#37 The definitive article
Issue #37 The definitive article
23rd November 2022
Hey everyone!
I'm back from Ireland after a beautiful festival. Thrilling to see so many of you there, and a big welcome to everyone who signed up for this newsletter over the week. The quality of classes and shows alike was phenomenal.
So much to love, but I was particularly impressed by the performances by The Jess's's, The Raving Jaynes, The Free Association and The Lusty Mannequins (I seem to be drawn to groups that use the definitive article). I remain utterly entranced by everything our art form can be - such variety of form and intent. I felt fortunate to be in that room with everyone laughing together.
Read on for more life-affirming content.
Rule of three
[TV] Encore!
I was a theatre kid. I never felt happier than when we were putting a show together. School productions were particularly special. One of the reasons I love improv so much is that it feels like a first night all the time. This Disney+ series remounts high school productions decades later, with cast members revisiting who they were and what they meant to each other as children. It's hopeful and heartbreaking in equal measure and ENTIRELY my cup of tea.
[Podcast] Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out
Another suggestion from Office Hours last week (thanks Tara Judah) - this is a podcast by the inimitable Mike Birbiglia in which he and a guest workshop comedic premises on the fly. I've rarely listened to a podcast that is so dense with wisdom and joy.
[Online] Owlkitty
A man photoshops his cat into Hollywood movies with a level of craft that I find exhilarating. This Titanic trailer is everything.
Ephemera
I am sharing some of the physical artefacts from a life in improv. This is the poster for Project2's ambitious augmented reality show - Thirteen Cycles. Design genius Fred Deakin laser-etched our faces onto a succession of giant plastic neon disks (the flyers were smaller coaster-sized disks). This one now hangs in my hallway at home.
Longform thoughts
"Oh, I would do anything for him. I would divert the course of mighty rivers if it would keep him safe. And this sudden and unexpected surge of emotion got me thinking about improv (because anything joyful or affecting or fascinating gets me thinking about improv)."
Read How my dog made me a better improviser.
Radio Days
Reunited.