XXI - In New York You Can Be a New Improviser
Recapping my experience at Improv Utopia East, a magic Playback Theatre workshop, and upcoming events.
Greetings, dear readers. Last weekend I flew to New York to attend camp Improv Utopia East. That concludes my last trip to the USA this year, and I don’t see myself returning to that country until things get more politically sane. It’s annoying, because I definitely will miss my American friends and exploring all the amazing places that the country has to offer.
I’m going to get off rails and get a bit political again. One off the campers showed up wearing a keffiyeh which made me feel a bit ashamed, because I left mine in London to avoid possible problems in border control. Showing support for Palestine in the USA is an act of courage, so I approached him and thanked him for bringing it to a space where such awareness is needed.
I didn’t expect to talk about the topic because I knew beforehand there were going to be Zionists attendants. But, surprisingly, I got to talk about it with many of them, including Jewish improvisers, empathic with the cause, that mentioned the division within their families regarding the stance on the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. It was relieving to find such kind of people. But, overall, there wasn’t any drama at camp due the desire of the organisers to make it a politics-free space.
I had a great time. Of the four workshops I attended, two were very good, one was decent, and one was disappointing. I also participated in improv sets. Most of them made me feel good about my skills. There was one rough one, but hey, that happens!
🧠🪑 The Improv and Playback Theatre bit
I had the opportunity and privilege to offer a Playback Theatre taster workshop during camp. I was nervous about the time, there wasn’t much I could do in just an hour. I was underestimating the improvisers.
Around thirty attendants showed up. After a quick introductory activity in pairs, and a brief explanation about what Playback is, we jumped straight into forms. Someone offered to be the musician and she willingly kept the role during the whole hour, doing an amazing job, specially with her voice.
Of course, fluid sculpture was the first form and, after the first story and the explanation of how it works, the five actors nearly nailed it on the first attempt. I only had a couple of notes on how to polish the result. Those notes were fully implemented by the second set of actors, making a perfect fluid sculpture. I was in awe.
Seeing how quick they were, I ventured into pairs after hearing the conflict of an improviser, torn between the time spent on improv and the time spent with their son. I introduced the usual pair and the back-to-back pair. Again, the volunteer actors did a decent job.
Then we got into a deeper story. A story of grief about losing a cat, the lack of understanding by those who don’t own a pet and the healing process of fostering a new kitten. I had to check with the actors if they felt comfortable going ahead. They were. Corridors was my choice of form. And magic happened.
The offers were fantastic. We got many points of views. From the cats, from the teller in the past and in the present. A lovely improvised poem about grief, tackling the social dimension of it. Goodbyes, hellos, and lots of love. Tears came up. From the teller, the audience and even from the actors.
We stayed in silence from what it felt like a grateful eternity. The teller was happy. We took a breath and shook ourselves.
I allowed the last minutes to ask the attendants how did they feel about what they experienced. They wanted more and kept asking how to continue.
Working with them was extremely satisfactory and joyful. It made me wish, selfishly, that all many hours long core trainings were as easy as one hour with improvisers.
Being able to introduce Playback Theatre in Improv Utopia, I will treasure this workshop in my memory for a long long time.
🎭 The Theatre bit
Last week I decided to pick a recent French classic. I remember the success of the French movie Le Dîner de Con (The dinner of idiots) during the end of the 90s, based on a play from Francis Veber. It later got a unhinged American remake with Paul Rudd and Steve Carell. I never had the chance (or the will) to take a look at the original play until now.
The premise is quite simple. The main character, Pierre Brochant, likes to have a weekly dinner with friends and, every time, he has to find an idiot. Thinks get tangled when the person he invited, Fraçois Pignon, shows up at his home.
Maybe it's because the times have changed, but I didn't find it funny. At certain moments, it was even cringe-worthy. While it's supposed to be critical of the classism displayed, the attempt comes across as superficial and even patronising. A lost opportunity. From the point of view of the dramaturgy, it’s also very lazy.
It's clearly not a high-brow play, but I can see why it succeeded, though. Both the accessible language and the simplistic humour appeal to a wide audience. It feels like a low-tier sitcom made for the stage.
📆 What is coming up
3rd to 7th of September - Robin Hood International Improv Festival (Nottingham, UK). I’m looking foward to go back to Robin Hood’s city to enjoy five days of improv. I’ll enjoying some workshops, the shows and I’ll be in a couple of acts. Information and tickets here.
12th of September - Acaprov (London, UK). Get your tickets for the upcoming Acaprov show, where we will do improv and maybe sing. 😛 Secure your seats.
21st of September - Acaprov (London, UK). We have a gig in a hotel! Join us at Hart Hotel in Shoreditch for an extra musical next month. Get your tickets.
📚 🎮 🎥 📺 The geeky dessert
As the summer is ending, lately I’ve been relaxing playing on my Steam Deck a cozy game made in València called Summer in Mara. There are not many games in Catalan language available, even less in its Valencian variant, so it’s a nice to lay back with certain familiarity.
The story puts us in the shoes of a girl named Koa, who lives alone in an archipelago of islands. After his adoptive grandmother dies, she will explore the other island meeting many characters and trying to know more about his grandmother.
Drinking from many other cozy games, Summer in Mara mixes farming, crafting and missions to propel the quite simple plot. There’s no pressure and we can do the tasks in whatever order we want. Its a perfect companion to listen podcasts or video essays.
✨ That’s all folks ✨
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Ferran Luengo