Workshop Day 9 - The end is near

Last night we stayed up way too late around the fire. It was wonderful. There's just something about a fire that brings people closer together. We huddled together for warmth while Gabrielle, Liam and Kristian played songs on the guitar. We sang together trying not to think that we were about to leave each other. It has to be longer than just 9 days that we've been together, the first class seems so long ago. It's amazing how close you can grow to strangers. Together, that is what I'm thinking about today.

Today is our last full day. The last time we will have 3 full meals and 1 snack. The last time we will have the afternoon to ride bikes, swim in the fjord or explore the neighboring town. The last time we have Keith for a full day. Real life comes rushing in as I receive e-mails about advertising deadlines, questions from artists working on the next show and meetings already scheduled for the following week. No rest for the explorers.

But I will not think of real life. I have the rest of my life for that. I will relish the short time I have left and squeeze out every ounce of beauty, soak up every syllable from Keith's lessons and risk failing happily in this creative environment. These moments are few and far between. Too few. The world would be a much better place if we all had the opportunity to do what we love. Anything else is just struggle.

If you have a phobia you magnify it every time you get frightened.

6 weeks and you can pretty well cure anything.

If you're improvising sometimes everything will totally screw up. That's part of it.

People that know me well are amazed at my lack of intelligence.

It's a good idea not to think when you're watching improvisers.

Screw up the words and then they improve

It would be good if you were truthful.

It's not about jokes, it's about you out there.

Expose a version of yourself on stage

I wish I could find a better word than positive. It has such negative connotations these days. By positive I mean going forward.

Positive, positive, positive, positive, something. And the something is a negative.

First make then happy, then you destroy them.

You can have a happy ending, but bad things have to happen along the way.

Tragedy you lose things forever. Comedy those lost things return. I'm guessing Shakespeare thought that.

You're always divided.

Theatre is conflict. The conflict is the most boring part, it's the lead up and what happens because of the conflict that matters.

Keep your promises. Often you don't know you even made one, but the audience does.

Anxiety arrives and you throw in too much.

Introduce an action. If you complete it it's finished. Try to continue the action.

When you start to complete an action you feel unimaginative

Interrupting the action. People pay money for that. You have to have an action that doesn't get finished.

I don't go to see improvisation anymore because they promise something and don't deliver.

Let's agree that if we're lost in the woods we'll follow the path.

American movies are about displaying behavior.

I'm wonderful, he's shit - the basic aristocratic attitude.

People often get their status totally wrong.

You classify the power of the person by identifying the head and neck placement.

Teaching teachers high status behavior will help them to control the classroom.

Clowns make fun of minor officials. That's why we can make fun of the President, we know he doesn't have the real power. Ex. Bush/Cheney.

Our immediate improv ancestors are the silent films.

You should be interested in the history of comedy and politics.

People manipulate each other all the time in terms of status.

If other people's body space flow into yours it's hard to get rid of them.

I like the screw up. It makes it okay to screw up when someone has allowed it to happen. Teachers and leaders need to establish an environment where mistakes are allowed and encouraged.

It's always better to have a purpose: Coming onto a stage, an audition, anywhere where you might feel uncomfortable of have stage fright.

Improvisation is the place where you can be alive, where you find freedom and can play.

How can I possibly go to bed? Tomorrow we have to be packed an out of our rooms by 9AM. 2 more meals, 1 more class and a host of goodbyes. Fortunately, I will be spending tomorrow night in Copenhagen with Mia, who has generously offered me a bunking spot on her couch. Others from the group are also overnighting it until their flights leave the next day. We plan to meet and celebrate our last day together. Finally an opportunity to see a large European city. I hear it's beautiful. Bring on the tourist in me!