why we don't play shows
Hey everybody, here’s a link to an Instagram video of me talking about improv, because if there’s one thing everybody loves it’s white middle-aged men lecturing you about things. If you’re trying to stay off social media, I totally support this, so here’s what I’m saying in the video:
Even though improv is a performance art, knowing you’re going to perform can make it harder to learn.
Local improv theaters typically end even their Level 1 classes with a public performance, and that makes sense if the ultimate goal is to get onstage. But the downside is that people get so freaked out about how they’re going to do in in their first show that it’s actually harder for them to develop their improv skills.
People in my classes will tell you how often I say “Don’t worry about being funny,” because in my experience people who are worrying too much about that are ignoring all the other stuff we’re trying to learn.
Hence Mercury Improv, where the absence of public class performances is a feature, not a bug. Which is all a long way of saying that Improv for Introverts is starting up again on July 23rd and if you haven’t taken the plunge yet I’d love to see you there.
Here’s hoping,
John