RELATIONSHIP

A few TRUTH IN COMEDY quotes - “The truth is funny. Honest discovery, observation, and reaction is better than contrived invention.” and “When we’re relaxing, we don’t have to entertain each other with jokes. And when we’re simply being ourselves up to each other and being honest, we’re usually funniest.”

I'm finding that the relationships I have with my improv friends are some of the strongest I've ever had and I'm starting to realize it's because we've been trained to be honest. We've been told to have thin skin and react emotionally to each other, to make the other person the most important person in that moment and to really listen to what he or she is saying. I know all this stuff is for the stage and rehearsal, but now that I've been with my Harold team for almost two years now, sitting in rehearsal and performing and sharing truths about ourselves has made me feel very connected with my funny friends. I think this makes an improviser different from anyone else...or any comedy person. With our inner or outer circle of friends we sometimes feel the pressure to be funny. People sometimes view us as the "Life of the Party" or just want to ask questions that just skip the surface of who we really are like "Have you made and new commercials?" or "Do you know such and such? He's an actor friend of mine?" And since these friends aren't necessarily open the way your scene partner might me, we take the easy route to "YesAnd" them and we make jokes.

Here's another great quote from TRUTH IN COMEDY -  “A comedian who tells jokes is basically a salesman, trying to sell the audience a clever story or punch line, while hoping to be paid back in laughter.” As funny people we sometimes settle for laughter as payment from our friends instead of what we all really want. Relationship. I've fallen into this trap way too many times. Maybe I've underestimated my friends outside my improv world. Could it be that maybe they ask the things they think I want to talk about? Why am I being a lazy improviser? Instead of waiting for someone else to initiate the scene (conversation), how about I have a big agenda and start the scene (conversation)! Even thinking of doing this just seems like so much work! But didn't all those scenes we did going through classes at iO or wherever seem the same way too? You eventually form connections and share great scenes or even better, horrible ones that you can laugh at some other time..and that's no joke...that's the truth!

We all have friends outside our wonderful little community of Improv. There needs to be a healthy balance between them so that you can grow and mature in both. You're life experiences and relationships outside of the theater will give you fresh and real perspectives to share on stage and your ability to listen, be honest and true about who you are will build your relationships with those special people in your life you've decided to call your friends. TRUTH IN LIFE.  

SUPER SUNDAY

I remember fight night at my house as a kid and one of my all time favorite things was the boxing pool. If it was a 12 round fight, 12 numbers went into a plastic cup and you drew out your round. Maybe there would be a $1 per number pool or sometimes we'd get crazy and make it $10, it didn't matter either way. I just loved the extra level that was added even if you didn't win. You could care less about either boxers most times, but you really wanted to know who won the pool! What round do you have? Who's got the last round? It just made it that much more fun.

Thinking about tomorrows game reminds me about the awesome little game we all play as actors! How many of your friends will you see in a Super Bowl commercial? I really don't care who wins as long as its a high scoring game that's close. I might play a pool for score or something but the best game is absolutely going to be finding my friends in their spots! It's so much fun! I think it's so awesome that we are all a part of a community of almost famous people! It's Crazy! If your spot plays tomorrow congratulations! I look forward to cheering for the winning team, being excited for the end score at half time, but most importantly, seeing my lovely friends on TV for the biggest and baddest day of TV in the world! Have a SUPER SUNDAY Everyone!

WHY AM I FUNNY?

I belong to a very talented cast of dinner theater folks for The Dinner Detective. It's a murder mystery show that gives me the opportunity to play one of my greatest creations, my most favorite character, Det. Ricardo Cabeza. He's a blast to play and given the right audience, a complete crack up. Last nights show was like any other except for one little encounter that just about dropped me to my knee's. Most times after our show we'll get people that want to take pictures with the cast. Some people want to pick our brains about what we improvised and what was scripted. Others want to know how to a part of the cast but last night there was a new encounter for me. This little old lady came up to me last night and said "I have never in my life laughed as hard as I have tonight because of you and your crazy accent." I said thank you and then she really got me when she said "My husband passed away 5 years ago and I never thought I would laugh so much again. Thank you so much." She said this as she began to cry and then gave me a huge hug. My only thought was of how much I missed my father and it took everything in me not to break down right then and there.

The whole drive home was spent thinking of my dad and also thinking as to how exactly am I funny? What is it about me that makes people laugh? And why do I make people laugh? Is it to cheer people up like the woman I encountered last night or is it because I want to be liked by everyone? I was trying to remember how long I've been funny. Was I born this way or did I develop it because I went from being skinny to chubby from the 1st to 3rd grade? Was humor a way to mask the fact that I had gained weight? I'm pretty sure I was funny even when I was skinny though, so maybe it's because my Dad was super funny. Was it because I saw how happy people were around him and I wanted that too? I don't really know. Maybe there's a mix of reasons why but I do know that I am. I know I have a ton of friends that are really funny too and we all have friends that are not at all. That makes us different right? I never thought about it that way before. I'm this crack up dude that thinks life is a big joke maybe to all my other friends. Do they spend time wondering what dramatic event in my childhood made me this way? How do people view funny people? I can honestly say that I view unfunny people in no particular way other than to watch what I say around them because I have said something that maybe offended them because they didn't get my humor...OH NOOOO! Unfunny people probably don't like me! Wait a minute...I actually don't think I have any unfunny friends...they're more like acquaintances so that's cool.

So I don't exactly know why I'm funny and to all my friends that read this and since you're my friends, just assume that you're funny, just keep doing what you do. I don't go out of my way to help people get over their lost spouse. I don't go out of my way to get people to like me. We all have the ability to make people laugh so take a moment and cherish that fact. It's a gift that can brighten someone's day. We can help people get out of a cloud of depression for a night or we can help people forget, even if just for a few minutes, how hard life can be for everyone at times. We are a special breed of people and a treat for those around us so don't forget that!