Sprezzatura #9 - The Delicate Waking From Slumber
Oh me, oh my! I'm back. As much as I love improv, I also am a human and needed a bit of a break. It was so great to spend time with friends and family. And travel. Not for improv! Just for vacation! It's shockingly refreshing.
We went to Portugal for 10 days and it was fantastical. It's a really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking place.
Also, I want to be clear that this newsletter is a sometimes food. I can't do this weekly and stay sane, so you get one when there's a reason to do so. Huge admiration to those who do manage to do this every week but a) I don't really have that much news and b) you get enough email, yeah? Thanks for being here (and please spread the word if you like it).
FOOD: Pastel de Nata
The pastel de nata is a Portuguese custard tart. Maybe you know it already. But if you don't... immediately hit google and search for "pastel de nata [place where you live]". I ate a lot of these on my trip and now you should too.
SKETCH: Four Candles by The Two Ronnies
It's such a great sketch, expertly performed. It's funny even on mute. That's the hallmark of a winning sketch. This clip even has a bonus alternate ending!
MUSIC: A&W by Lana Del Rey
One of my good friends has been running an outstanding music blog for many years. Each year he releases his favourite 100 songs (his list inspired my mixtapes). I devour the list each year discovering so many gems I missed. This Lana Del Rey song jumped out at me right away. It slithers in the grass until it strikes in the second half with a totally different rainbow of energy, piercing all your chakras at once.
IMPROV TIP
Once per scene, when someone says something significant to your character, do the following:
say nothing and react emotionally by making a face
let the face affect your whole body
wait five loooong seconds, holding that face (or intensifying it!)
give a one word reply
That's it; guaranteed success. You can do it for laughs, or you can play it deadly seriously. You're a genius improviser now. Rest on your laurels forever.
EVENTS
Advanced Scenework (online)
This weekend we start a new 20-week season of Advanced Scenework. I love this class. I get to dig into scenes in a slow and deep way that I don't often get to do. I'm normally moaning about narrative but here I get to be specific and drill deeply into what makes scenes tick. And more importantly, I can start to identify the challenges and patterns in each players' work. In some of my other classes I teach formats and structure, but I legit think this class is the one that makes you a better improviser. Join us on Saturdays.
Scene Start Blowout (in person)
Join me in Montreal (Jan 14) or Ottawa (Jan 20) for a workshop focused on getting your scenes off to the strongest start possible. We'll explore a bunch of ways to kick things off slow, and fast, and organically, and with a premise, and... whatever else we can think of! If you can make your starts look effortless, the rest is so much easier.
An Interesting Wikipedia Page: Göbelike Tepe
L8r sk8rs,
Vinny