Workshop Day 5 - The World According to Keith

Good morning day 5. I almost missed breakfast, jet lag has not left me. If I'm not careful I could sleep for 12 hours. It doesn't help that my clock is set to Pittsburgh time and every time I set my alarm I must do math. Yes, I could go through the trouble of changing it, but it's just going to have to go back again eventually. I can see this leading to trouble.

I grabbed a nectarine and ran to class just in time. There are a few people who asked if we could take Monday off. They are feeling overwhelmed by the schedule (breakfast, class, lunch, class, snack, class, dinner, class, bed) and would like some time to absorb all that we've learned so far. Some wanted to try to get to Copenhagen or tour the little town Nykobing or just relax here at the theatre. I for one did not travel half way around the world to sit around so I'm not interested in a day off. I don't know if I'll ever get a chance to be with Keith again so I want to make sure I get in every second. We are all adults so we decided that people should do what they want. Some will come to class, some will go off and relax.

Most days are the same around here (see schedule above) and the only things that change are the games we play in class the food and the weather. Today was our first sunny day. It was wonderful. The weather here has been a bit like Pittsburgh, if you don't like it just wait a minute, but the sun hasn't stayed out longer than 2 minutes until now. The sun, its vitamin D and warm love have added another beautiful layer to this journey. We took blankets and relaxed on the grass, played football (the European version) and connected.

After dinner the evening class was spent watching a DVD called The World According to Keith. It's a documentary made about Keith's work and all the people he has influenced. And there are many. The man is a genius (I know I keep saying it, but the more I get to know of him the more I want to keep him in my pocket) and everyone that has met him thinks so. I mean Beckett even fell in love with him. He directed Godot at The Royal Court and they became friends. Beckett was intrigued by his intelligence, depth and imagination. Plus he really knows how to create theatre. He created Theatre Sports, Maestro, Life Game, influenced Who's Line Is It Anyway?, gave countless people their careers and has not stopped. He's a playwright, mentor, director, father, inventor and all around solid human being. He understands and is deeply interested in how people operate; relationships and the actions that advance or destroy connections.

I'm always at the ready with my notebook as he says the most profound things. I am excited to process this experience, but will wait until it's over. For now, here's what he has to say.

It is ridiculous to work in a state of fear. But most people do.

You can’t be spontaneous if you really care about what you’re saying

If you don’t take control something else will happen. Most likely something better.

You sacrifice your posture to keep high status people happy.

Do not interfere with children’s bodies (sit up straight, shoulders back, etc.) you will destroy them. Animals don’t do that to each other and they have been turning out fine for millions of years. Imagine a cat saying to a kitten whiskers straight, tail up, on all fours. It’s rather silly to think we have to interfere with nature.

Thinking matters. Don’t listen to anyone.

If you’re fighting for the truth everything will come out okay.

Try to create benevolence

Most improvisers get on the stage and just want to talk. Stop talking start doing.

Talent is procedure. If you proceed in the right way you are talented.

Improvisers don’t like nouns, they LOVE adjectives. “We went to the forest and met a big, tall, hairy, green, ugly…” What? What is it? Name it already. Don’t fear or try to be right. Name the thing and get on with the story telling.

Rashomon changed Hollywood cinema forever. It was the first time we saw a sword fight where the people were afraid to die. Before that it was Errol Flynn crap.

Before the Americans invaded Japan the No actors meditated on the masks for an hour. Now they do it for 25 seconds.

Language barriers make for interesting storytelling challenges.

The world is full of very intelligent idiots

If you are in the category of the consumer you can’t get laid.

Harry Belafonte inspired Leonard Nemoy’s interpretation of Spock

The Russians understand status better than anybody.

You should have a lot of knowledge on how to do things. Don’t hang on to one method. Find your own route and keep evolving.

Study other countries methods of acting. Japanese, Russian, English, etc. Take what you need from each when the play calls for it. You need lots of methods.

Rudolf Laban was a genius

If you force yourself you sometimes have to do things.

Masters and Servants are very useful for improvisations.

Improv is not arguing.

Stability and then chaos

You want to avoid technical language if you can.

When people work fast you have no time to think.

Slow down. Stay in the circle of probability.

Start positive.

Don’t agree on what you’re going to do beforehand. Let yourself get caught out.

We want to fire an arrow into darkness and wait to hear someone scream. Don’t plan.

Disgusting is not funny.

Don’t swear more than you have to. It’s not funny.

We want people to relax on stage. Then the audience will like you.

If it doesn’t work don’t sulk or get angry. Be happy about it and the audience will fall in love with you.

You gotta make some mistakes. Mistakes are special. Perfect is boring and never real.

If you don’t make mistakes you’re not taking enough risks.

It’s like you’re somebody else watching your own progress.

Stop discussing things and start experimenting.

Don’t discuss notes after a show. Take 10 minutes let the director give notes, say sorry and move on. If it must be discussed by the director a beer and talk it over at the pub.

Say yes to everything until you get great at improv. Then you can begin to say no, but always continue the action. (meaning don’t be an asshole.)

Read anthropology books to learn about acting and behavior.

New ideas often sound stupid, but if you don’t follow through you might lose something great.

Talking heads need gibberish to get them into their body.

Improv is the struggle for something miraculous. It should be a struggle. It’s a game. Would you watch football if teams got a touchdown every time they touched the ball?

If you do your best and try to win you will not win. Winning is not all there is. (Maybe not in America, but in normal countries)

I will say that I don't think he's a fan of America. Certainly not its improvers. I can understand that sentiment. The need to win is so overpowering. I was reminded of an episode in my life that changed me forever. It was sparked by something Keith said. "You should make mistakes. Mistakes are special."

In the 4th grade I was in an improv class and on one particular day I thought it the improv I was doing wasn't going too well So I stopped the improv. The teachers got very upset with me and told me how terrible it was that I had stopped the action. They said I was blocking and controlling and I had ruined it for everyone else. I know it's important to always say "Yes, and..." but I was in the 4th grade. They were very mean about it. They gave me an F in acting (I went to a performing arts school) and because of that I was not allowed to be in the school play. At my school being in the school play was a big deal. We performed at the largest theatre in Cleveland, The Ohio Theatre, working on a real stage with lights, sound, costumes, dressing rooms, a thound people in the audience, etc. The play was Chicken Little. It was big. I was crushed. I felt that the sky had fallen on my head. And when I went to see the production with the rest of the school I sat there in so much pain. "I should have been up there. I was Chicken Little." I cried and cried and this scar is deep, let me tell you.

From that moment I decided that it was important to be right. All the time. I've spent my life trying to be right. Working myself to the bone, judging others, criticising myself to the state of paralysis. I've been extremely hard on myself and others. The punishment I received was way too severe for a 4th grader. I made a mistake, and the only thing I learned was to never make a mistake again.

This is just one example of how fear is taught. Many more lessons were to follow. In America failure seems punishable by death and apologizing is not practiced. I'm speaking of more than improv here. I'm talking about our relationships to each other. I'm ashamed that some of my countrymen show no love and leave no room for light. Spreading fear, saying no to everything and thinking that there's only one way to do things. The fear that covers our country is suffocating and it's not surprising why so many people hate us. Yet we go on thinking being right is the answer. "The world is full of intelligent idiots!"

I have been moved by fear for far too long. No more!