several
of the Life-Play games and often developed new ones on the spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an intimate, beautiful bonding experience
for both of us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">After a particularly
gratifying session, I commiserated with David over how I wished I could play
with my father the way I played with him. The two were the same age. Despite
being involved in improv since I was 14, my father never really got it and I
gave up trying to unravel the mystery of the art form for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>David felt that was bullshit. “Get him to
play the next time you call him – and record it for me!”</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutXMNLOZ88FExIPdjOeQLF2NCSwvT0w9bf9AsUIapx-k8Fas35Qm5oD-z_uRpPJdBqyXskrTTt-zjp6CopOKvI22dy2JfKvaBs0qjjWfxqcOiqrb8hGX2i8FXCXYXXyi0jv95WlqJ3F_1/s1600/DAD%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1248" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutXMNLOZ88FExIPdjOeQLF2NCSwvT0w9bf9AsUIapx-k8Fas35Qm5oD-z_uRpPJdBqyXskrTTt-zjp6CopOKvI22dy2JfKvaBs0qjjWfxqcOiqrb8hGX2i8FXCXYXXyi0jv95WlqJ3F_1/s320/DAD%2521.jpg" width="249" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My father Gerard Golding, Aug 30, 1924 - October 7, 2012</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I called my father the next
day, proposed that we play one game and he politely declined. “That’s your
world.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of pleading with him, I
took a different approach – manipulation (an honored Golding tradition) and
relied on the competitive alpha male relationship between him and my oldest brother
Bill to achieve my goal. I claimed that when I told Bill what David wanted me
to do, Bill scoffed and said “Good luck trying to get dad to play. He’ll never
improvise with you on the phone because he’s incapable of following rules.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon hearing that, my father sneered “Oh
yeah? I’ll play one game with you. What are the rules?” The challenge was
accepted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I chose “Repetition Poem”
which is based on an opening line that is repeated throughout the poem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever since he retired, my father was always
saying to me “If I knew I was going to live this long.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So that’s the line I gave him, which I had
him recite with the emotion of surprise. Here is my father performing that poem;</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It took me a few days to
process this poem, and then I called him with questions about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First line then stuck out to me was “If I
knew I would going to live this long, I most certainly would have tried to
accomplished more, because I would feel much better than I do today.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pointed out that he ascended the ranks all
the way to Captain. A remarkable achievement, one that made all of us very
proud, which I told him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wanted to
go all the way to chief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no idea
he was that ambitious. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Second line that resonated
with me, “If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have spent more time
to find out how to play.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My father
always played with me and my brothers as kids. He could be amazingly goofy,
silly and funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On top of that, with
the Repetition Poem, well dad, that is play. I told him that, too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Third line that caught my ear
was “If I knew I was going to live this long, I most certainly would have been
closer to all my family.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked him if
that meant his siblings or sons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
meant us, me, Rick (my middle brother) and Bill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told him that he was always there for every
major event in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though he
worked two jobs until he made lieutenant, and was constantly doing overtime and
double shifts, he was a solid, major presence in the house. I’m glad I had an
opportunity to tell him that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Unfortunately, the full
impact of the poem wasn’t clear to me until the day he died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hours after receiving news of his passing, I
posted his poem on Facebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My cousin
Steve contacted me to offer his condolences and to point out that the last line
of the poem, summed up everything for him about his uncle. “If I knew I was
going to live this long, hmm, I guess everything would have turned out fine.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When you think about it, my father
married the love of his life, had a successful career, raised a family, was
loved and admired by everyone who knew him, and lived in the house that he cherished
for 55 years right up until the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
when it comes to the life of Gerard Golding, yes, everything did turn out fine.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0AL14Tq2ZcK9z_H8mLCWKXhcEU4xqpuEtYW3gEhR-VHaYYQ_KSvOsxKOUrBY3R4EJu2axclM-jXndm3nxkxzWjokRIz_9KZJuK5XYNR0PmXntiFAp0yOfFlxhYY-dqeTdUEzvOe7yHhA/s1600/Golding+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="604" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0AL14Tq2ZcK9z_H8mLCWKXhcEU4xqpuEtYW3gEhR-VHaYYQ_KSvOsxKOUrBY3R4EJu2axclM-jXndm3nxkxzWjokRIz_9KZJuK5XYNR0PmXntiFAp0yOfFlxhYY-dqeTdUEzvOe7yHhA/s320/Golding+family.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My family. Top row, Gerard and Linda. Bottom, Bill, Rick, moi. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I will always be grateful to
David Shepherd for pushing me to get my father to play and for the record I now
have of that incredible moment. Carman Dewees was gracious enough to send my
father a CD of his poem. Whenever I told my father how much people in the
improv community loved his poem he would respond one of two ways; “It was
something I did just for you,” or (with false modesty I might add) “Just
something I did off the cuff.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Here is the link for the
Life-Play handbook. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/cdewees/life-play-ehandbook">https://www.slideshare.net/cdewees/life-play-ehandbook</a> </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and
memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon,
Barnes & Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from
New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in
Educational Theatre from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education &
Human Development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-67812525817862620692017-08-03T18:51:00.000-07:002018-10-08T04:34:13.477-07:00It's All About The Where by Michael Golding<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I recently conducted a
teacher training workshop at an improv festival, where most of the participants
were unfamiliar with the work of Viola Spolin, the mother of improvisation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not uncommon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in a discussion about the choice of
games the teachers use in their workshops, most were Spolin based. They just
learned them under different names. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Also not uncommon.</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">
I recommended Viola’s book “Improvisation
for the Theater” as an essential resource and for re-indoctrination. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">David Shepherd also attended
the festival, where he quickly became known as “the ancient one.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1955 David created Compass, the first
professional improv theatre in North America
with Paul Sills, Viola Spolin’s son. Sixteen years later, David created the
Improv Olympics with Howard Jerome, a format that was designed as a loving
celebration of Viola’s work. David is a Spolin purist and when he brought the
Improv Olympics to Chicago in 1981 it came with a letter of understanding </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">for the players </span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">acknowledging Spolin’s games as the inspiration
for the format. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjzmhLYwsanrWpRk6fJ7vk9HYZdyEUsOdluo-qY3IKeDzUzisRFi22YoIOeSmNsN6BXT502eGlvH81MOg4Mnkfnt3lx-YAJKoi3EQ_I7W5XCT7LMHAPZHJ3TMSxbfiixcT_i4b4OgY-SY/s1600/shepspolin1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="699" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjzmhLYwsanrWpRk6fJ7vk9HYZdyEUsOdluo-qY3IKeDzUzisRFi22YoIOeSmNsN6BXT502eGlvH81MOg4Mnkfnt3lx-YAJKoi3EQ_I7W5XCT7LMHAPZHJ3TMSxbfiixcT_i4b4OgY-SY/s400/shepspolin1.jpg" width="385" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">An impromptu forum was
arranged for David, which I moderated for the staff and volunteers of the
festival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the forum David was
asked what he considered to be the most important aspect of improv.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>David replied “It’s all about the where!” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The audience
smiled, but there was no follow up question and silence followed. Since many in
the audience were seasoned improvisers, I didn’t want to insult anyone by
asking “You all know what the where is, right?” It‘s possible that they were
intimated by being </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">in David’s presence and were waiting to see if he was going to
add anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I asked David if I could
elaborate further and he replied enthusiastically “of course!” Sharing knowledge
that David bestowed upon me 45 years ago, I presented a 30 second overview of
the where; “The where, which is also called the location, setting or
environment, is created by constantly discovering details. Through those
details, you connect with how you feel, which is expressed through the use of
imaginary objects and activity which become more realistic when endowed with
qualities (temperature, texture, weight). The where connects you with other
players and keeps you in the moment.” Smiling, David turns to the audience and
says “This is a very smart man!” </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GEuVrIdlOdt9VItGN5MmNnuNAuuX3fL5y-TZg0vZ8RyfTWhPaJGQlsOhVchpR3oIqDsEWImvBXZlDRBoWktjqA-MECR-ExudEDT4g7xrdnsaXKmgPVjknA4MCpkVQOiItJ98xRcQNGXg/s1600/Davetalks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GEuVrIdlOdt9VItGN5MmNnuNAuuX3fL5y-TZg0vZ8RyfTWhPaJGQlsOhVchpR3oIqDsEWImvBXZlDRBoWktjqA-MECR-ExudEDT4g7xrdnsaXKmgPVjknA4MCpkVQOiItJ98xRcQNGXg/s400/Davetalks.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Impromptu forum with David Shepherd (middle) and Michael Golding (right)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As the result of preparing
David Shepherd’s improv archives for delivery to Northwestern University,
I’ve been able to monitor the evolution of David’s formats. My first exposure to improv
was on David’s Responsive Scene radio show, where the who/what/where scene
structure was set up as; WHO is in the scene? WHAT is the scene about? WHERE
does the scene take place?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I
started playing in the Improv Olympics the WHAT </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">was changed to WHAT are you
DOING? In the Responsive Scene the </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">WHAT</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> was story based. In the Improv
Olympics, it was activity based.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">That shift solidified my
focus in a scene. I already knew who I was, what I was doing activity wise, and
I had a where to explore. Everything that followed story wise was based on the
here and now and built on the foundation of </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">collaborating </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">with my fellow players
through agreement. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I teach my students to enter
scenes with a strong activity, which helps in the exploration of the where. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Surprisingly, I have to</span> provide </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">them</span> with examples of what an
activity is. Most of </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">them </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">come up with passive choices – watching TV,
texting, reading. When I ask for suggestions for an activity that two people
can do together I get fighting, sleeping and intercourse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As I slowly transition into
old school improv dude who screams at the millenniums to get off his mainstage
grass I’m developing a few crotchety impressions of the next generation of
improvisers. Not all the necessary improv skills are utilized on stage. A lot
of talking. Not much exploration of the where. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Facebook improv pages<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the work tends to be over analyzed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found this skill page from one of David
Shepherd’s training manuals. For me, it’s all there. Nine simple sentences. Wisdom
from the ancient one.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qWQRN2Bxv9p2V2wW2cF7fHME53CXlIkPCRNPiSvthwwt08vjoy_xwSDyucPIsEHAH2DREt7s3CQ0MPUuTlBF2lJ965Wt4o8aETAAr632nUUQ022vq_eg4jgqV6by_r8-a8lCMusqXNIL/s1600/Skills1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1496" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qWQRN2Bxv9p2V2wW2cF7fHME53CXlIkPCRNPiSvthwwt08vjoy_xwSDyucPIsEHAH2DREt7s3CQ0MPUuTlBF2lJ965Wt4o8aETAAr632nUUQ022vq_eg4jgqV6by_r8-a8lCMusqXNIL/s400/Skills1.jpg" width="373" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From a David Shepherd training manual</td></tr>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and
memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon,
Barnes & Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from
New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in
Educational Theatre from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education &
Human Development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-79434708164292530502017-06-06T00:42:00.000-07:002017-06-06T16:57:09.927-07:00Character Hot Seat Interview by Michael Golding<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Character Hot Seat Interview
is a game I employ during the first few sessions of my college high school
outreach workshops with at-risk populations. A student plays a person they know
well (parent, teacher, friend, relative) who is interviewed first by me, then
by the class. It’s an effective game. Opens up possibilities for future scenes,
provides insight into the player’s world, trains students with the type of
questions they need to ask to learn as much as they can about a character, and
makes them aware that they already have an arsenal of personas at their
disposal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">This is a game I often
participate in, usually playing someone I have a great deal of love for (my father, David Shepherd, Ed
Asner). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a recent
workshop, my students had a request. They wanted me to play my wife. I balked
at this request because I’ve been separated from her for almost two years, a
fact I have yet to share with my students. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
honest and open as I try to be about myself so I can gain their trust, I initially
felt this information would be a distraction for the students and painful for
me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took a year before I could take my
wedding ring off. Once I did, I still stuck to the narrative that my wife and I
were together, and used a film role playing a single person as the excuse for
why I wasn’t wearing it.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MFpEX7DGp9F3xRWE2txHoh4tBdSAY5tDc9Rus8FMCCf09fhRfXvFAChUsRDhal32MT9dL4QQ1aCi-sC21GphGccBxJ_2n0BZKd0gEI-g9oXdBd0m0GiOzJ-_uyyVUHMUsBkojCVDcOTa/s1600/shepjm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="962" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MFpEX7DGp9F3xRWE2txHoh4tBdSAY5tDc9Rus8FMCCf09fhRfXvFAChUsRDhal32MT9dL4QQ1aCi-sC21GphGccBxJ_2n0BZKd0gEI-g9oXdBd0m0GiOzJ-_uyyVUHMUsBkojCVDcOTa/s400/shepjm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My wife and I at a workshop after she played her mother in a Character Hot Seat Interview, 1986<br />
Photo: David Shepherd </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Anxiety started to rise in
me, and I tried to dismiss the request as something I would do at another time
so that we could move on to something else. But the students were adamant and reminded
me of what I stress during the first few sessions; “there’s nothing I’m going
to make you do that I’m not willing to do myself.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So I sat down in a chair as
my wife would have, took a deep calming breath, exhaled and looked out at the
class and told them to proceed with their questions. The questions were pretty
much what I expected. How long did my wife and I know each other? How did we meet?
What did we think of each other’s parents? Do we have kids? After
saying that we didn’t have kids, but had a cat (Gizmo) for 17 years, the
students were amazed that a feline could last that long. This resulted in a slew
of questions about Gizmo; where did you find her? Did she ever go outside? Did
she have kittens? Will you ever get another cat? They were also fascinated by
my wife’s Canadian nationality, and a slew of questions focused on her
perception of the difference between Americans and Canadians, what she misses
about Canada and what she
likes and dislikes about America.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZsc9StuROjzeSCWhYxO3WPsrZHRguEuIhIN2MIeItFikwUKyieePzzMemSO9c3sdkr1cuwa-YZfdrmXooD6JnIUI3OPAKI7GKgD2BfnMhiLUGkTMVqQp5Dmy15PQBC3KSyYIK1CJvavu/s1600/face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1186" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZsc9StuROjzeSCWhYxO3WPsrZHRguEuIhIN2MIeItFikwUKyieePzzMemSO9c3sdkr1cuwa-YZfdrmXooD6JnIUI3OPAKI7GKgD2BfnMhiLUGkTMVqQp5Dmy15PQBC3KSyYIK1CJvavu/s400/face.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The legendary Gizmo, 1984 - 2001. Photo: Jody Cherry</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">While I was admittedly stiff
and hesitant during the first minute or so of questioning, I eventually relaxed
and got into my wife’s vocal rhythm and answered as I felt she would. My inner improv
monologue was whispering “relax, take your time, and get into it.” I played her
listening skills – the way she would take in a question, ponder it slowly, seriously,
and give a response directly to the person who asked it, often with a follow-up
question of her own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The students seemed
to enjoy that. There were thirty one in attendance, and she had their
attention.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Surprisingly, this wasn’t a
particularly torturous experience for me, although I was relieved when it was
over. I played her as sincerely as I could, with the uncomfortable awareness
that I wasn’t being honest with the students about the present state of my
marriage. There was still forty minutes
left in the workshop and I didn’t want to spend it shifting the focus of the class
on to me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As I got out of my chair one
of the students said “Wow. I really like her. She’s cool.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That comment stunned me, because I was concerned
that any anger, heartbreak and resentment I still harbored might seep through
in the characterization. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. I felt good that my
portrayal came off in a positive way. Perhaps I'm finally moving on. And yeah, she is cool. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In my experience with at-risk
populations, being married is viewed as a positive aspect of my character and
my wife is an ongoing topic of conversation in workshops. It provides the
students with a comforting sense of normalcy about me, which comes in handy
when I have to persuade them to try something that is not perceived as normal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Ed Asner once told me that no
one ever died from getting separated; everyone experiences heartbreak from the end of a relationship and eventually has to move on. Perhaps being honest about that aspect of life with my students will provide a stronger unifying bond in class than being married. "</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Otherwise Michael, you'll turn into a Mopey Gus and believe me, nobody wants to be around a Mopey Gus!"</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Who am I not to heed the wisdom of a man who has been married and divorced twice? </span> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFth39ag1PeAiLg7ymcc1fOhQ2OT_CsRbhbV1cWxt4Eojccc9o33Q37JILq-Iu0NpQjCh_hS8CxgaBm0qFWw5oUV-SuczLNbE5onniolbz1AVCKgza6mkpGsH1x-zIyfnt9EdgOsZsnSF/s1600/edlapa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFth39ag1PeAiLg7ymcc1fOhQ2OT_CsRbhbV1cWxt4Eojccc9o33Q37JILq-Iu0NpQjCh_hS8CxgaBm0qFWw5oUV-SuczLNbE5onniolbz1AVCKgza6mkpGsH1x-zIyfnt9EdgOsZsnSF/s400/edlapa.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Receiving wisdom while on Ed Asner's lap.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Postscript:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A week later I’m warming up the class with “Tirades
& Endorsements,” a game where a student can either talk
about something that angers them (a tirade) or something they’re passionate
about (an endorsement). Camille, one of my more passionate students chose “married men who don’t wear their wedding rings” as a tirade. Standing up she instantly exploded; “if you’re married and you don’t wear
your wedding ring that only means one thing – you’re sniffing around, period!”
For the next thirty seconds Camille‘s volume and indignation escalated as she listed the bullshit excuses she heard from married relatives who didn’t wear their
rings. When
she finished her tirade, she sat down with her arms folded and glared at me.
Her face was seething with anger.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The room was silent. I walked
up to Camille and softly said “I’m separated. Is that a good enough reason not
to wear my wedding ring?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surprised by
my answer, she looked down at the floor. “Yes. That is a good reason.” I had expected an avalanche of questions from the students to follow, but there were none. Camille raised her head; </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The anger on her face was replaced by sincere concern.</span> “Mr. Golding, who
is going to look after you when you’re old?” </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I don’t think I’ve ever been more moved by a student’s comment. Perhaps Ed was right.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and
memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon,
Barnes & Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from
New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in
Educational Theatre from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education &
Human Development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-14445491102071241052017-05-26T09:12:00.000-07:002017-05-26T09:12:26.200-07:00Lone Wolf By Michael Golding<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Enrollments for my high
school theatre appreciation courses where students receive college credit, are
typically high at the beginning of the spring semester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not unusual to have thirty-five to forty
students in my workshops. Taught primarily through theatre games, I’ve
developed a structure that can accommodate a large group; warm-ups, improv
formats, small group assignments and a closure exercise for the whole class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crowd control is an issue and it is difficult
to focus on students who are reluctant to participate without having momentum
grind to a halt. I often feel like an emcee that has to keep the show on
schedule in fear of losing interest from the audience. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkXfw4ehBNtuS-kRqiBcRSLqkkTDQe1a99ITr-msV_MMortRUzIRg-_Y7ClYv2BpJ8fuwemCo2ZCFIiPkLFp0JW9mjFUwAqHBnXrKBJeCb93h_B3GyFDe5C0TdPRKjXwwxC3_ebdKwFT8/s1600/compton1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkXfw4ehBNtuS-kRqiBcRSLqkkTDQe1a99ITr-msV_MMortRUzIRg-_Y7ClYv2BpJ8fuwemCo2ZCFIiPkLFp0JW9mjFUwAqHBnXrKBJeCb93h_B3GyFDe5C0TdPRKjXwwxC3_ebdKwFT8/s320/compton1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small portion of one of my classes</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Towards the end of the
semester attendance becomes erratic due to overlapping student commitments; track
and band practice, clubs, field trips and projects for other classes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Attendance can suddenly dwindle to twelve to
eighteen students. As the summer recess looms, the temptation to ditch a course
that runs from 3:30 to 5:20pm is hard to resist, especially when it falls on a
“half-day” where school is let out at 1pm. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hanging around the campus for two and a half
hours isn’t all that enticing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the
seniors in the class, by the time May rolls around, they’re pretty much done
and if they show up, it doesn’t guarantee their focus is on the workshop. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I tend to do my best work
during this time because the smaller sized workshops enable me to focus more
attention on students who need it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Victor
is one of those students. Shy, reclusive, introverted, he would often come to
class late, timed perfectly to avoid the group warm-up and immediately try to
blend into his surroundings. Pressed against the wall in the back of the class
with his hoodie pulled down over the front of his face, he was invisible to the
rest of the class, unless he got up to charge his phone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Frequently I had to cajole Victor
into participating. Often, he would just shake his head no. He would reluctantly
join a group format but made minimal effort and barely spoke above a
whisper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since my enrollment was 33
students, there was only so much time I could spend on encouraging him to
participate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I knew this was the
class for him. Peripherally I would catch him smiling at a game students would
be playing or laugh at something that resonated with him. Our eyes would meet
at such a moment and he would revert back to his introverted, sullen state.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When the class size was
small, between 15 to 20 students I was able to involve Victor a little more, pairing
him up with students he was comfortable with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I found that he would seize up in formats that required an immediate
response, but was more relaxed in ones where he was able to take his time to
explore and discover. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Only 10 students showed up at
a recent workshop. Victor was one of them. As a final project students are
required to bring in a theatre game I have not done in class and conduct it.
Five students brought in games and all required group participation. Victor
joined in and he seemed to enjoy himself. Perhaps it was because his peers were
in charge where they suddenly had a sense of ownership in the class, or there
were fewer eyes on him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a very relaxed,
intimate session free of the usual ambient noise that made conducting a
workshop difficult. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuH0t6DCAissUf58FhZ2zxo2zj6a-mQIFCRXD0cSV41e1lYBy95-iZ8igzFnfUaua3I8laapEJ6pnFAZHyPf3SsqsFnB61XuDXrq75ZefwVx6Oe1N4_Y0cugWYPzUrAGPS_6AZJDFAXqh-/s1600/work3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuH0t6DCAissUf58FhZ2zxo2zj6a-mQIFCRXD0cSV41e1lYBy95-iZ8igzFnfUaua3I8laapEJ6pnFAZHyPf3SsqsFnB61XuDXrq75ZefwVx6Oe1N4_Y0cugWYPzUrAGPS_6AZJDFAXqh-/s320/work3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my students conducting her final project.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">With a half hour left to the
workshop I decided to put Victor in a game called Lone Wolf with two other
students, Breanne and Mike. In this game, which was taught to me by David
Shepherd (co-creator of Compass and Improv Olympics) only one player can move
and speak at a time. There is also a Viola Spolin game by the same name, but
the emphasis is on multiple concurrent scenes. The class suggested a park as a
location, with Victor, Breanne and Mike discussing how they felt about school. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Chairs were set up as a bench
and the scene began with all three sitting down. One at a time, Victor, Breanne
and Mike would stand up, say something, and then sit back down. The class
laughed at how the game was being mocked, which is often the case when the rules
of the format seem unreasonable or difficult.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I directed the three to get
off the bench.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Breanne got up and
created a water fountain, but exaggerated drinking from it to elicit laughter
from the class. Victor got up and reprimanded her for making a mess. Mike got
up and slipped on the wet ground from the water Breanne was wasting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My next direction was for them
to explore the environment and find details. Be as specific and realistic as
possible. Victor examined a tree which had initials carved into it. He felt the
coarseness of the tree against his hand and the indentation the carvings made. He
was committed and focused on the discovery. Mike picked up trash from the
ground and put it in a nearby garbage bin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Breanne found a discarded kite and started to untangle the string
attached to it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The scene went on for almost
ten minutes. Through a slow, thoughtful pace, a lovely scene evolved where Victor
reveals that he is going to drop out and Mike and Breanne talk him out of it.
All of this transpired as the exploration of the space continued, with specific
environmental details making it more vibrant to the class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scene ended as the wind picked up,
temperature dropped and it began to rain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">While I was proud of all
three for working together and taking their time to create a realistic scene
with humor that sprung out of the situation and characters, I was thrilled that
Victor was able to commit to a format that required discipline and patience. It
was the most natural I have ever seen him in class and from the expression on
his face I knew he realized that he just had a breakthrough moment in the
class. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I knew it was just a matter
of time. I just had to be patient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">After class Mike confided in
me that Victor was actually thinking of dropping out due to feeling isolated
and unenthusiastic about school. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the
result of two new friendships he developed from my class, Mike and Breanne, he
decided to stick it out. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I choose
Breanne and Mike to play with Victor because I knew he felt comfortable around
them, without realizing they had developed a relationship outside of class and
were about to embark on a scene that realistically reflected their dynamic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">With the right game and
chemistry of players, it’s amazing what can be accomplished. </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and
memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon,
Barnes & Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from
New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in
Educational Theatre from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education &
Human Development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-55153749153355072022017-05-10T13:48:00.000-07:002019-08-15T16:35:50.108-07:00From the Archives: David Shepherd’s Improvisational Theatre Notes<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I was in Ottawa recently for the 40<sup>th</sup> anniversary
of the Canadian Improv Games (CIG), a nation wide program for high school
students who perform improvised scenes in teams based on suggestions from the
audience. During the school year, teams participate in regional tournaments.
The winning team from each region then goes on to the National Festival and Tournament
held in Ottawa
in April at the National Arts Centre. CIG was created by Willie Wyllie and
Howard Jerome, inspired by the Improv Olympics, created by David Shepherd and
Howard Jerome. Along with Paul Sills, David Shepherd was the producer of North
America's first professional improvisational theatre The Compass, which was the
forerunner of the Second
City.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A week before the National
Festival this year, I spent a few days at the home of Howard Jerome in Hamilton, so that we could attend a CIG fundraiser together
in Toronto.
While I was at Howard’s home, I dug through his improv archives to see if there
was any material I could add to David Shepherd’s collection, which is now
housed at Northwestern
University. Most of the
material I came upon was from the Improv Olympics, including the Spring 1976
issue of Nous Journal, a local Ottawa
newspaper. Howard Jerome and David Shepherd were in town at the time to conduct
Improv Olympic workshops at various high schools and Howard convinced the editors
to devote their Spring issue to improvisation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The issue includes
descriptions of the Improv Olympic events (Time Dash, Emotional Hurdles,
Character Relay, Space Jump, Silent Wrestling, Sound Swim), warm-up games and
educational tips. What I found particularly fascinating about the issue, which
I am sharing, is an essay written by David Shepherd which serves as both a
history lesson and the foundation of his philosophy about why we should all be
improvising every day – (which we do whether we’re aware of it or not). Enjoy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Improvisational Theatre Notes</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">By David Shepherd</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Improvisation is one of the
oldest kinds of theatre. Five hundred years ago families of Italian Players made
their living going from town to town doing “Commedia.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a live soap opera – all improvised
in parks, streets and festivals. If the players managed to keep their
characters interesting, then the public would come back day after day. When
people stopped paying, the troupe moved on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Each players studied a couple
of handbooks about his character – one full of speeches he could use, the other
full of “bits” he could do. These books were handed on from mother to daughter
(or father to son) as young people in the family got old enough to play the
standard parts of Doctor, Captain, Servant, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his youth, Moliere played in a similar group.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As soon as the troupe arrived
in a town its members would collect as much local gossip as possible about the
people they’d be playing for. Each show was based on a situation invented for
that audience. If after a few minutes this idea led nowhere, the players simply
stopped. With no embarrassment they said to the audience: “Sorry. Our
improvisations didn’t work. Let’s try again.” They huddled, invented a new
situation, and stared all over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When a player got in trouble
he fell back on what he’s learned from one of the two books. The Captain, for
instance, might start telling the audience how he was about to die! …. For the
love of a farm girl. Arlechino the servant might mime a fly buzzing around his
head. He’d track down that imaginary fly until he caught it in his cupped hand
and then – ate it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Improvisational theatre
exists today in Toronto,
where the Second City Troupe knows how to take a suggestion from the audience for
an improvisation about our Canadian life. They also do a show based entirely on
scenes that were first improvised, then memorized and set. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Improvisation works best among
people who know and can trust each other. It does not work on conflict. We have
to cooperate in many ways in order to play:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We must agree on where we are
(for instance, if I decide that a giant safe is against this wall, then you can’t
walk through that space).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We must agree on who we are
(for instance, if you say you’re my mother, then I have to accept you as my
mother).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We must agree on what we’re
doing together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In improvisational theatre
there is no need for a painted set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nor
do you need a script. You don’t have to have thousands of watts of stage
lighting. You don’t even need a stage. And in fact, improvisational theatre
works better if you don’t have stage, lights, set and curtain. Because without
these limitations, you have the freedom to explore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In this issue of NOUS
JOURNAL, you’ll see how to do three things:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">experience the
freedom and fun of improvisation (this takes only a few minutes.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">use improvisation
to write a group scene that’s half prepared, half improvised (this takes an
hour)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">use improvisation
to put on a show for yourselves or for the class next door (this takes two
hours)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Remember: there’s nothing new
or strange about improvisation. You’ve been doing it all your life:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">For instance, if you’ve ever pretended
you were angrier than you really were – or sadder, or happier – just for the
fun of it…..</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">If you ever pretended you
were a hockey star or a finicky grandmother or a down-and-out bum (with no
script to tell you what to say)……</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">If you ever imagined (with a
friend) that you were in some jungle hideaway or rocket ship or fancy party….</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">If so, you were improvising.
It’s natural to play a feeling, character or place that you don’t usually experience.
It’s healthy to relax once in a while, let your hair down and your feelings
out. Live without concentrating on being yourself. Enjoy stepping into another’s
shoes, onto another planet, under another feeling. </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and
memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon,
Barnes & Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from
New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in
Educational Theatre from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education &
Human Development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i></div>
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Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-11234896802111547462016-10-12T10:55:00.000-07:002016-10-12T10:55:06.789-07:00Missed Improv Opportunities by Michael Golding<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">This semester through the
Compton division of El Camino College’s offsite program I was assigned to teach
Theatre Appreciation at two inner city high schools in Los Angeles; Firebaugh
High School in Lynwood and Compton High School in Compton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Students receive college credit for attending the courses which run from 3:30 – 5:30pm twice a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Two weeks in, both courses were canceled due to low enrollment. This is
a common occurrence for adjuncts who work with high school students. The
disappointment cuts deep this time out. The students at both schools were excited
with my learning by doing approach, which relies more on participating in
improv games, formats and group collaboration, than listening to lengthy
lectures. I was stimulated by the creative possibilities both classes offered and
was already strategizing how to alter my curriculum to accommodate the specific
needs of the students. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There were students in both classes
who have previously taken Intro to Acting with me, where I take the same hands
on approach, although there is a scripted element to the course where scenes
and monologues have to be performed. In that course, I give the students the
choice of finding a scripted scene or monologue to perform, or developing one through
improv and creating a script based on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since those students were already familiar with my style, it was forcing
me to search out new ways to engage them so they could not anticipate outcomes.
What I found endearing was that these students understood what was going on in
the minds of the students who were working with me for the first time and
discovering in a joyful way, I’m unlike any instructor they’ve had before. The
learning by doing approach catches on quickly, and nothing gives me a greater
satisfaction than monitoring the looks of new students engaging in the work for
the first time, where I know they’re thinking “Where has this type of class
been my entire life?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a welcome
outlet after being cooped up in school all day for them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">At Firebaugh
High School in Lynwood,
I had fourteen students registered and eleven at Compton High School.
Smaller classes work better when it comes to at-risk populations where I can
give more individual attention. But the college has a minimum requirement of
twenty two students. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes I can
sway the administration to extend the registration deadline, and make a case
that the students attending will become ambassadors for the college. Canceling
a course that they’re into will only diminish them, resulting in leeriness when
contemplating signing up for future courses at the college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My case fell on deaf ears this time out.
Essentially the administration told me “Better luck next time.” Tell that to my
bank account or the students who were on the precipice of a new exciting
journey. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBTe-2w6fNc0shWRClez93EwZNtxr99CLzdtjajSD3taZ6Tg7kH5AbMMWW2q3yn0PR_SjXMqfSRnr38VReq4QUR4eg-RLxpy_HjhL4JS8biYK8bVfX21sPWz7KudTRkRm29UdgOpq3TxE/s1600/firebaughpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBTe-2w6fNc0shWRClez93EwZNtxr99CLzdtjajSD3taZ6Tg7kH5AbMMWW2q3yn0PR_SjXMqfSRnr38VReq4QUR4eg-RLxpy_HjhL4JS8biYK8bVfX21sPWz7KudTRkRm29UdgOpq3TxE/s320/firebaughpic.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Firebaugh High School</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Francisco, a short, muscular,
eighteen year old fireball of kinetic energy, confessed to me at my first
workshop at Firebaugh
High School that he
wanted to be a stand-up comedian. He was always seeking out the comedic edge with
anything he participated in. When I asked for a suggestion for an activity he
offered “crucifixion.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An activity that
a group could do together, he proudly exclaimed “circle jerk.” He frequently
got cheap laughs from the class by mocking the games. In many ways he reminded
me of what I was like at fourteen, when I first started taking improv classes
and I was looking forward to slowly changing his mindset from “it’s all about
me” to “it’s all about the group.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
developed a kinship with Donotus, a tall, lean, and lanky seventeen year old
who fearlessly volunteered for every game, without paying attention to what the
rules and objectives were and was frequently crestfallen when his noble
attempts failed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I paired the two up for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Try that on for Size” where an activity,
such as washing the dishes is given, and the players have to come up with
different explanations while pantomiming the same motion for the activity;
(Example: “What are you doing?” “I’m trying to raise the dead. Try that on for
size!”). After a few failed attempts, Francisco and Donotus clicked with the
game, and were thrilled with how they were bouncing off each other and
developing a rhythm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I drove home
after class I spotted the two walking together on the sidewalk, plotting away with
the possibilities of future collaborations. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTVgRzjzy3jlDLbQBrSy1oMp4TrzRZ3RHuscBhbHX6ImiHnPw2qI0phA4XA_6iGWPiNb_u1Ch_zmUx2z-eRpldQWt5mPTWKOtVv5gOeqJ4aaA3nteRWjV4j-swLlq-iz7vPPWp5HdadF3/s1600/comptonhigh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTVgRzjzy3jlDLbQBrSy1oMp4TrzRZ3RHuscBhbHX6ImiHnPw2qI0phA4XA_6iGWPiNb_u1Ch_zmUx2z-eRpldQWt5mPTWKOtVv5gOeqJ4aaA3nteRWjV4j-swLlq-iz7vPPWp5HdadF3/s320/comptonhigh.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Compton High School</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My Compton
High School class had nine female
students and two male, one of which was a dapper seventy year old man named Lawrence. The offsite
program allows adult students to attend high school courses if the schedule
fits their needs better. It’s an interesting dynamic. Depending on the age gap,
frequently the adults take on a paternal role with the teenagers. Lawrence had a
thoughtful, soothing effect on the other students, who readily accepted him. In
my experience, inner city students have a more respectful attitude towards
elderly people, usually because their grandparents often live with or are
raising them.</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> It was a joy to watch Lawrence immerse himself
in “Tableau,” a game where players freeze in a pose that creates a picture
of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a location, such as McDonald’s, the
beach or a bank. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Now retired, Lawrence wanted to pursue the college degree that
eluded him in his youth and I was eagerly looking forward to becoming part of
his journey and the various roles he would play with the students in scenes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As I torment myself with
might have been this semester, I hope that the four two hour workshops both groups
had with me was enough to inspire an interest in the work and future theatre
courses. For the adjunct instructors, the offsite program is an admirable
endeavor, designed to inspire high school students to consider college, what
will be required of them and envision a life beyond high school. But the reality
from the perspective of the college administration is it’s all about money and
numbers. Pack them in, espouse the virtues of the college then send them on
their way. Ideally, the college would love for me to have forty students in
each class, which I have at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
though I have developed a successful structure that involves group warm-ups and
collaboration exercises, often the momentum of the class slows down due to
crowd control when the class is that large.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Twenty two is the way to go. Even better if it’s less.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The ongoing uncertainty of
committing to a semester followed by the disappointment of an abrupt
cancellation has forced me to decide whether I want to continue with this
program. Aside from the financial hardship, there is an emotional toll, because
I cannot teach without bonding with my students and I’m already feeling the
loss over the missed opportunities of this semester. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was neither the fault of the students nor I
that the classes were cancelled. What we’re all feeling right now is anger,
with no one to direct it to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love what
I do, but my heart has been broken so many times in the past with this program
that it’s beginning to develop scar tissue. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no closure when a course is suddenly
cancelled and I don’t have an opportunity to say goodbye to the students. At
least I had two great weeks with both groups. We were connecting and I know
that I was opening the door to new possibilities for the students. That’s
something to be proud of. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">That said, imagine what I
could have accomplished with both groups if I had them for three months.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXDfx14qDoDwS8ZNjUvsZDdD2an7ihg-ny71qrIsvIVF-6qPB-d9Oab9coR3kmk9o8CtEuqxQWEGDq7baKsfLXKCciATUJHBpTd0RnGfgJlY2UlGVsMRbI0cFgZIDi4UpWNqOP84Mb0K6/s1600/class.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXDfx14qDoDwS8ZNjUvsZDdD2an7ihg-ny71qrIsvIVF-6qPB-d9Oab9coR3kmk9o8CtEuqxQWEGDq7baKsfLXKCciATUJHBpTd0RnGfgJlY2UlGVsMRbI0cFgZIDi4UpWNqOP84Mb0K6/s320/class.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Workshop director suddenly at liberty.</td></tr>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and
memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon,
Barnes & Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from
New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in
Educational Theatre from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education &
Human Development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-58468941582219748162016-09-26T12:21:00.000-07:002018-12-23T23:31:19.966-08:00FROM THE ARCHIVES: David Shepherd's Community of Improvisers<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In 1971 after taking a five
year break from improvisation, David Shepherd (co-creator of Compass with Paul
Sills, and the Improvisation Olympics with Howard Jerome) formed Community
Makers in New York City.
The organization was set up to correct ailing communities by using
improvisation as a people’s theatre. This article was originally published in
Dramatics Magazine, December, 1971.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">COMMUNITY MAKERS: RESPONSIVE THEATRE</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">By David Shepherd</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72XM6kDMxjBPvPgD5gL_TnMxft3jXQjT0djIjRTwYk9u8mH52Of2skE_CnWvHHEFY2d8DCG0VkBmE2ty5ULW3vLdKasRIFyZbf5oLt6_rfjPE8kOKQetbxqzTW3FZJPWpk1y50T-31TQI/s1600/community1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72XM6kDMxjBPvPgD5gL_TnMxft3jXQjT0djIjRTwYk9u8mH52Of2skE_CnWvHHEFY2d8DCG0VkBmE2ty5ULW3vLdKasRIFyZbf5oLt6_rfjPE8kOKQetbxqzTW3FZJPWpk1y50T-31TQI/s400/community1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Suppose that the third reel
of a film was destroyed accidentally in the projection room. The whole show
would be cancelled, naturally.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Suppose for a moment that the
Living Theatre is late for a performance (or any other touring company).
Imagine that their bus breaks down in a snow storm. It’s 9:30 on a Saturday
night. There are 500 customers waiting in the theatre and in bars along Main Street. Is the
show cancelled?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What’s to prevent some of
these 500 from putting on their own show?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">This is a question that I’ve
been struggling to answer over the past year. Put it this way: What prevents
people from creating their own entertainment IN THEIR OWN HOMES?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Is the answer lack of
leadership or inability to communicate? Ignorance of one’s own roleplaying
potential? Unwillingness to draw attention to real concerns? Or are we living
in a basically passive society, where most people are not willing to exchange
canned entertainment they could create, or the sports they could play?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Of course during blizzards or
celebrations, people do try and do succeed in creating entertainment – through
jokes, dancing, charades, discussion and debate. People do go somewhere – so
that the very change of setting is a kind of entertainment. For instance, they
go from their living room to a bar, or to Coney Island,
or to the park.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But the living room
entertainment that I’m talking about doesn’t require a taxi or a beach buggy or
even a stroll down the block. This kind of “organic” entertainment makes it
possible for you to go on a trip without moving from the room where you are
together with your group.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m talking about a way of
making conversation part of a performance. And making conversation as easy as
just talking to someone at a party.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">This, it seems to me, is one
possible theatre of the future – an activity that people can do in their homes
just as easily as they play Monopoly or plan a dinner party or put on charades.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I call this activity
“Responsive Theatre” because this name encourages an idea of theatre that
responds and that is relevant to what people feel at any one moment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To go back to the 500 people waiting for a
touring company in a snow storm on Saturday night, Responsive Theatre would
reflect how they felt about the snow storm, the disappointment of no “pro”
show, the fact that it is Saturday night – time to improvise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Responsive Theatre would be
100 percent improvised, a way of presenting the collective talent of the
audience to itself – without rehearsal. A way to explore the concerns of the
audience. A way to satisfy its needs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Let me sketch the rough
design. I’ve discovered by creating “responsive settings” over the past nine
months – in homes, discotheques, churches, classrooms and auditoriums.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My design begins at the door
to the Responsive Setting. Instead of being met by an usher or Maitre D, the
participant is met by a player. The participant can also be given the
opportunity to choose – let’s say between soft lighting and bright lighting, or
between rock-and-roll and country music. He becomes involved in his own
entertainment at the door. (If the normally passive player makes a choice, he’s
entering a program that may lead him directly into the playing area by the end
of the evening.)</span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Next the players helps the
participant discover other options: to drink wine or soda, to eat sandwiches or
potato chips, to dance or watch others dance, to write suggestions for scenes
on the walls or fill out “order cards,” to join a political discussion or
simply sit with any group that has an empty seat at its table. The player is
responsive to whatever the participant needs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJzgFkVJl_EgjhqCrrIAGr2Gmk4L0E1on4UOwNml0AkuEENX5NVV7EOeGljFPZ0Q0DzME7dMaoZB_XoTaWCigtD_ZDSXmrZIOYd4hcwWNyGL4sLKPRslnVspWDjAiQfiA02owYiQ3I0LZ/s1600/IMG_6147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJzgFkVJl_EgjhqCrrIAGr2Gmk4L0E1on4UOwNml0AkuEENX5NVV7EOeGljFPZ0Q0DzME7dMaoZB_XoTaWCigtD_ZDSXmrZIOYd4hcwWNyGL4sLKPRslnVspWDjAiQfiA02owYiQ3I0LZ/s400/IMG_6147.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two audience members on the dance floor at a disco play out a wild party.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Direction signal cards are
passed out among the participants or the direction signals are posted
prominently on the walls. Sample signals would be: FREEZE! …. Stops the action,
REPLAY, FEEL IT! LOUDER! TURN OFF THE SOUND, FORWARD IN TIME, BACKWARD IN TIME,
SWITCH SETTING, GET TO THE POINT!, APPLAUSE…..ends the action.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There are three or four ways
by which the participant now becomes responsive himself – thereby shaping the
entertainment he will get: he can vote for themes, characters or confrontations
that he wants to see enacted; he can learn how to direct an improvisation by
trying out signals on players sitting at his table; he can prepare to join the
roleplay himself by entering into “responsive games” with the players; finally,
he can change the roles of the evening – assuming he’s not a new-comer and
knows what he’s doing: for instance, he can suggest some signals be used and
others discarded.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Let me give an example now of
how this works in practice. At last night’s performance of Responsive Theatre
in Manhattan, the suggestion “Attica”
was given. “The parents of a prisoner” and “the wife of a hostage” were asked
for. Time: “Just before Governor Rockefeller makes his decision not to
intervene in the prison riot.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We were playing with about
eight signals, which were visible to everyone watching. As the improvisation
started a regular customer became disappointed. She felt that the players were floundering
in sentiment and that the audience was embarrassed for them. She directed the
improvisation to jump forward in time to after the Governor’s decision. She
then asked for a change in roles.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Now “SWITCH ROLES” is not one
of the signals we encourage. It’s enough for a player to switch setting or time
without switching his role. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Switch roles!” the viewer
called out. “The father of the prisoner is now Governor Rockefeller, and you
two girls are his aides. You’re trying to decide whether to intervene or not.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We “responsive players” do
not like this kind of suggestion, as a rule. We prefer a viewer use just one
signal, and select that signal from a list of permissible signals. Here was a
viewer coming on with the authority of a Tyrone Guthrie. She was changing the
rules of Responsive Theatre. She was asking us to be more responsive than we
wanted to be. But we did respond. Rudy, our black player, played the Governor,
with two white aides, Penny and Diana.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">(It is this tension between
players, viewers and dramatic content that makes an evening of Responsive
Theatre fizzle, burn, or blast-off. Some customers and players maintain that
the “bad” nights are the most interesting.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HfEu_faCKEoYi1_4xYpzBhmXwhx91P4_KuHjbYSMt-eKKjZx9nTuE4i9MMJIB5MJu19UaTzsKvNnaDiWC5f7ZbjCRgVeoUHZfmKiI4dMT88_4CQwI_z_dGW03pvMmq-87cLCsrQJ_hyphenhyphenh/s1600/IMG_6234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HfEu_faCKEoYi1_4xYpzBhmXwhx91P4_KuHjbYSMt-eKKjZx9nTuE4i9MMJIB5MJu19UaTzsKvNnaDiWC5f7ZbjCRgVeoUHZfmKiI4dMT88_4CQwI_z_dGW03pvMmq-87cLCsrQJ_hyphenhyphenh/s400/IMG_6234.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Manhattan Theatre Club Cabaret. Members of the audience (left) move into a scenario about "turning on." David Shepherd, center.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Switch roles!” the same lady
soon called out again. “You are now Mayor Lindsey with his staff.” For a
minute, it seemed we were channel-hopping during the 6:00 news of September 13,
1971. Then our energy hit a peak, the audience applauded, and Attica
as a theme-for-the-night passed from the concerns of the audience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A successful Responsive
Theatre episode need not be complicated. Acting on the participants’
suggestions, the players can move directly toward uncovering the basic
emotional and ideological content of our daily lives. The results are often
quite simple and yet quite imaginative. I asked Penny Kurtz, one of our
players, to describe a typical experience in a responsive situation, and her
answer was a telling evocation of this aspect of our improvisations. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“I remember my first
experience with Responsive Theatre. We were given the suggestion of an elevator
with two people – a man and a woman. I volunteered. Suddenly I find myself
entering a small elevator, with a suspicious gentleman following me in. The
door is still open. He stares at me, and I return his gaze. My mind flashes
“Don’t push your floor button til after he does.” We stand motionless for
several moments.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“We exchange some small talk.
Finally he pushes his button: third floor. My floor. I smile. He smiles. The
door closes. Maybe he isn’t following me after all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Freeze! You go out together
for coffee.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“We sit, talk, relax and
discover that we’re both very lonely and afraid. Ronald (as I learn to call
him) has been afraid of women all his life. He’s been seeing a psychiatrist. I
want to help him. I take his hand. I think I’m going to fall in love.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Applause!.....and the scene
ends.” Sometimes we’re asked to jump from century to century, switching roles
and settings at the same time, as we chase after the theme of women’s
liberation, or pollution, or child raising. It becomes impossible to respond.
So we must set guidelines.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The “entertainment order”
that we work from has to be stage worthy; just as a candy store cannot serve a
steak platter, so we cannot stage a suggestion like a “bar with a horse and a
goldfish talking about acupuncture in the year 1492.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">If we don’t have the skills
or knowledge to handle a suggestion, then we ask the person who gave that
suggestion to help us; this works best when there are two trained players for
every amateur.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">If we simply don’t like a
suggestion because we did it last night or because we find it banal, or because
we think it’s in bad taste, then we warn the audience that at the risk of
boredom, they must take responsibility for directing their own suggestion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Sometimes the audience
accepts this responsibility. Sometimes it does not. Sometimes the players
respond to the collective direction of the audience. Sometimes for various
reasons, they do not. This is precisely the challenge of Responsive Theatre.
Let me go back to my own original question: WHAT PREVENTS PEOPLE FROM CREATING
THEIR OWN ENTERTAINMENT?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">LEADERSHIP. Our
culture, or at least the Anglo-Saxon culture, dictates that you take certain
steps before you dare perform. You have to prove your competence at a skill.
For instance, instead of humming and beating on a table with your fingers, you
must go first to music school. Instead of horsing around with some friends, you
must first go to drama school. In America most of the arts are run by
professionals, and those who participate pay the bill demand professional
leadership.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">However, if improvisation can
be entered just as you enter a game like charades, then the professional can
serve not as the leader but as a technical assistant. In fact, the whole
activity of creating an improvised statement in your home can be stimulated and
guided by an inexpensive game plus aids like a phonograph record to show you
how other groups did it. The game will identify and support leaders.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We are about to make this
possible through Responsive Theatre.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">IGNORANCE OF
ONE’S OWN ROLEPLAYING POTENTIAL. People have no idea how interesting they are.
Find two housewives or two businessmen conversing in the corner of the theatre,
and turn a spotlight on them. Their first impulse is to say nothing. Their
second is to say something funny.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6QAaR8wxaymRY_IsgTIydXpHCkZamsvSuEserD1RpPEkpWo1_LSi2rO1Wksg9S6FrER2ECzhCKAtGCkTv4Mvzgu-mJUXsgWdSfKmS3j8COPouJpkeebgZSitnWrU9NmDwYuwW1_XsvBF/s1600/IMG_6183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6QAaR8wxaymRY_IsgTIydXpHCkZamsvSuEserD1RpPEkpWo1_LSi2rO1Wksg9S6FrER2ECzhCKAtGCkTv4Mvzgu-mJUXsgWdSfKmS3j8COPouJpkeebgZSitnWrU9NmDwYuwW1_XsvBF/s400/IMG_6183.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Players act out the suggestions of residents at the Coronet Nursing Home in Brooklyn. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In
an improvisational theatre people are convinced that whenever they participate,
they must be funny. We are trying to break down this myth, so that the
spectator can accept his own identity and worth – so that he no longer thinks
of himself as low man on the talent pole.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">UNWILLINGNESS TO
DRAW ATTENTION TO REAL CONCERNS. Just as giving a suggestion in no way
guarantees that the players can stage it, so getting a suggestion in no way
guarantees that the spectator is telling you what he really wants to see. The
spectator is often so unused to participating in theatre that he immediately
challenges the player – dares him to do something absurd or obscene. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We
get endless suggestions for scenes in men’s rooms, men’s rooms in the White
House, President Nixon and Vice President Agnew.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Our
only way to break through is to go on playing – until the spectator becomes
bored with his own self-conscious sallies. We set up workshops at which key
members of the audience learn to do what we do. We keep asking for suggestions
that can serve to mirror and explore our life together.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It
will all become clearer when we begin to use videotape and other media at our
base – the Responsive Scene on the street floor of the Manhattan Theatre Club.
There we hope to discover how anyone can as a member make not only his own live
theatre, but also his own filmed theatre, poetry, songs, music, lightshows,
murals or even novels. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There
we hope to go on training young producers how to start theatres responsive to
the community. There we hope to train both our staff and many dozens of our
regular patrons how to be more and more sensitive and responsive to what really
concerns viewers – as a group.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6hHhN5rgNDUQewzi_A4RvxdA1kc6LsBnH7xT64wsID966Y9ByZn_8TKuuIh9lNgoXXP5DkAaKBx3KvsDSA0AU1ONE2jB2_8a40JZYKHYG2_3jxpT2ZGURtqBp5Iz2SzJnVK1VM9JVygE/s1600/IMG_6118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6hHhN5rgNDUQewzi_A4RvxdA1kc6LsBnH7xT64wsID966Y9ByZn_8TKuuIh9lNgoXXP5DkAaKBx3KvsDSA0AU1ONE2jB2_8a40JZYKHYG2_3jxpT2ZGURtqBp5Iz2SzJnVK1VM9JVygE/s400/IMG_6118.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queens House of Detention. Inmates asked to see a scene about a Prison Doctor and an Inmate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And
when we’re through, sometime a long time from now, people will ask “how can
theatre express the most personal feelings of any individual in the audience?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Or:
“How can a group cut the time gap between when they conceive and when they
produce a full-scale responsive production – for the public?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">For
ourselves, we are satisfied to be working to start more Responsive Scenes for a
more responsive society, today. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and
memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon,
Barnes & Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from
New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in
Educational Theatre from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education &
Human Development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-88616149146559032172016-09-09T11:07:00.000-07:002018-12-23T23:34:42.384-08:00FROM THE ARCHIVES: David Shepherd's Search for a Popular Theatre<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">David Shepherd wrote this article
in 1959 about his search for a popular theatre. It was published in Encore
Magazine that same year. David created Compass, the first professional improvisation
company in North America with Paul Sills, and the
Improvisation Olympics with Howard Jerome. In addition, David Shepherd has created
dozens of other formats during his 60 plus year career in improvisation.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">THE SEARCH</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">by DAVID SHEPHERD</span></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In my country, America, we say
something is popular when it succeeds in winning the lead in its market.
Cadillac has become more popular than Packard, for instance, even though few
Americans can afford to buy either. Billions of dollars are spent to announce
the winners until finally the taste of the consumer is determined by
advertising itself. When the rocket ship designs of big cars are copied in
order to sell little cars, then those designs become “popular” in one sense:
their lower price makes them accessible to the public. But in another sense
they become less popular: they simply do not express the public’s taste.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When plays are written to
sell automobiles on T.V., or to capture a lead in the very costly competition
between Broadway producers then the theatre must become an art of making things
attractive, of flattering its patrons. Who can afford to invest in a product
that is not attractive in every way when it costs you $100,000 to put your foot
into the market? But even when this product proves to be a smash hit, we have
to ask ourselves if it is truly any more popular than the rocket ship designs
that are used to sell millions of Americans a new car every January.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmwkKG2HJbwzEvN0lRW6O3Ce8AFPObPFdMAzOZa74SKF02tRocrnnPgj3IwMPJFvz6VEmg91JPqivMEQfzSoXBghdmLBXRZjELBezCV5r1ecvoKzI4qLzK2eINosjfACbL2fn6NkxSJyl/s1600/encore2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmwkKG2HJbwzEvN0lRW6O3Ce8AFPObPFdMAzOZa74SKF02tRocrnnPgj3IwMPJFvz6VEmg91JPqivMEQfzSoXBghdmLBXRZjELBezCV5r1ecvoKzI4qLzK2eINosjfACbL2fn6NkxSJyl/s400/encore2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Shepherd in 1959</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A popular play from New York is one which
brings thousands from all over the country, anxious to spend from $2.50 to
$50.00 a ticket to see it before it is made into a movie. The most popular
theatre is whichever theatre is most difficult to get into this month. For the
ladies who can get tickets through their clubs, theatre becomes not a habitual
part of life but a very special event. For the administrators through their
businesses, the theatre must be the one place in New York where they can stop thinking and
let the lights and music work on them like an expert masseur. These men go back
to their hotels assured of the popularity of the show if their clients have
stayed pleasantly awake through-out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Naturally, there is a
rebellion against this state of popularity. The producer or director who wants
a less drowsy, less flattering theatre often decides that the only plays worth
doing are the ones that are the least popular. He looks for paradoxical plays
and will accept even confused and ugly plays. This rebellion might nourish a
small but important voice in the theatre if it were allowed to grow in
seclusion. But usually the rebels are only waiting to be caught in the
spotlight. That is, some fraction of their rebellion or confusion is found to
be useful in the enormous salesroom. They disappear into the same well-paid
circles they once condemned, and their disappearance further confuses and
embitters those who remain.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As the mass media becomes
more powerful and sophisticated, virtually all young dramatists and directors
will make their peace and find their spot in the market-place of attractions.
The trend is becoming visible in every country as T.V. follows movies around
the world. It will make drama attractive to hundreds of millions of people who
have none of their own. It will provide jobs for tens of thousands of talented
people. But it can only impose tastes on those millions very different from
their own. And it cannot help but change the function of the theatre in
becoming a poor sister and laboratory assistant of the atomic explosions of
T.V. and movies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It is possible that in 50
years the theatre in New York will only be a
testing ground for T.V. plots and outside New York only a technique for children and
old ladies to express themselves? If it is not, we will have to accept an older
notion of popularity than that which is current in America today.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What is this older notion? We
are told, for instance, that the greatest theatres in history – the theatres of
Sophocles, Moliere, Shakespeare – were, at their best moments, popular
theatres. That is, they were accessible to everybody – rich and poor, farmers
and courtiers; seats were easy to get, the stories were common knowledge and
the ways of telling them were rich and various – dance, music, mime, song and
many others. The men who wrote for those theatres had the same strong opinions
and the same fear of censorship as our better dramatists have, but they learned
to couch these opinions in a story and to tell that story in a way that would
satisfy many different tastes at the same time. This kind of popularity is rare
today. When I hear people of different occupations whistling the theme from The
Bridge on the River Kwai in the street, I know an artistic miracle has
occurred: the intellectuals don’t despise it for being middle class, or the
business men for being cheap, or the working people for being long hair. At the
same time a commercial miracle has occurred: the film has played in both the
plush houses and the cheap houses, both uptown and downtown. It has managed to
break through the barriers of habit, taste and income that have grown so high
in cities all over the country.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There is even an older notion
of popularity, one that may not be so hard to apply today. We are told of
certain theatres which produced few important plays, but were important in the
society of their times – the oriental theatre of story and dance, the medieval
religious theatre, the Italian Commedia dell’Arte. These were popular in a
different way. They performed wherever there was an audience – in the fields,
squares, courtyards; they invented material for the occasion and they recruited
talent directly from their audiences. This was folk theatre. It survives today,
but not vigorously, in our fraternity reviews and historical pageants. When the
movies can offer four hours of Biblical massacre complete to the last jeweled
thigh for only 75 cents, who wants to struggle with three rickety acts and
accompanying sets? Progress promises that we will have the five hour massacre
soon and that we will be able to see it in our homes and vista vision. Let us
hope that progress will also bring us this oldest kind of theatre, whether as a
do-it-yourself kit or as a new game, so that some part of our leisure can be
diverted into thinking in dramatic terms for ourselves. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I myself have made an
experiment along these lines. While producing the Playwrights Theatre Club in Chicago, I found it
impossible to get scripts that were relevant to the life of the city and that
would enlarge or diversify the audience. I got a strong impression that the
theatre was upside down. You always start with an old script and its needs, a
director and his needs, publicity and its needs. Instead of publicity, why not
start with the public, instead of a director why not stories that can be
improvised economically? Instead of subjecting people to a precise day, hour,
seat number and schedule, why not let a part of the evening take its own path
while people smoke, drink and talk? In this way a theatre came into existence
call COMPASS, which has played in many locations in Chicago,
St. Louis and New York over the past three years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdyXE-K_VJ-LfVVXJ893tpPZoRZOj_vLMYOoQPPIfEU15XfrVG-IQEQtbduZiFW5IVa0zhbp-rP8TrAPf61jPlGSD0yo0S0-l1RS-4_tkBeFXgCWYtBs6eb7Ox7GZJ7HFFUxnPVlmyLiX/s1600/encore3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdyXE-K_VJ-LfVVXJ893tpPZoRZOj_vLMYOoQPPIfEU15XfrVG-IQEQtbduZiFW5IVa0zhbp-rP8TrAPf61jPlGSD0yo0S0-l1RS-4_tkBeFXgCWYtBs6eb7Ox7GZJ7HFFUxnPVlmyLiX/s400/encore3.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">COMPASS is a theatre of
improvisation. It provides a way not for theatre to be big and spectacular, but
for a few people to communicate face to face. It tries to turn the limitations
of theatre to its advantage. Before you can even have theatre, people must
first leave their homes and sit down next to other people whom they don’t know.
These people, as a group, have a new but unknown personality and demand to see
certain themes and topics that are on their minds. As this personality emerges
it begins to affect the performance until a tension develops between it and the
personality of the cast. This tension is the raw material of COMPASS. If the
company spends part of each evening dramatizing its own attitudes and part
catching the reactions of the audience, then the wall that separates the two is
broken and they begin to converse in a common dramatic language.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Improvisation produces no
literary masterpieces, but it does what many masterpieces fail to do. It wakes
up the imagination of the actor and forces the spectator to ask questions:
“Where is this scene? Why is that actor doing that? What’s going to happen
next?” Often the actor himself may not know what will happen next. There is no
playwright to spoon feed him with answers to every question the public has.
Nothing is served up to the public on a platter – neither overwhelming feeling
nor total knowledge nor a complete judgment of the world. The spectator has to
work a little for his pleasure because he is watching a process and not a
result. Scenes grow in front of his eyes, and he picks out the common
experiences and familiar characters. When he himself is asked to suggest a
scene or plot, he gets a new pleasure – the pleasure of taking a hand in the
process. While the actors are preparing backstage, he’s discussing with his
friends what they can or cannot expect to see on the stage.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">This is a theatre of actions rather
than dialogue, and the way things happen becomes more important to the audience
than the conversations surrounding them. When actors can switch parts, when
scenes can be stopped, started, re-routed and turned upside down, then the
whole question of interpretation becomes visible and accessible. On the one
hand, the actor has to choose a scene where there is no script. On the other
hand, the spectator has to choose whether to buy a scene that has been made to
his order. If these choices brought to light by the director in a kind of dramatic
game, then what happens on the stage is no longer thought of as exciting or
boring, but rather as well or badly done. When the spectator is partly
responsible for the success of what happens on the stage, he gradually becomes
as much of a specialist in theatre as he is in the mysteries of football or
golf.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">This is a theatre of stories,
newspaper clippings, events of the week, daily activities, caricatures, scenes
of family life and office life, of factories and resorts. The scenes pass
across the stage like snapshots of life in the community. The actors have to
know that life well enough so that when a customer says “I want to see a scene
about a boy who runs away from home because he doesn’t want to go to a military
school,” they can prepare the background to such a scene in 20 minutes. At
rehearsal the roles are reversed: an actor may say “I have an idea for three
scenes about the sputnik: let’s try it this week and see how the audience takes
it.” Or a writer may come to the theatre and say, “I have an idea for a play,
but it may be too abstract; before I write it, could you try these scenes about
a husband and wife who have the following relationship…..?” Finally, the
director may say, either in rehearsal or performance, “Go on with this scene
but imagine that you lost all your money last week and haven’t the courage to
tell your wife,” or “Let’s do this same scene, but this time in the home of a
cab driver.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">COMPASS is only one solution
to the problem of how theatre can be popular. Its principal technique,
improvisation, is important for its own sake but is more important as a way for
the cast to reach the audience. Its principal discipline, the bare stage, makes
for a style but is more important as a way of opening the stage to the wishes
of the audience. The most important consideration of all is to have theatres
where there are none today – providing always that they make for a cultural
ferment and not a sediment in the lives of the people who attend them. The
theatre can still do many jobs that cannot be done in the mass media. For all
their shattering effects, the mass media are still impersonal, and their
audience is so huge and passive that it is becoming harder and harder to write
well for it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic19IEKCig9rLe4igpp0Dkjp5P3kvBP1rclLHsbIBXPM6bLB0m24xKXkpy03Nyw-TVQZzpDelCImEBC4oA-QzmSZSTm7tGZZeXAlftHnfP_Uxv4vU7NPIrSC3ZQ8DFkFVBGpgx_ddYkXkX/s1600/encore1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic19IEKCig9rLe4igpp0Dkjp5P3kvBP1rclLHsbIBXPM6bLB0m24xKXkpy03Nyw-TVQZzpDelCImEBC4oA-QzmSZSTm7tGZZeXAlftHnfP_Uxv4vU7NPIrSC3ZQ8DFkFVBGpgx_ddYkXkX/s400/encore1.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The search for popularity has
kept the theatre in a constant state of crisis since it came indoors 400 years
ago. What novelist, historian or poet need to concern himself with keeping
hundreds of seats filled with dozens of bellies fed month after month? As soon
as you choose to work in the theatre or write for it, you find yourself
searching for that most elaborate or shocking of spectacles that will keep the
last rows filled on a Tuesday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But at
the same time the search for popularity is what creates theatre. It may not be
a very broad popularity if the search is made cynically by the producer or
condescendingly by the writer, or vulgarly by the actor. It may not be a very
important theater if the search is a political gesture to one class or a
disguised attempt to sell soap. But if the search brings the most important
stories of our culture to the greatest number of its citizens, if it brings
people together instead of justifying their differences in attitude and taste,
then it can be the most vital force that the theatre knows. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for workshops, festivals
and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the Improv Olympics &
Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic Strip Improv Group in
N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and
memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon,
Barnes & Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from
New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in
Educational Theatre from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education &
Human Development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-34248821415284416232016-07-02T08:31:00.000-07:002016-07-02T08:34:44.029-07:00IMPROV EVASION By Michael Golding<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In my improv workshops with at-risk
students, I encourage them to be open about their lives, hoping that will lead
to emotional sincerity and a sense of realism in scenes. To gain their trust, I
have to be open about mine. There have been times when the workshops have been
therapeutic for me, particularly when experiencing loss. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A few years ago just as a new
semester was beginning, my father passed away and I had to take a week off to
attend his funeral. If I didn’t have that workshop to return to, I don’t know
how I would have gotten through those first few months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My students were loving and extremely
supportive. Almost two years ago one of my best friends died, who was a major
player in the Canadian improv community. I hopped a red eye flight to Canada for his
memorial after a Thursday session and was back in class the following Monday,
bleary eyed and exhausted. The students I was working with were incredibly
nurturing and helped with the healing process.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PBfVs6WQOpmHZrcSznVkTx7xebdUUZsqBGjEyMQcmN9PproJbu7aHeYnn5rUu8ViP384bLCa2DYShV5oaONy10k1a0Ou9gQ3Dvnjw0mF2ntfyS9Goo4Zx1V0iCc-fVFZACfIAdRl-jGw/s1600/handiwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PBfVs6WQOpmHZrcSznVkTx7xebdUUZsqBGjEyMQcmN9PproJbu7aHeYnn5rUu8ViP384bLCa2DYShV5oaONy10k1a0Ou9gQ3Dvnjw0mF2ntfyS9Goo4Zx1V0iCc-fVFZACfIAdRl-jGw/s320/handiwork.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handiwork of my students.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My wife is a frequent topic
of conversation with my students. They are fascinated by who could marry this
wacky, hairy guy. Frequently, I’m bombarded with questions; “Do you have kids?
No? Why not?” (“Because I have all of you in my life.”). “Can we meet her?”
(“Sorry, she has something called a job.”). “What do you tell her about us?” (“I’m
not certain, but I think they know where we live.”). </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">"Are you the same way at home as you are with us?" ("She WISHES she had that Michael Golding."). </span> “Have you ever cheated
on her?” (“Let’s have a chat about boundaries.”). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">One time she did pop up in one of my classes,
because she was driving me to the airport so I could fly to a festival
afterwards. They reacted to her as if she was a celebrity; “She’s real! Oh my
God, she’s so pretty!” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I told the
class that we were going to grab a quick bite at a nearby House of Pancakes
before heading to the airport, one student slid up to me and whispered “Ah, man - take her
someplace nice. Like a McDonald’s.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A year ago my wife and I
separated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not a mutual decision and
the loss left me devastated. A month after she left, I was hit by a car while
on a group bike ride, which broke my collarbone requiring surgery to have a titanium
plate with ten screws implanted. That certainly shifted emotional focus for a
while. The Vicodin and Morphine helped too. A month after the procedure, I was
back in class.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwxMd3N5_EnpZ47CzFWvjoQ-qp4fYa5-C2jHGtac1escjaIZ92NYRxf2O_JpWJaD6U1SRvjxoU4ViieldqMEPCNBp8VcfLRqKAWL5m5Z8B41RJ_iY7cP8p7Yy2Qdiz-bCdKa9u17hyNC9/s1600/titanium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwxMd3N5_EnpZ47CzFWvjoQ-qp4fYa5-C2jHGtac1escjaIZ92NYRxf2O_JpWJaD6U1SRvjxoU4ViieldqMEPCNBp8VcfLRqKAWL5m5Z8B41RJ_iY7cP8p7Yy2Qdiz-bCdKa9u17hyNC9/s320/titanium.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">While I have discussed the
accident with my students, including sharing the x-ray of my titanium enriched collarbone,
to date I have not mentioned the separation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I continued wearing my
wedding ring. Call it denial, but I just couldn't take it off. The first class I taught after my wife left I was brief when she
would come up in conversation. “She’s in Canada looking after her sick
mother,” was my standard response, and then I would quickly move on to another
topic. Talking about my wife in class always gave me joy. Now, it was extremely
painful. I continued being upbeat and humorous when she was brought up, but
inside my heart was breaking. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIGWDe6O_Y1qc170bVij8a9efZko8bEsu1tQ8BwlHDz3PmCapn4rsJdougx91OHfm5fb0z6FFnNNmoMCGtty872WT-1FfPGGmiFRl8r99qDo2bhCKlSvLJfny3ZaiQ1x-MMOFjXBXETWv/s1600/ringbeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIGWDe6O_Y1qc170bVij8a9efZko8bEsu1tQ8BwlHDz3PmCapn4rsJdougx91OHfm5fb0z6FFnNNmoMCGtty872WT-1FfPGGmiFRl8r99qDo2bhCKlSvLJfny3ZaiQ1x-MMOFjXBXETWv/s320/ringbeach.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As the Thanksgiving break
approached, the students asked if she was coming home or if I was going to join
her. I lied and said I was going to rendezvous with her in Canada. Wished
I thought that one through. After the holiday break I was inundated with “How
was Canada?
How’s your wife?” “Is she back home?” Again, I lied my ass off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I continued wearing my ring
for most of the next semester and again, was short with any inquires about my
marriage. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In previous workshops, I
frequently shared photos of my wife that were on my cell. As part of the
healing process, I deleted them just as the spring semester was about to
commence. Now, students were extremely suspicious that I had no pictures of her
on me. I was digging myself deeper into a hole. They also noticed I was no
longer wearing the ring. I claimed that I was acting in a short where I played
a single man. The hole was about to reach China. Instead of telling them that
my wife was in Canada taking care of her mother, I augmented it to “Unfortunately,
her mother died, and she’s in Canada settling her affairs.” That was probably the first time I was (mostly) honest about my situation. My mother-in-law passed away suddenly last April. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The students gave me shit for not being with my wife during her time of need. Almost came
clean; “Believe me; I wanted to be there with her. But given the present state
of our relationship my presence would have been awkward for both of us.” Instead, I obfuscated with “I
couldn’t take time off from work.” From the back of the class a student yelled
out “lame!”<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Losing my mother-in-law was
unexpected and another emotional blow. My father-in-law had passed away the year
before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After my wife left, my
mother-in-law and I found ourselves comforting each other and dealing with the
grief over our departed spouses. It added a new layer to our relationship. She was an amazing friend to me right up until
the end and she loved hearing about my students. It wasn’t until she passed that I felt the full force of the
separation. Unfortunately, this was another item from my life that I could not
share with my students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shortly after
her transition, I finally took my wedding ring off for good.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWM4O8vHuwnyRu8cv6XsWnOhTUWAOWaD0rz727L2OCYhDFSZFIVgJcDH9icgK7_QDw4g_1apO5-P4pXi4EB6z4W9S7MV0-0Y_CtgFvcjgkTYZdJ6qYNJE6scd3j_eGQ9l8cl5P5-0QSR9/s1600/noring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWM4O8vHuwnyRu8cv6XsWnOhTUWAOWaD0rz727L2OCYhDFSZFIVgJcDH9icgK7_QDw4g_1apO5-P4pXi4EB6z4W9S7MV0-0Y_CtgFvcjgkTYZdJ6qYNJE6scd3j_eGQ9l8cl5P5-0QSR9/s320/noring.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Taking the ring off was one
of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. For over thirty years, I would
constantly play with it, twirling it around as I spoke. Now that it’s gone, my
OCD won’t give me a break. My hand still reaches for it, and I’m repeatedly
shocked when I can’t feel it. The imprint of the ring is still there and I find myself constantly gliding my fingers over the indentation.
Occasionally in class I get lost in the sad revelation, but the nature of the
students always brings me back to the moment. Inattention from me can quickly
be interpreted as “iPhone break!” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then,
they’re all in their happy place and it’s an uphill battle to reel them back
in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Right now I’m two thirds of
the way through a six week summer college course with at-risk high school
students. Beyond mentioning that I’m married, I’ve given no further
information. The group hungers for more; “What does she do for a living? How
come you don’t have any pictures of her on you? When are we going to meet her?
Do you tell her about us? How come you're not wearing a ring?”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A close friend recently suggested that maybe it's time to come clean with my students. She feels that they will be nothing but supportive. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Or, I could get a larger shovel.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and memorabilia
on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon, Barnes &
Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from New York
University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in Educational Theatre
from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education & Human Development. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-54595464979711033442016-04-11T11:48:00.000-07:002016-04-11T11:48:01.808-07:00From David Shepherd’s Journals: Working with Non-Professional Improvisers<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">David Shepherd, who in 1955 with Paul Sills created Compass, the first professional improv company in North America, has always
been drawn to working with non-professional improvisers. He sort out groups that had no theatre experience from schools, churches, synagogues, senior citizen
and community centers. David encouraged some groups to play in foreign languages, reasoning
the audience would follow along if the emotion was sincere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The Improvisation Olympics, which
David created in 1972 with Howard Jerome Gomberg, (and which spawned i.O. in Chicago and the
Canadian Improv Games in Ottawa,
Ontario) was designed to promote
interest in theatre. According to David, “Improvisational theatre, which
involves no scripts or sets or props, is an ideal way to get people
interested in the theatre. Also, the Improvisation Olympics, which is
associated with sports, is an ideal way to involve young men and women in
the theatre.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In late 1981, David brought the
Improvisation Olympics to Chicago.
With Charna Halpern as his co-producer, the two designed a series of tournaments
that involved professional and non-professional leagues. Several years later, David
wrote about his observations working with non-professionals in his journal.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynWTyaRe30127Nm9iP4hfM9BeDdB3sxUzNxAmQBymbITdIlcitpNZ1-uoUh_Nmyv8-_Xu9CtDqHpQYikxvnuoLft8xluwfANs5cZrBMH4u1nqKwimF6Asbes2J9EQox2kVvX2DC2_71lR/s1600/charna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynWTyaRe30127Nm9iP4hfM9BeDdB3sxUzNxAmQBymbITdIlcitpNZ1-uoUh_Nmyv8-_Xu9CtDqHpQYikxvnuoLft8xluwfANs5cZrBMH4u1nqKwimF6Asbes2J9EQox2kVvX2DC2_71lR/s320/charna.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicago Improv Olympic handbook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmLrG_xw6TW4y4wxgOFMQd9purFiQqFvHTr-_71qRZLPsEk3QqECYVulusZeHFWgyw9DeWwpyCmYCYwx9PIkjmUhZ2JEyLtfZvVc7luiszrIZHopE3gGQoKm5y7Fi1-W3osva2dSVewC0/s1600/charna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">From David's Journal. April
1986<br />
<br />
THEORY:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
Non-professionals can be interesting to observers because of intimacy. Intimacy
prevents big flaws of non-professional "acting": exaggerated feeling, self-consciousness, forgetting lines, phony gestures, unnatural responses,
interactions too slow or too fast, unbelievable characterization, imposing an
idea of the scene that's not organic to the scene.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
A coach can lead a few players into an intimate transaction, for instance at a
bar or beauty parlor, at least for a few minutes. To do this the coach must
know the desired transaction (e.g. betting on a game or gathering information
about a trip). The coach must also know how to lead players into the intimate: explain it clearly, prevent players from
veering away from it.<br />
<br />
EXAMPLES:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
What’s happening in an intimate scene, players are performing for each other.
Because the scene is already textured improv with innuendo, mockery, conscious
exaggeration, apology, stoned agreement, etc., we accept it--even though it's
done by non-professionals. EXAMPLES: Polish cook and waiter fight in
Polish; Colonel and friend discuss red cars and women; Connie puts Mark down, I
relate to Scott Vehill about cleanliness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
The main advantage non-professionals have is authenticity. Their tiffs and laughter
ring true; if you can catch them at an unguarded moment, you get dialog and
action as interesting, I believe, as that of the professional. Another
advantage: they don't burden the budget and may even contribute money to it.
Another: if you're doing a piece about a local theme, a local player is more likely to get the point, the emotions, and
the accent, than a professional imported for the production.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">STANDARDS:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
In 1984 I was in Los Angeles
recruiting for teams to play into an ImprovOlympix. We already had the "Free
Radicals" and the Canadian team, among others. "Why not a Russian
team?" I asked, driving across town to a well known Russian restaurant.
The owner listened to my story about teams of Chicago cops, rabbis, comedians, techs,
inmates, musicians. He asked how we worked. I described a process: training of
the team, commitment to competition, warm ups, taking a suggestion from the
audiences, running with it, being scared, winning or losing, exactly what we’d
been doing in Chicago. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In response, he sang to me,
very slowly and loudly, the oldest, most traditional Russian folk song he could
pick. His eyes and hands spoke about what he was doing: a national rejection of
improvisation in favor of something known that's been tested, that expresses
the same sentiment century to century, and that demands
interpretation--tremolo, change of rhythm or volume, attack, dynamics.<br />
<br />
So what can improvisation offer in response?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
First of all improvisation represents the energy, not of individuals taking
turns to speak or sing, but of a group. The product is only as strong as the
group. If the group is not together; if members are not relating to each other,
then the result is disappointing. On the other hand, sometimes the group plays
far above its abilities. Improvisation also represents the insights and
feelings of a group. You get up a totally new statement of a theme, or a
totally new story, within minutes of meeting. There's an excitement in this
speed, this forced growth of a seed that blossoms within an hour or two.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9cs1jUAwZ7cqj8MaO9zcqJJte5-TDWGFyNPd85ANI-VKzjJSS77z0BDpO0R7fcw7Pzl03-Q2rMC2ERS_3CnHAKRmNNeVxlCTVcGb2teAx6l0364t9T5b-go7lBkVKwQkg-dTCsgxtoYR/s1600/davidgroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9cs1jUAwZ7cqj8MaO9zcqJJte5-TDWGFyNPd85ANI-VKzjJSS77z0BDpO0R7fcw7Pzl03-Q2rMC2ERS_3CnHAKRmNNeVxlCTVcGb2teAx6l0364t9T5b-go7lBkVKwQkg-dTCsgxtoYR/s400/davidgroup.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Shepherd, center, working with a group of non-professional improvisers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and
improv teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced the documentary
"David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational Theatre" (available
for free on YouTube). His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays,
curriculum and memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre, is
available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA
degree in Drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA
degree in Educational Theatre from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture,
Education & Human Development. </span></i></span></div>
Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-44780194761408900952016-03-02T13:39:00.000-08:002016-03-02T13:39:13.476-08:00The Power and Joy of Guessing in Improv by Michael Golding<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My Theatre Appreciation
course for college and high school students relies heavily on improv
formats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I stick to the academic
objectives of the curriculum every semester, each new group I work with
interprets the formats differently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rather than force the students to bend to my improv will, I uncover a
new approach to meet them halfway. By incorporating their input, they help me to
redesign the course for that particular semester, which inspires me to create
new formats and embrace a different avenue to my pedagogical style.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My current class, which is a
combination of high school and college students, views every format as if it’s
a guessing game. While that is appropriate for certain formats, such as Viola Spolin’s
“How Old Am I?” and “What Am I Listening To?” it can be intrusive as a class of
close to thirty-five students in the audience are screaming out guesses as two
to four students on stage are exploring a format.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The positive flip side to
this is that the students in the audience are in the moment, as they are
actively searching for something specific in the format that is being presented in
front of them. Guessing is a game and there is joy in the tone of their guesses and I started to
ponder how to harness that element of enthusiasm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knee deep in another Theatre Appreciation class.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Ordinarily when I conduct a
format with two players, students in the audience tend to tune out if something
engaging doesn’t occur from the start. They start looking at their cell phones,
texting, or conversing with the student next to them. It’s the reality of the
nature of my course, which runs from 3:30 – 5:30pm. Students are tired, particularly the high school ones who have already put in a full school
day, and if something doesn’t involve them directly, they go to their happy
place. I don’t have this problem when leading group warm-ups at the start of
the class, because the exercises are physical and everyone is on their feet and focused. Until someone's cell phone rings. But, I digress.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I started experimenting with
adding a guessing element to every format. The main rule is that the students
cannot yell out guesses as the format is being explored. That occurs either after the format has been played,
or when I pause it periodically to elicit input from the audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll address the students with a series of
questions, which are actually established improv games.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Questions may focus on;</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Environment: “Can you guess what the temperature is?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Emotions: “Can you guess what the
player is feeling right now?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Character: “Can you guess what the character is
thinking right now?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Activity: “Can you guess how the players could be doing this
differently?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m still toying around with
this approach, which so far has been successful in keeping everyone in the class
involved. This could be the way to go
this semester. A simple flip of terminology.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">This is just a guess on my part.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and
memorabilia on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon,
Barnes & Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from
New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in
Educational Theatre from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education &
Human Development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-30649580258273294492016-01-27T14:25:00.000-08:002016-01-27T14:25:14.461-08:00Harassment and Sexism in Improv by Michael Golding<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Lately I’ve been reading multiple
posts about harassment and sexism in the improv community. Considering trust is
a key element to a successful improvisation, I find this highly
disturbing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A major contention amongst
female improvisers fifty years ago was that if they were cast in a scene, they
were more likely to play a mother, wife, girlfriend, nurse, secretary, than say
a lawyer, doctor, boss, police officer or scientist. Not certain how far we’ve
evolved in that respect. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Years ago I had an actor in
one of my professional workshops, who was clearly a misogynist, but considered
himself a feminist, (because he had sisters). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the purpose of this article, let’s call
him “Dick.” If he was asked to suggest a role for a female player, invariably
it was wife, girlfriend, secretary or nurse.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">If Dick was in a scene with a female player,
it was going to be a seduction scene, whether the scenario warranted it or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who were familiar with Dick’s modus
operandi would either play along, adhering to the yes and philosophy, or find a
way to shift the situation into another area. One time Shelly, a new player to
the workshop, confused by the lack of collaboration she had with Dick in a
scene about a fortune teller and client, asked him afterwards what his
objective was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I was trying to seduce
you,” Dick answered incredulously. Surprised, Shelly responded “Oh, is THAT what you
were trying to do? The class
erupted in laughter. Dick was confused by the response of the class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He later speculated that Shelly was clearly a
lesbian, which is why she didn’t pick up on his offers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When I called him out on this
after the workshop he referenced a quote from Elaine May; “when in doubt,
seduce.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I referenced the wisdom David
Shepherd and Paul Sills shared with me when I studied under them; “when in
doubt, focus on the where and activity.” Regarding his casting suggestions for
women which were gridlocked in the fifties, I pointed out that Elaine May once did a scene with Mike Nichols about a
son telling his mother that he wanted to be a registered nurse, which was
freaking hysterical to audiences of that era. Perceptions and approaches change. Dick
wasn’t particularly enlightened by that observation.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddHsJqlgi92g9GDGxzA7eYxXDeDx-Bggq-44O8vDsePzhnWEtK0PtF30PkFqS8TjxOn02gSVZaMvsbgGqZiitIfNvlu4bXGkvBMaRpQLLHdnxV-yrw_82vf_JmtblMiTqlA2VnxvjKMHy/s1600/elainegropesmike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddHsJqlgi92g9GDGxzA7eYxXDeDx-Bggq-44O8vDsePzhnWEtK0PtF30PkFqS8TjxOn02gSVZaMvsbgGqZiitIfNvlu4bXGkvBMaRpQLLHdnxV-yrw_82vf_JmtblMiTqlA2VnxvjKMHy/s320/elainegropesmike.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elaine May seducing Mike Nichols</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A pivotal moment in the
workshop was when Dick and Jennifer (someone Dick had a crush on) were
improvising a scene about a married couple whose relationship was in its death
throes. The set-up was that the relationship had gotten so toxic; they could
barely stand to be in the same room with each other. That didn’t matter to
Dick. Right off the bat, he started mauling Jennifer as she was packing to
leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped the scene and asked
Dick what he was doing, considering the context of the scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dick said he was playing Viola Spolin’s
Contact game (players touch whenever they say something) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to elicit an honest emotional reaction from Jennifer.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her reaction was honest. She was
obviously uncomfortable being groped while exclaiming “This is why I want out!
You don’t respect me!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I decided to continue the
scene from the moment we left off, with a change; I had Dick and Jennifer
switch roles. It empowered Jennifer. Her physicality was clearly an attempt to
control and dominate Dick, rather than seduce him and the hostility behind the
husband’s actions was clear. However, Dick was receptive to being touched,
despite the fact it had been established previously in the scene that the wife
was repulsed by her soon to be ex-husband and he quickly segued from revulsion
to arousal. I stopped the scene again. “What’s going on here, Dick?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wife wants out.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s changing my mind,” Dick reasoned, “I
think this marriage can be saved.” </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So I decided to continue the
scene one more time, with another change. I replaced Jennifer with Cliff, who was
twice the size of Dick, and had the scene proceed from where we left off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His hands were all over Dick, who segued
quickly from “I think this marriage can be saved” to “what the hell are you
doing? I don’t love you anymore!” Cliff was persistent, forcing Dick to use one
of Jennifer’s previous lines; “This is why I want out! You don’t respect me!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I side-coached with one more direction, “switch
roles.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in the husband role, Dick
acquiesced that the relationship was over, apologized for his behavior, and kept
his hands to himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly the scene
had more of an atmosphere of authenticity than before. Discussing the scene
afterwards, Dick was surprisingly more empathetic to the role of the wife and
how the husband refused to respect her boundaries, admitting “Yeah, the husband
was being an asshole.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Did Dick learn anything that
day? I hope so. But it provided me with a new four step approach when dealing
with harassment and sexism in male/female scenes:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Play scene as
originally cast.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Have the players
switch roles and continue scene.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Replace the
female player with a male player in the same role and continue scene.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Discuss the
results of switching afterwards. This is paramount. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Ninety percent of the time,
the scene becomes more realistic – and maybe, just maybe, the harassing male
player has learned something about boundaries, respect and trust.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I’ll check back on this in
another fifty years.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In the meantime, enjoy Mike Nichols & Elaine May improvising the scenario of a son telling his Jewish mother he wants to be a registered nurse.</span></div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2Mx813VKXC8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2Mx813VKXC8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and memorabilia
on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon, Barnes &
Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from New York
University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in Educational Theatre
from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education & Human Development. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-53788173236746758992015-10-14T14:44:00.000-07:002016-01-23T17:19:01.637-08:00Life Story By Michael Golding<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In my college workshops with
at-risk high school students, I try to utilize their life experiences as much
as possible when exploring themes, situations and characters in scenes, games
and formats. The emphasis is on realism, which is often not the case with this
population who lean more towards outlandish, unrealistic, and violent
scenarios.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">An in-class written
assignment I use to elicit those experiences is called Life Story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The set-up is that a producer bought their
life story to be turned into a play. The student has to come up with a title,
genre, and a few sentences describing what the play is about.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As I read through the papers,
scene ideas pop out at me as I gain insight into who these students are. I
write down notes on each paper to get the student to think a little deeper
about the story. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This semester’s batch
is particularly intriguing;</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Life of Color (drama)</span></u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> A student deals with stress and anger through
painting. Color saves me. Art saves me. Art takes all the bad thoughts away
when I paint. I consider myself art. I myself am art. Art is everything to me.
(My note: Lovely. Let’s come up with a scene where you encounter stress and
anger, then deal with it through the activity of painting.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Beautiful Tragedies
(drama/horror)</span></u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> A girl who lives with
her grandmother and an aunt who is a felon, learns to deal with police, prison
and the will to try and overcome it all. (My note: I’d like to see more of the
characters who inhabit this world of yours.)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Addicted (suspense/drama)</span></u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> A girl who is being raised by a single mother, who
she rarely sees, falls for someone that she knows is an asshole but can’t seem
to let go. (My note: Let’s see a scene where she first met and fell for this guy.)</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Roller (drama/romance)</span></u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> Girl is involved with a boyfriend who is into serious
drugs and becomes aggressive when using. (My note: Can we see a scene about what
he’s like when he’s not using?)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Viewing Things Differently
(drama)</span></u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> A close friend’s betrayal and
the repercussions that follow. (My note: Let’s see a scene about what the friend
was like before the betrayal.)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Records (drama)</span></u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> A young teenage girl’s life depends on records, gets
hired to work in a record store. (My note: Let’s do a scene where you apply for
the job).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Ricardo (drama)</span></u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> Argument with brother leads to a fight that goes too
far. (My note: Do you and your brother fight often? Over what? Are the arguments
ever resolved non- violently? If so, let’s see one.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There are students who don’t
exactly do the assignment as described, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but still offer something interesting to work
with;</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Game Day (drama)</span></u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> A teenage boy comes up with an idea for a million
dollar game and releases it on the internet. (My note: Let’s see a scene where you
are selling this game to someone.)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Run Away Fugitive (action)</span></u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> Teenage boy breaks out of prison, steals a car, changes
his appearance and goes on the run. (My note: What crime did he commit to be
incarcerated? How does he survive on the run?)</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The 411 (drama)</span></u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> People are always asking a teenage boy how to do
stuff, because they assume he knows everything. Turns out, he does. (My note: Let’s
explore various moments where people assume this of you.)</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Money Gang Bang (action)</span></u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> Gang member gets shot in the forehead by a rival gang
drive by. (My note: Let’s explore what leads up to that act and the repercussions
afterwards.)</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Shippers Found Dead
(horror)</span></u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> Tech company uses zombies as
slave labor to ship out merchandise. (My note: Can we come up with a scene that
explores how the shippers became zombies?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Once I’ve handed back the
papers with my notes, I then get the students to come up with a who/what/where
scene based on their story that can be explored through improv on stage. The
student doesn’t necessarily have to act in their own scene. He or she can cast
and direct it. Additionally, the student has to design a set floor plan, based
on floor-plan symbols from Viola Spolin’s Improvisation for the Theater,
which is a recommended textbook in my class. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The floor-plan provides the student with a
sense of staging, set design and focusing on the where. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When the scenes are up on
their feet, I begin to side-coach as the students improvise to uncover the
beats. My directions hone in on specific improv skills, which are also
essential life skills.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Side coaching directions:</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Five Second
Delay:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Players have to wait five seconds
before responding to each other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Contact
(Spolin):<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Players have to touch each
other in a different way whenever they say something.'</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Inner
Monologue:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thirty second monologue on
what is going on inside player’s character’s head.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Gibberish:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking in an unknown language.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Explore
activity:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Players have to add substance
and detail to what they are physically doing.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Focus on
emotion:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Players have to explore what
they are feeling at that moment and find a way to express it physically.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Switch time:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scene is taken either ahead or back in time.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Switch
location:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scene continues in a different
location.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Looking over the life stories
from this class, various themes begin to reveal themselves to me; betrayal,
friendship, single parent households, social inadequacy, anger, stress, work, fear
of future, substance abuse, gang-banging, sibling rivalry. This group has given
me a lot to work with this semester and they discovered that they
have a lot more in common with one another than originally thought.</span> <span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Shared stories bring students
together. The bonding process has begun.</span><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Michael Golding is a writer, director and improv
teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can be contacted for
workshops, festivals and private consultations at migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael participated in the evolution of the
Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv Games. Artistic director of the Comic
Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created the Insight Theatre Company for
Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College
in Los Angeles,
working with at-risk teens and traditional students. He wrote and co-produced
the documentary "David Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational
Theatre" (available for free on YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His book, Listen Harder, a collection of essays, curriculum and memorabilia
on improvisation and educational theatre, is available on Amazon, Barnes &
Noble and CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from New York
University’s Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in Educational Theatre
from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education & Human Development. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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<![endif]-->Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964448456882573247.post-31550940999878549682015-10-04T17:57:00.000-07:002016-10-04T07:48:03.555-07:00Improv Mid-Life Crisis By Michael Golding <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A little over two months ago
I was struck by a car while cycling, resulting in surgery to repair a fractured
collarbone. A titanium plate with ten screws has become a permanent fixture in my
body. Now half man, half machine, I will be setting off metal detectors when I
fly in the future. If a doctor’s note isn’t sufficient for security, believe
me, I am prepared to show my scar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Unfortunately, I had to
postpone a trip to David Shepherd’s home in Western
Massachusetts to finish his improv archive project. David is the
father of modern day improvisation and over sixty years of materials from his
collection were going to be donated to an institution which will be accessible
to the public. For now, the project is on the back burner. It will get done,
hopefully within the next few months.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A major concern during recovery
was whether I would be able to teach in the fall. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The college I work for has a high school
outreach program, where I teach an after school theatre appreciation course for
at-risk teens who receive college credit. I was offered only one course this
semester, which meets two afternoons a week from 3:30pm – 5:40pm. The
objectives of the course are explored primarily through theatre games. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was uncertain that my stamina was up to the
challenge and for the first time wondered if I was getting too old to work with
this age group. Weeks of pain medication diminished my focus and passion. I
simply wasn’t looking forward to the class. Was it possible that I was
experiencing an improv mid-life crisis? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When I addressed that concern
with my surgeon, he laughed and said “unless you’re teaching gym, you’ll be
fine.” Obviously the man was unaware of the population I work with, or how
physical I can be when conducting a workshop. Discussing the matter with my improv
friends, Shepherd, Ed Asner, Nancy Fletcher (creator of Act Now, an improvised
movie format for adolescent girls) and Howard Jerome (co-creator of the Improv
Olympics and Canadian Improv Games) they were unanimous in their advice; pace
yourself, sit down, and bark out orders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Brave new world for me. Anticipating the round-trip commute to the high
school in Compton
on the notoriously congested highway filled me with anxiety and dread. The
shoulder strap across my tender collarbone still causes discomfort, especially
when I make sudden maneuvers or stops.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMyGikz8xOJeUo9Zd6esqjhC0In8FkneP1WcmGblU8fj55YLv7sXhg0vORkNrD-GTiG_x5g9c7kEeR2au_dUt7puit05OudJzLsN1KWLRp2KfmpceE2xLyldaJwme0QQysZefbuEZZaR1/s1600/edtarzana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMyGikz8xOJeUo9Zd6esqjhC0In8FkneP1WcmGblU8fj55YLv7sXhg0vORkNrD-GTiG_x5g9c7kEeR2au_dUt7puit05OudJzLsN1KWLRp2KfmpceE2xLyldaJwme0QQysZefbuEZZaR1/s320/edtarzana.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With improv consultant Ed Asner</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It was a physical challenge
conducting the first two sessions, lecturing more than I usually do, which only
has a shelf life of a few minutes for the students. It may look like they’re
nodding out as their heads slowly slump down, but I know they’re looking at
their iPhones. I can see the glow from the screens on their faces. Maybe
they’re Googling me or texting what am awesome teacher I am. Exhausted, I ended
both sessions a half hour early. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I can’t sit still when
teaching and my healing collarbone felt the strain. Many of my movements while
instructing are reflexive, such as jumping on and off the auditorium stage, which
I knew was ill advised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As much as I
wanted to phone the class in, I couldn’t. The students demand moment-to-moment
attention. While I have conducted these type of workshops a gazillion times
before, it was clear by the expressions on the students’ faces that it was their
first time experiencing a learning-by-doing approach rather than listening to a
long, boring lecture and it enthralled them. It certainly kept me focused. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">By sharing that I was injured
and showing them an x-ray of the titanium plate and screws on my cell phone the
students perceived me as a badass. I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wished my shoulder didn’t look like someone threw a pair of scissors at
me to gain their admiration. In turn, the students were eager to share stories
of family members who had hip and knee surgeries and what they were like before
and after the procedures. All great ideas for future scenes.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCLawG31WDFk1j1YuEdMvPtmgcMT8GMQBnbjQVDb0migcvqZuu5Taa1zr_AMYKS48PUPdOp2PAC8Gkr64DzpEBwedBL4vP9_31MenyvQlx_CWbvtD2TZN27UYNo4pZSi4-11zyNADKJVA/s1600/titanium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCLawG31WDFk1j1YuEdMvPtmgcMT8GMQBnbjQVDb0migcvqZuu5Taa1zr_AMYKS48PUPdOp2PAC8Gkr64DzpEBwedBL4vP9_31MenyvQlx_CWbvtD2TZN27UYNo4pZSi4-11zyNADKJVA/s320/titanium.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does this x-ray make me look fat?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">By the third session, I had
more of a grasp on who the students were. There are over thirty in the class,
which is not unusual. All Hispanic. Normally, there is larger ratio of girls to
boys in my classes. This time out, the ratio was reversed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The boys ooze machismo. The
themes they love to explore are hooking up, going to strip clubs, scoring weed,
getting high and gunplay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because many
are hustlers and have to live by their wits on the street, they’re natural
improvisers. They don’t like to stick to the rules of the games and elicit
laughs from the class by mocking them. None of this is unusual. They just need
a lesson in the difference between play and game. With play, you can do whatever
you want. With game, well, there is a structure with rules.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It quickly became a high wire
act for me. You don’t want the side-coaching to come off as a reprimand, which
either diminishes their enthusiasm or in their eyes a betrayal of trust. “Hey,
I was just trying to shake things up,” one student moaned when I corrected him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, I wait until after the session,
where I start my notes off with “You’re a natural at this. However…….”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">An early observation with the
boys was if they don’t realize we’re engaging in a game, they organically play
by the rules; listening, agreement, teamwork. For them, we’re not playing a
game until we are actually on the auditorium stage. If I warm them up while
they’re sitting in the audience, it becomes more personal and conversational. I
discovered that with the group story game “So What You’re Saying Is.” In the
game, a player starts with a simple statement (“I went outside my house for a
walk.”). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another player would begin by
saying “So what you’re saying is,” repeat the sentence he or she heard,
and then add onto the story. The goal is to create a story with as many players
as possible, chiming in when they have the impulse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Example:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Player 1: I went outside for
a walk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Player 2: So what you’re
saying is, you went outside for a walk, so you could get away from your
parents.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Player 3: So what you’re
saying is, you went outside for a walk, so you could away from your parents,
because they think you’re spending too much time with your boyfriend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And so on. There are other
variations of this game, but this version resonates with the students.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I was amazed by how large and
extravagant the stories became. Of course, all dealt with drugs, strip clubs,
hooking up and getting high. My inner monologue suggests that in future
sessions I should try to steer them towards exploring other themes that might motivate
the girls to jump in. Or, I may have to break them up into groups of five,
rather than letting thirty students fight for control and observe how the
stories develop that way. My brain was percolating with possibilities. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The girls are shy, hesitant
and rarely volunteer. Yet, there is thoughtfulness in the way they play, and
when partnered up with some of the boys, diminishes their overactive
testosterone a tad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sense is the boys
don’t interact much with the girls outside of class or during the regular
school day, so this is new to them – working with a girl as a collaborative partner,
rather than viewing them as an object.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When I introduced Blind Walk, a trust game that is fraught with dangerous possibilities, the boys
were surprisingly respectful and protective of the girls. In the game the group
is in a circle and a blindfolded player walks back and forth across the
circle. A student in the circle has to gently stop the blindfolded player from walking
into him or her, then slowly turns the blindfolded player around, makes eye
contact with another student in the circle, and gently launches the blindfolded
player on his or her way towards that student. The blindfolded player has to be
as relaxed as possible while walking, knowing that that the circle will protect
him or her from getting hurt. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I was impressed. Normally
first time out with this game, players are spun around furiously before being
sent on their way, students in the circle are making jokes or yelling “watch
out!” or someone in the circle might start backing up, or ever worse, step
aside, as a blindfolded player walks towards them. Unfortunately, that
admiration was shattered when a boy was sent across the circle. Lots of ass
grabbing, head thumping, and crotch smacking. It’s early in the semester.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Now, as I bravely tackle the
hellish round-trip commute, my brain is on fire running over my workshop plan
and the results of it afterwards. It seems like my improv mid-life crisis was
premature. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a lot of work to do
with this group, and surprisingly, I appear to be into it.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Michael Golding is a
writer, director and improv teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
can be contacted for workshops, festivals and private consultations at
migaluch@yahoo.com. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Michael
participated in the evolution of the Improv Olympics & Canadian Improv
Games. Artistic director of the Comic Strip Improv Group in N.Y. & created
the Insight Theatre Company for Planned Parenthood, Ottawa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He is a faculty member at El Camino College in Los Angeles, working with at-risk teens and
traditional students. He wrote and co-produced the documentary "David
Shepherd: A Lifetime of Improvisational Theatre" (available for free on
YouTube).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His book, Listen Harder, a
collection of essays, curriculum and memorabilia on improvisation and
educational theatre, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and
CreateSpace. Michael holds a BFA degree in Drama from New York University’s
Tisch School of the Arts & an MA degree in Educational Theatre from NYU’s
Steinhardt School of Culture, Education & Human Development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">. </span></div>
Michael Goldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989729885335959880noreply@blogger.com1