Hi friends,

Let’s get into it.

• I’m very excited for a local theatre project coming up this month on Nov 21 and 22. Creative Differences takes two 10-minute scripts and mounts each one three different ways back-to-back-to-back: as a comedy, a drama, and a musical. 2 scripts, 3 genres each, 6 directors and casts! Mine was one of scripts chosen (horn, tooted).

I can’t wait to see what each team has come up with and also to see Dan Jeannotte’s script get the same treatment (hooray, Dan!).

Tickets for both nights are already sold out, but I love to see the local theatre community come up with inspired ideas that get the talented people in town to come together.

• Also, last month, I got to hang out with Katy Schutte here in Montreal for a week. We did a spooky show about a haunted cottage, hiked up to a nice viewpoint, did an escape room, and ate the local fare. What a blast to work and hang out with her. * waves at Katy across the Atlantic *

Bonus: shout out to Will Hines for shouting me out in his newsletter. (I was mystified where all these new subscribers were coming from.) He’s also started doing these great livestream improv chats. The latest one is Game vs Relationship with Craig Cackowski. Love it. More, please.

A VARIETY OF THINGS

[VIDEO] Top of the Pops

My mom was born in India but moved to England with her family after independence. She became a nurse and eventually moved to Montreal. My dad was born in British Guyana, also moved to England, and then also ended up in Montreal where he became an accountant. So part of me is grateful to British colonialism for facilitating my existence.

As a kid, my mom would bring me to the UK to visit her siblings and family who still lived there. I’d be fascinated, I mean completely riveted, that there was this whole other world of music full of strange acts and songs that were completely foreign to me. One of the foci of this was Top of the Pops, the weekly Top 40 countdown show on the BBC.

You can now watch a trabillion old episodes from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond on YouTube. Full of crazy fashion, almost-hit wonders, and parallel dimension band names. It’s the perfect thing to have on in the background.

[GAME] Sniper Dan

In this game, you play as a sniper, but not in a combat scenario. No, you are Sniper Dan, the town troubleshooter (ha ha), and you solve a huge variety of mundane and silly problems with your long-range rifle. It’s short and sweet and goofy.

[MUSIC] Scooby by Corook

This song bounces like a rubber ball having a great day. The music feels like sunshine in the park while the ironic lyrics throw acres of shade. One of my most-played songs of the year.

IMPROV TIP

(adapted from earlier writing elsewhere)

For those familiar with status work in improv, The Emperor from Return of the Jedi is the ultimate in high status.

• Comfortable in his environment: He brings Luke and Vader into his inner sanctum (two people he knows are harbouring thoughts to kill him). He explicitly dismiss his guards. He releases Luke's manacles and leaves Luke's lightsaber ready to be picked up. "You... want this... don't you?"

• Comfortable under duress: Luke reaches for his saber, ignites it, and strikes at the Emperor. What does the Emperor do? Dodge? Zap Luke? Blink? Nope, none of the above. He does nothing. Go ahead and attack me. It's all good.
  
  A common mistake of new improvisers is to put down their scene partner to establish dominance. From there, the scene often descends into an exchange of personal attacks. But you cannot raise your status by lowering someone else’s. It only serves to lower your own. (Tip: This applies offstage, too.)

• Expects and commands attention from others: The Emperor speaks with authority, clarity, and confidence. Everyone listens intently. "Take your weapon. Strike me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!"

• Eye contact: Eye contact is a huge way to communicate status. Low status means making eye contact is difficult. It’s painful and awkward to look at others.
  
  The Emperor’s cowl prevents eye contact; he controls when you can look him in his creepy, yellow eyes. And while he and Luke verbally spar, it's almost always Luke who breaks eye contact first.

• Stillness: The Emperor is near-motionless through all his scenes. He releases Luke's manacles with a twitch of his finger. He doesn't even move his body to turn his chair! Calm and ease reinforces high status, not bluster. And the movements he does make are deliberate and precise. Nothing is unintentional.

High status is all about being comfortable: in your own skin (no matter how wrinkly), in the environment, and in what is transpiring.

A Masterclass In Status

PROMO

[Montreal Shows] Sunday Night Improv, Sun Nov 15 and Nov 29 @ 7pm

I’ll be playing in a couple shows this month at Theatre Ste-Catherine (264 Ste-Catherine E). Additionally, I’ll be running the free drop-in workshop on the 29th, 4-6pm. It’s always a fun show, full of the best kind of chaos and joy. TICKETS

[Montreal Show] J’aime l’amour, Wed Nov 18 @ 8:30pm

This is the French show I direct. Our cast keeps finding new ways to explore the whole idea of love and the different kinds of love we experience through improvised scenes. It’s funny, it’s heartbreaking, it’s sweet. At Pub L’Île Noire (1649 St Denis). TICKETS

[Montreal Show] Movie Night, Sat Dec 12 @ 7pm

Katie and I are putting on our favourite show, where it’s a new version of an old movie at Aux Angles Ronds (5333 St Laurent). It’s silly, it’s challenging, and I love to do this show where it’s just the two of us improvising a play for 45 minutes. Decadent! This will probably be the last one for a while because producing a show is a lot of work. TICKETS

An Interesting Wikipedia Page: Club 33

Break hearts and legs,

Vinny