Workshop Day 4

Day 4 began late. I meant to get up early to swim in the sea, but jet lag got the better of me and I almost slept through breakfast.

Another amazing day with Keith. His quips are below, but first I will tell you about my adventures.

After lunch Mia, Bill and I decided to go into the little town near the theatre called Nyboking. We rode bikes and stopped along the way to see some sights. The first sight is the odd sign in the grass as you enter Annenbergparken, the development (for lack of a better word, it's nothing like America's cookie cutter, boring, psycho breeding areas) where the theatre is located. Check this out!

It's a little hard to see in this picture, but it says Teatercenter (Theatre) on top and Psykiatrihospitalet on the bottom. I mean if I've ever belonged anywhere, it's here. The Danish rock!

We rode on and found a cute little fruit and vegetable stand that uses the honor system. We don't know about that here in America, but I've seen it in other countries. If you take something from the stand you put your money in the little bin provided. Plain and simple. Don't steal, don't borrow, just pay for what you need. Easy!

The rules in town are followed by all. You must walk your bike when you're in the square, near the shops, don't steal the bikes that are not locked up, which are many and stay in the bike lanes when on the road. Simple rules, easy to follow.

Session today was magnificent. We learned a bit of Life Game. If you don't know Life Game look it up. Basically Keith invented this game because he got tired of everyone fucking up Theatre Sports. People are too busy trying to win and be funny leaving no room for mistakes and genuine humor. Failure is the land of lessons, if you don't fail you will never learn. Also people aren't funny when they are trying to be. You may think some people are laughing when you pick your nose and wipe it on somebody or when you curse a lot or when you use smarty pants gags, but they aren't. They are just made uncomfortable by your idiocy.

Life Game tells the true story of ordinary people. Not celebrities or public figures. We don't really want to know about them, we want to know about the school janitor or the woman serving you coffee. Every life has an amazing story, even stars but they are too conditioned to hide the truth that Life Game is useless on them. Besides we get enough of their crap all over TV and the Internet.

I was a Life Game guests and I can tell you it's super powerful. This kind of thing can change a community if done well. With the onslaught of reality TV it's clear we are searching for a way to connect to each other. Reality TV is the furthest thing from reality so we're just being fed a false connection filled with mean spirited gags. Stupid. Things like The Bachelor, who fucking cares?

Below are day 4 Keith Quips. He is full of amazing insight. The man is a genius. He was told he might be going blind (when he was a child a classmate stuck him in the eye with a pin and his eye got all wonky) and he realized he needed to study the human face before he wouldn't be able to see it anymore. He began a series of 5,000 face drawings. He wanted to be able to remember completely how we express ourselves. I mean...

When you step onto the stage the audience should want you. They should want you in their bed and their family. They should want you to come home with them. You don’t elicit that feeling with arrogance.

The adult thing is not playful

Try to find a way to reverse the pattern that life has taught you.

Have a vitality inside you, look available. Don’t fake smile.

Americans think practical jokes mean screwing up the other team.

If you slow it down you’re apt to get things right, but the danger goes away.

As soon as something become safe you add an edge so it can become interesting again.

Teachers have trouble inspiring kids because they act too adult. Nobody has fun around an adult.
Bad behavior changes (alters) a teacher, that’s why they act out.
The teacher has to be the #1 animal in the class otherwise the kids vie for that position.

If a member of the royal family isn’t behaving, thinking, moving properly they send them off to take the Alexander Technique

You better be some kind of improviser if you’re an actor because terrible things can happen on stage.

If you can make it simpler, make it simpler.

You have to entertain the audience

It’s got to be good natured at heart and not stupid.

Theatre Sports is based on professional wrestling. The problem is too many players are trying to win.
STOP TRYING TO WIN AND BE AN ENTERTAINER

Anything can become a sport

The mind can take you through amazing adventures if you let go and fly

Say what comes next before you think about what comes next

I’ve drawn 5,000 faces from photographs or models. It didn’t help my recognition of people, but I did get good at drawing people.

Try to avoid emotional extremes. Don’t be too pleased with yourself and don’t be suicidal when something does or doesn’t work.

If you look like you know what you’re doing you seem arrogant. If you look humble the audience will like you.

After the evening session and the emotional Life Game experience we all needed to let loose. We hung out in the dining hall and on the patio listening to music and having cocktails. These Europeans sure can put it away, just look.

I keep going on and on about The Steelers and the Europeans can't understand why we call a game that's played with hands Football. They also are confused why we took the name of a totally different sport to use for ours. I didn't have an answer but I found a football. Here's what happened:

The night went on and the love of (American) Football spreads throughout Europe. Okay, if not Football than at least The Steelers. If only I can find a link for the game. So many sites don't work outside of America...

Until tomorrow...