You're Talking Too Much (And That's Okay!)
Say less, emote more.
My girlfriend/comedy partner was impressed by my first newsletter (YES). It’s just a little journal instead of a big honkin’ thing. And, for me, it’s just important to get some short words of wisdom out there, along with a little bit about me personally. It’s easy for me to be silent about lots of things.
Speaking of which.
Silence is underrated among a certain sect of players. If you’ve taken one of my classes, more than likely, you have played the exercise “7ish words or less”. Here’s how it goes.
Two person scene (Person A and Person #1)
Person A begins the scene by saying 7ish words.
Person #1 responds by saying 7ish words back.
And so on and so forth until teacher calls scene.
I don’t make them do 7 words because they’d be counting on their fingers. That defeats the purpose. They’d be locked up trying to get the mechanics of the game right instead of what I want them to do.
I stumbled upon 7ish words because it’s just the magic number that makes people be provide the simulation of being deliberate about their word choices.
So many beginning improv students use dialogue as a stall tactic. The more they talk, the “stronger” the possibility they’ll stumble on that right thing, the thing that will finally make them feel like geniuses.
But. The more they talk, the more they diminish their inherent power.
By coming onto stage, you immediately have power. Seriously. You’re worthy of stage time just by being there. Trust your initial word choice and challenge yourself to play sparsely. Say less and, for bonus points, provide greater emotional reactions for your scene partner. You’ll look like a dang genius.
7ish words or less. Try it out.
COME SEE MY SHOWS
Kenny/Rogers @ Friends for Now
Coldtowne Theater, Thursday, March 13 @ 8 PM
Buy tickets hereCOME TAKE MY CLASSES
The First 30 Seconds Of Your Scene
The Seed ATX, Monday, March 10 @ 7 PM
Buy a workshop seat here
Slow-Prov Forever!
The Seed ATX, Monday, March 17 @ 7 PM
Buy a workshop seat here
My Wonderful Media
MOVIE: The Pelican Brief
A paranoid thriller from the director of All the President’s Men. Denzel and Julia Roberts. Plays charmingly given the current hellscape that is the United States now because it imagines a President that can feel [gasp] shame.
Solid direction. Solid movie. There are worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon.
TV: Severance: Season Two
I had a Ted Lasso podcast. The first season of that show was (and is) a miracle. But something happens to zeitgeisty shows in their second season where the quality dips because it just gets navel gazey.
So far, Severance Season Two has not achieved that. Not only that, its most recent episode is so dang expressionistic. It’s wild a show gets to take so many swings and the audience devours it up. And I devour it up, taking it as it is. It’s just lovely.
What I’m Reading: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Asylum by Una McCormack
You’ll notice me talk about Star Trek a lot as this newsletter goes on. I’m speeding through this tie-in book from Una McCormack, my favorite modern writer in Star Trek. Period. In all of Star Trek. Including all of the current shows.
I’ll be honest, this book is okay compared to her other masterpieces like Star Trek: Discovery - Way to the Stars and Star Trek Picard: The Last Best Hope. But Una is so good, and she NAILS these characters so, so, so much, I’m just having a great time. Score one for good books.
Leo T. Dog Says Hi
