Talent Cannot Be Denied
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Talent cannot be denied… forever. But at the end of the day, it’s still about who you know.
Rob Riggle (during a Del Close Marathon Workshop)
This is something I’ve been focusing on for the last year. Although there is sometimes a feeling of competition in improv between groups and performers, it eventually comes down to the connections you make in the community. Life is all about who you know and improv is no different. Being a person that people respect and want to work with, will help you in your success as an improviser. Being too competitive, backstabbing, scene stealing, selfish, or unsupportive will only push people away.
Improv, for myself, is a lot about comfort. It takes me about 3 classes to really begin to trust my teammates in my classes. This is greatly expedited by occasional drinks after class, or even a social group event like karaoke or game night. All of this allows you to socialize in the community to build strong connections to other performers and groups. The more people you know, the more doors will be available to you to walk through.
Of course being insanely talented will also bring you success, but will happen a lot faster if people want to work with you.
This is true! I think of it simply as being secure enough to enjoy other people. Laugh and enjoy your classes, practices and shows. That kind of happiness is contagious, and will be associated with you.
That’s what I love about improv. It’s the “if you don’t look good, I don’t look good” mentality that makes the best comedy, at least in this form. Anyone willing to let go and trust his or her classmates will have great success, personally and maybe professionally.
I’ve found this to be true ever since I started classes. My first class was on Tuesdays, so we’d go to Harold Night. The people that went after class were the same people I wanted to work with more in class.
love the site, Ben.
Glad everyone is enjoying this post. I got a few ideas from Matt Walsh that I will be writing about in more detail shortly, as I dissect his various points. Thanks for the feedback and thanks for reading.