I performed my first how in New Zealand this week with the Wellington Improvisation Troupe. I described it as my improv "nightmare", and here's why: I always get extremely nervous before performing in a new situation, and once I do it once I become much more relaxed subsequent times. This show was in a new venue, with new people (who had accents I'm still having some trouble always understanding), with a newly devised musical format, and in a country halfway across the world from my usual stomping grounds. To say the least, I was terrified and there were points throughout the day leading up to the show where I seriously considered just not going. I also had a feeling that I needed to prove myself to WIT, since I swooped into the group only a few weeks ago and took the fast track to membership. I felt like I needed to prove to them I wasn't lying about my improv because they were wonderful enough to trust my experience was and let me skip the basic courses. But I sucked up my fear and hit that show hard and I ended up having a fantastic time.
The show was a great base line for me to measure my experience and improvements. Coming off that show, here's how I felt: a bit rusty but once I shook that off I felt like I did a good job. I made strong emotional choices that drove scenes forward. I felt free to be myself and to really play. I expressed this to my boyfriend who watched the show. He and I came up with several reasons as to why I felt so free and good about what I was doing. To me, this has been a fresh start despite improvising for almost 7 years.
Why do I feel so good about improv in New Zealand?
Until this point, my 7 years of improv experience has been with my peers, and we've all learned together without the help of a coach. We had some defacto group leaders but they were all my age and had just a bit more experience than me and weren't well equipped because of school, time and experience restraints to train a group of polished improvisers. In college, the group was different for every rehearsal, too. I made excuse after excuse not to attend regular classes offered in Kansas City and surrounding areas. Now however I'm taking an 8-week Storytelling course. I have learned so much already in the 4 weeks we've been together. So much of what I know has been picked up out of the muddled mess that is my experience and compartmentalized into things I understand. I understood the "how" of some improv mechanics, but now I understand the "why", and I can consciously utilize techniques. Basically, it's helping me rearrange how I think about improv and the specific scenes I'm doing and making my performances more efficient.
- I have no personal expectations regardng my fellow players
Somehow, not knowing my cast mates (I had met half my cast the previous night, and the rest I had only met weeks before) helped me trust them more. As far as I was concerned, everyone was a blank slate. What I did know was that my cast members had enough experience to be put into a performance so I wouldn't be stuck trying to carry a scene- I could trust something would happen, so I could relax. I also had no expectation or worry about what people were going to do. I wasn't thinking "oh no, he's going to come in with an over-the-top screaming character and not listen", or "I bet you she's going to make lewd sexual jokes and make the scene about how dirty she can be". I wasn't worried that someone in the audience was going to like someone better than me. I wasn't worried about what someone might do to intentionally completely ruin a scene for their own gratification. I had no clue what people were going to do so I could focus on the scenes and my own choices. I had no expectations whatsoever other than to do the best show possible. I was comfortable and confident and I wasn't in competition with anyone. Here's hoping I can keep my boundaries and continue to have that trust while I get to know people.
- Nobody here knows me, so I feel more comfortable taking risks
My boyfriend hypothesized I feel more open and confident because I'm not worried about what everyone else thinks of me since I don't know anyone. I feel the opposite - I want to impress all the improvisers I meet. But I understand what he means. New Zealand is so far away from Kansas and my trip here at this point is temporary, so I can do whatever I want and be whomever I want because I've made such a big change. It's like reinventing yourself over the summer between middle school and high school. No one has any preconceived notions about me so I can totally become someone else. Or rather, I can truly be myself.
- WITsters are passionate about improv
I've done too many shows with people who don't really care about the improv they're doing. As I've said before, everyone has their own philosophy when it comes to why they're improvising in the first place. I have a passion for improv and I want to be the best I possibly can be, and that means working hard, being professional and taking it seriously. The people at WIT seem to share my passion and drive to improve and present the most professional shows possible. My philosophy fits in much better with a group with a clear, defined set of rules, a clear vision and an established, organized way of running things. So, I feel comfortable being part of a group that know what it's all about and the members are committed.
I'll be performing more with WIT in the upcoming months. WIT hosts Improv Lounge every Wednesday at 8pm at the Fringe Bar on Cuba Street. I know for sure I'll have a few shows in July as part of my Storytelling course, but I'll post all the info for all the shows this winter(summer??).
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