Workshop Day 8

Bright and early, another beautiful day. I was afraid I would get my alarm wrong again and be late (don't ask me why I didn't change my phone to local time, I needed to keep some piece of Pittsburgh with me,) so I slept lightly and woke up at around 6:30AM. Should I force more sleep, tossing and turning for who knows how long? Or should I head down to the Fjord (found out it's not really the Baltic sea I've been swimming in. The map says so but the locals beg to differ. A Fjord is an inlet with narrow sides, but there's no sides here to speak of...all I know is that it's clear and cool and moving,) and wake up with the sun? I choose the early morning swim.

How refreshing to have this beautiful body of water so near. You're environment really dictates how you feel/behave. Growing up in the inner city surrounded by cars and tall buildings, garbage and street lights, I can clearly remember the feeling I had the first time I saw the ocean. I couldn't believe that people had that much beauty to feast their eyes on every single day. I was sad to go back home and not have that view for myself.

After my swim I bundled up on the pier and basked in the gratitude of my fortune to be practicing my craft in the midst of a master. I will say this again, if you ever have the opportunity to study your craft with someone you respect, who has the wisdom of experience and longevity, don't hesitate. I've been out of school for 13 years and it is only now that I realize how much more there is to learn. In Pittsburgh there seems to be a lack of continued education for artists. Outside of hands on experience working on shows where the result is of utmost importance, I'm missing the environment for growth. The opportunity to fail and thus learn is key to building a life in the theatre or any other artistic arena. How are we to explore new methods and techniques? Where is our inspiration?

I will be sad to leave this place and go back to the rush of production, result and critique. For now though, I leave you with Keith's thoughts:

Master/Servant scenes are about oppression, really.

Everyone wants slaves. I think we're genetically programmed to oppress. Someone to do the wash, the cooking, etc.

Animals received protection laws before children.

I suppose if it's not understood by now, I guess there's no hope.

Happiness is function. If you're functioning well you're happy. If not, well...

Whenever you think I don't know what to do" look inward and you will find the answer, but it will be in conflict with what you "think" is right, hence the fallacy of you thinking you do not know what you want to do.

It's so strange and rare to watch adults work in a totally positive way.

There has to be a willingness to go somewhere.

If you don't bend the rules absolutely nothing happens.

American improvisers are too literal. Weird.

Real people have many, many transitions. They are constantly changing.

You can't fake the kinetic dance, the intellect is too slow.

When it's right, it goes from the center out.

We want flexible actors with long muscles.

Comedy/Tragedy is about people wanting something and failing.

The purpose of the actor is not in the text.

Most improvisers never want to move.

Most people only have one concept and they dig themselves into a hole.

It's crazy if the work in the studio is more interesting than the work on the stage.

If you think of something clever you shouldn't say it. Say the obvious instead.

I'm for one thing at a time, really.

You can't rely on the critics to be of any use to you.

The audience is a genius - Lenny Bruce. Individually that might be idiots - Keith Johnsotne

Directors are just guessing. You have to try something and see what the audience likes.

You don't want what you're doing to look like acting.

You switch on the TV and you immediately know who's the actor.

You have to be more appealing on stage than you are in real life.

Status arrived because I didn't see anything real on stage. Then we adjusted (after 5 years of searching) to make ourselves more or less important than the other person. That is what happens in real life.

You are not doing it for yourself, you're doing it for the audience.

The Japanese invented the runway and the revolving stages.

Characters have to be altered in relation to each other.

There is a great lack of comic writers in America.

Don't think of yourself as just and improviser or performer. You must seek out knowledge in every avenue of the field.

If you're in an audition and the person you're auditioning with gives you nothing you should attack them and be very hostile towards them. At least the people out in the house will think you're interesting. KJ quoting Michael Shurtleff.

Contraries don't cancel out - Blake

Most of us are deluded

If you're interested in stuff you learn for pleasure.