During the press conference, Matt Besser said that the shows that happen before midnight demonstrate the ‘art’ and the shows that happen after are wilder.

Of the primetime shows on Friday that followed the press conference, the ones populated with older gentlemen were played slower and steadier. The monoscenes presented in Bassprov and Nailed Down grew richer as the half hour slot wore on, using the time to effuse the characters like steeping tea bags, and the payoffs were in the nuance and detail that a fast moving montage cannot brake for. They also bore information to ponder: did you know that cigarettes are the most abundant form of pollution wafting through the oceans (Bassprov) and that the head can blush because it has many more blood vessels? According to a character in Nailed Down, our arms do not blush for that reason. While Bassprov was a fishing expedition that kept its four men in chairs with fishing poles and beers as props, Nailed down was set up by having two pairs of shoes nailed to the stage for players to stand in. Those slow, ponderous, and absorbing shows provoked physically immobile players to explore psychological spaces.

In contrast, Gausus and Cannon was full of storm and stress. Sincere and swift, that set had some unexpected surprises such as the embodiment of a barren cow’s yearning for children as a means to not be slaughtered unceremoniously while the fertile cow envisioned being eaten by a masseuse in a Whole Foods parking lot.

While that show was more character driven, the Stepfathers show demonstrated how creating patterns and callbacks that tie all strings of a show neatly together can be a cognitive feat for the performers and rewarding exercise for the audience.

Saturday

On Saturday, Bruckheimer carried a show proficiently with only two of its three members present, and even had one player do double duty as a third character to flesh out the monoscene. While delving into the spiraling neurosis of a violent, compulsive liar, Bruckheimer followed an escalating problem that dragged down of all those involved and was a delight to watch.

In his extended time slot, Scott Adsit went it alone by inviting audience members to improvise with him. A language barrier with one visiting audience member made for a fun scene where he was prompted by the ship captain (Adsit) to seduce an iceberg. In cases like that, a seemingly impossible task makes for great entertainment.

Away from the mainstage, a show titled Facebook employed a laptop and a big screen to display the Facebook page of a volunteer from the audience. The technology was integrated seamlessly into the show and begs the question of what other virtual means will work with improv. Is anyone doing Twitterprov?

Sunday

Back on the mainstage, the after midnight sets were opened with The Benson Interruption, which switched gears and invited comics on stage to be interviewed by Doug Benson. Relying on energetic impressions for the first half and comedic songs for the second, the show made for a surprising break from what preceded it. If you haven’t seen Garfunkel and Oates, their songs are fun and bawdy while their appearance is innocuous.

In The Straight Men, seasoned improvisors had fun giving a lesson in what happens when everyone on stage acts like a straight man by calling out what is unusual and grounding everything they do. While one straight character can be a great foil, a stage full of them makes the gears grind and watching this show was like being included in an inside joke. And it only used half of a regular 30 minute slot to get this point across.

Each form, when executed well, leaves the viewer with a different impression. In the montage presented by Kannon and Gausus, it was the pathos of a particular moment that wouldn’t go away after their set ended, while the Stepfathers’ show cued the viewer into the map of the show that only presented itself fully at the end when all pieces were integrated into a whole. In both cases, the mind gets to work towards understanding and engage in the way that the form encourages. In yet another style, the Bassprov show and the Nailed Down set treated each character like a well detailed creation that became more absorbing as time went on, giving first the thrill of knowing a character and eventually the payoff of conflict.

As the DCM expands the idea of what improv is while refining what already exists, the revolving palette of shows makes the experience eventful and stimulating.

Del Close Marathon 13!

As I missed last year’s marathon on account of a self enforced –improv sabbatical– I am really looking forward to this years festivities.

Unlike years past when I would give you long lists of things to see and places to go, I’ll deviate and instead say have fun. Experience everything and get sweaty and disgusting.

My one word of advice is treat DCM like a camping trip and get stuck in, forsaking showers and food – your improv will thank you.

I’m planning to be updating throughout the marathon with updates so stay tuned, but for the real story, make sure to check out the official DCM twitter hashtag #DCM13.

Links Elsewhere

Del Close Consierge: forming your Marathon gameplan
Del Close Lives on at the Upright Citizens Brigade Improv Marathon

So, I’ve written a few guides on surviving the Del Close Marathon with your dignity in tact which are pretty right on.

• Pre-Del Close Marathon Tips
• Marathon Suggested Viewing
• 10th Annual DCM Tips

I’ve wrapped up my experiences after each Marathon which anyone visiting might like to take a look at.

• 2007 Del Close Marathon Wrap Up
• The DCM10 Wrap Up (finally!)

So this year, I thought I would give you all a wave and say have a great marathon. I really don’t have much more to say regarding all the insanity that goes on. I’m a little bummed Weirdass and Wicked Fuckin’ Queeyah aren’t around this year. They were always the backbone of the DCM for me, but there are still some amazing shows like:

• Code Duello: Hamilton & Burr
• I Eat Pandas
• Director’s Commentary LIVE!
• Scheer-McBrayer
• Delta Force 2: Operation Stranglehold
• Baby Wants Candy
• Mother = Soundtrack
• Improvised Shakespeare

Plus anything I mentioned last times. I know what I’m talking about… usually. Alright. Have fun. Say hi if you see me. laugh a lot.

3 Years of Del Closses

This was my third year of Del Close Marathons and from the 3 I have attended, this year seemed the most sober. Perhaps it was the deaths of both Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes, or the missing energy of Amy Poehler, or the introspective press conference, or the vastness of the Marathon now filling 4 theaters, but I got a definite sense of a community looking in on itself. Of course being that the marathon is now 4 theaters wide, I may have only seen one impression of a now huge pool of performances.

UCB is in a strange place at the moment. Their success as both a theater where the best and brightest comedians are trained, with Bobby Moynahan moving to SNL, and also the most successful improv training center in New York, if not the country, has left UCB trying to figure out how to deal with it’s unparalleled popularity. This showed itself during the Friday press conference as the UCB3 — Matt Walsh, Ian Roberts, and Matt Besser — took the stage outlining the UCBs revamped improv curriculum:

1. “Game is fundamentally important and central to comedic improvisation”
2. “There is nothing intrinsically better about doing a time-dash to the second beat of your game over analogous beats for your game”
3. Organically derived scenes are no better than premise based scenes initiations
4. Having your own “signature” opening is not important — “Bring back the organic opening”
5. Dress Appropriately for the stage — not too sloppy, too sexy/aristocratic
6. It screws up people to think about raising stakes when entering second beats — Think equally. “I want to find another scenario equally as funny or funnier than the first one. Thinking funnier will naturally raise the stakes. This will naturally create scenes with both heightening and exploration.”

These should be no shock to anyone who has spent time at the UCB training center. Most of these have been on the lips of instructors since I first started training, but the fact that the UCB is now defining it’s perspective publicly, on long form improvisation, is sign of their new found leadership roll in the improv community. Although, Matt Besser did make it quite clear that these may not be true of all schools, but they are what is true for the UCB.

Lessons Learned this Year

As most of you know each year I try to take away a few things which become apparent after watching hours and hours of improv. I trite them down in a notebook in the dark. I try not to edit them and write them down as I wrote them.

• Respond to what is happening now
• Repeating patterns is not game, just a piece of behavior
• Start in the middle — Make assumptions about who, what, and where you are
• Remember — not really sure what this meant, but I wrote it down so it’s got to be important
• Relax — Try not to let your fear as a performer manifest itself in your character and initiations
• Characters are important and should be used in service of the game — not for a cheap laugh
• Gay characters don’t have to have campy cliche accents
• Gay improvisers don’t always have to be a 1950’s housewife
• Breaking your character to laugh, giggle, or remark about your performance is a cheap trick
• The most important thing in the scene is your partner — try not to get sidetracked by inanimate objects, because they aren’t going to respond to you in the scene
• Work with what you have, it’s brilliant — Let’s not add new information half way through
• Fuck the form — do whatever honors the suggestion
• Del close doesn’t look like that
• Respect your audience — Don’t pimp your audience, because when they turn on you, you have nothing
• Saying funny things will eventually fail you
• It’s about what’s happening — not the details of what’s happening
• There are still 10 minutes and 19 seconds — It’s never too late do do something
• Look calm on the back line — the people on stage need you to yield focus
• Confidence makes the audience feel like you know what you’re doing — lack of confidence makes the audience panic
• Do NOT hang off the pipes — Fucking ever!

Performance Highlight

Out of all the performances of the marathon, I think the highlight was Code Duello’s saturday night performance off of the suggestion of “rabies.” The performance was based on Aaron Burr killing Hamelton’s cat and having to replace it with a sabertooth tiger. This however was nothing to the incredible playing of both Neil Reynolds and Matt Tucker, whose moves grounded the scenework so much that the idea of entire premise of a dead cat being replaced with a sabertooth tiger seemed totally justified. Out of the 4 times I’ve seen Code Duello, this was by far their most impressive show, so much so that they proved something that I had never seen prior.

We all Know how to get laughs from an audience. It isn’t hard. But I want us to get cheers.
– Del Close

They had cheers, laughs, and a standing ovation at the end of their set.

Other highlights

WeirDass at the FIT auditorium. As usual Stefanie Wier and Bob Dassie produced a show that was incredible to watch. Full of rich characters and incredible scenework their set again reminded me how important listening and responding is to improvisation. They have a bond that one can only imagine can only be made possible by being married to your scene partner. It was so inspiring to see the two of them on stage that the day after the marathon, I formed a 2 person improv group based very roughly on the Weirdass form. If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, WeirDass is reeeeeeeeally good.

The always impeccable Baby Wants Candy, performed an incredible set about a speakeasy that had points of shockingly sublime songwork that really highlighted what committing to every part of performance can do.

And so, that’s the wrap up. If you have any questions, or comments feel free to drop a line. I’ll be sure to respond to you early February.

Roberts, Walsh, and Besser laid out the UCBs “theses” on improvisation. Who h ranged from the expected “Game is fundamental” to more subtle “having your own opening isn’t important.” I will be sure to post my full notes once I’m near an accrual keyboard.

The UCB3 then played a few of Del’s earlier, less known recordings.

Shows

MySpace was as usual incredible, with some hilarious scenes about what sounded like the most bizzare workout system spx90, of something in that vain. Bassprov was as wonderful as I remember it and Horatio Sans, who has lost a considerable amount of weight, approached the stage with a poise I have not seen. The Stepfathers was by far the most stressful improv set with Shannon O’Neil and Chris Gethard getting into a slapping brawl on stage. For anyone at the theater, it was like watching your mom and dad start to fight — although very funny once everyone decided not to kill each other.

The highlight of the night, however, was Directors commentary live. The film was Universal Soldier and the commentary was by far the most inventive and hilarious I have seen to date. “I call ziss a Van Damn”, “no sleeves means you don’t have to pay for sleeves” and “That’s me, that’s not me” had people litterally rolling in the isles.

I’ll be updating throughout the DCM10, so that I’m not overwhelming your browsers and RSS readers, I’ll try to keep updates as concise as possible.

I’m headed into the city now after taking off Friday to prep. And by prep I mean sleep. I’ve got a shopping list of trail mix, water, energy bars, and perhaps a few tissues. It gets rough down in the trenches.

See you down there soldier..

Last year I gave you a few tips on how to survive the DCM marathon and some marathon suggested viewing, this year I thought I would give you a few updates, although I still stand by those two previous lists.

Additional Del Close Marathon Tips

• Drink more water — Considder this a plane flight. Drink more water than you normally would. Seriously, I would suggest Airborne as well, because
• Bring Snacks! - Although the UCB does not normally allow food into the theater, during the DCM it is allowed. Avoid salty snacks, they dehydrate and raise your blood pressure leading to hypertension after 3 days. I suggest nuts, trail mix, energy bars, and of course going out for a few meal occasionally. Don’t be the dick with the Halal platter — you will be asked to leave.
• Have a marathon buddy — going to the marathon alone is fine and dandy, but it’s always better to have a friend to bounce criticisms, laugh together, and hold during those awkward silences. Also, just like weight lifting, sometimes you need someone to push you one more hour.
• See Wicked Fuckin’ Queeyah at UCB Sat 02:00 am and WeirDass at FIT Kate Murphy Ampitheatre Sat 07:00 pm — I know I say it every year, but every year I am proven right. These two shows define the DCM for me.
• Find Me — I’m there most of the marathon. Make sure to say hello if you see me, I also accept hugs.

DCM10 Suggested Viewing

• ASSSSCAT 3000 at FIT Haft Auditorium at Sun 08:00 pm
• Baby Wants Candy at FIT Kate Murphy Ampitheatre at Fri 07:00 pm (60)\
• Baby Wants Candy at UCB Theatre at Sun 06:00 pm (45)
• Code Duello: Hamilton & Burr at UCB Theatre at Sat 10:00 pm
• Death By Roo Roo at UCB Theatre at Fri 10:30 pm
• Delta Force 2 — Operation Stranglehold at UCB Theatre at Sun 04:00 pm
• Director’s Commentary LIVE at UCB Theatre at Sat 01:30 am
• Galapagos at UCB Theatre at Sun 12:00 pm
• I Eat Pandas at UCB Theatre at Sat 08:00 pm
• Improvised Shakespeare at UCB Theatre at Sat 07:00 pm
• Mailer Daemon: Our Nuts Are Full at Urban Stages at Sat 01:45 am
• Monkeydick at Hudson Guild Theatre at Sun 06:30 pm
• Omelette Vision at UCB Theatre at Fri 07:00 pm
• Scheer-McBrayer at FIT Kate Murphy Ampitheatre at Sat 10:00 p
• Scheer-McBrayer at UCB Theatre at Sun 05:30 pm
• Thank You, Robot in: Laser Beams! Laser Beams! at UCB Theatre at Sat 08:00
• The Satellites at UCB Theatre at Fri 08:00 pm
• The Upright Citizens Brigade at UCB Theatre at Sat 06:00 pm
• WeirDass at FIT Kate Murphy Ampitheatre at Sat 07:00 pm
• Wicked Fuckin’ Queeyah at UCB Theatre at Sat 02:00 am

Punctuating this mass of performances were the UCB 4 themselves, who got on stage frequently to talk to the audience and answer questions. That for me, was one of my biggest highlights of the marathon. I must have heard Ian Roberts talking over 3 hours about life, love, and improvisation and the majority was truly brilliant. When the 4 got on stage together they really did seem to transform the space. While they really were performing bits the entire time, the energy was contagious.

From all this watching, I began to compile in my notebook a list of lessons I was taking away from each performance I saw. It was interesting to be actively thinking about what I was watching rather than just deciding if I liked what was happening on stage or not. It reminded me of a quote Rob Riggle dropped earlier that week:

You were a reader before you were a writer.

J.D. Salinger

Meaning that you have to experience as a viewer what you love, to find out what it is you enjoy, before you can do it. Which strangely was echoed by Matt Walsh later that week:

Own everything you are learning.

He was speaking about not only just taking loads of classes without question, but to develop your own philosophies. Improv is not a static medium, it is up to each improviser to take the lessons they are learning and to make them their own.

Below are the notes and lessons I wrote in my marathon haze. These are just things I thought about and are no way some sort of guide for improvisers. I urge you all to read them, agree or disagree, and come up with your own ideas about what you believe.

2007 Del Close Marathon Notes

Do what interests you, not what you think people want

Matt Walsh responding to Kate Spencer’s question about staring your own community or theater.

You are an improviser. If you can’t parody and be well read, you have no business being in this room.

Ian Roberts quoting Del Close

2007 Del Close Marathon 20 Performance Lessons

1. Make this the day something happens — If this were a TV show, why would we be tuning in today? This shouldn’t be another humdrum day in another humdrum life.
2. Start in the middle — drop the exposition, get to the meat as quickly as possible.
3. Don’t draw attention to yourself on the back line — Looking confused, judging, scared, or even too laughy can betray the work being performed on stage. You must, at least, look like you know what is going on on stage at all times.
4. Enter the stage calmly — Jumping around and rolling on the floor can give the audience the wrong impression that you are begging for laughs. Enter, greet the audience, and stand in backline.
5. You got space, use it — It’s a big black box, remember to step away from the wall. There’s a line 1/3 the way from the back called the “line of hesitation” — cross it
6. Knock, Knock. Who’s there? 2 doors and a curtain — Why invent a door, when you have 2 doors on stage? Get used to thinking about using them, even in classes where there are no physical doors.
7. Remember stage picture — Sure you can put a car (4 chairs) straight down the center of the stage, but what about going horizontally? It’s 100 times more interesting for an audience, especially when they have seen 42 car scenes before you that go centered.
8. Game is the most important part of an improv scene — forget big characters, wacky situations, or jokes. Be honest, find the game, and play it.
9. No Jokes — When you tell a quick joke you cheapen everything you’ve built thus far and everything you will be creating from then on.
10. Explore, stop inventing — what’s the difference with exploration and invention? Exploration is when you are on game, invention is when you are off it. If you are adding information to heighten the game that’s perfect. If you are adding information because you don’t have enough material, listen harder up top. The game of the scene was probably in your first 3 lines.
11. Ground your scenes — Going to crazy town right off the bat removes the stakes of a scene, which in turn gives us nothing to contrast our comedy against. “Blue doesn’t show up well on blue.” Start grounded and trust in the game.
12. Belong on that stage — Own the fucking stage whenever you step onto it. –Mick Napier
13. Support to play the game, not to showboat — You enter a scene from the back line to heighten the game, or to support the scene taking place — not to steal the focus.
14. Silence is golden — Don’t be afraid of scenes with little or no talking. (ie — Delta Force 2’s silent Jet Ski scene) Silence is a natural stake raiser.
15. Who are you? Where are you? And Why am I watching you? — yup, yup, and yup.
16. Earn the Right to go “Meta” — Sure it’s fun to jump out of a scene, especially in front of people who appreciate it, to commentate on improvisation, but if you constantly break scene to draw attention to the mechanics of the scene, you cheapen everything and it becomes a parlor trick.
17. All suggestions are transformative — Even “potato”. Respect your audience and the time they took to give you something to transform into art.
18. Stay away from gimmicks, especially one’s that can hurt people — This is going to sound pretty rude, but I think it needs saying as it was the one performance during the marathon that really bothered me. We are celebrating one of the most important people in improvisation, who believed improv could be more than just fodder for other performing art forms. I’m pretty sure he’d be rolling in his grave if he knew you were amateurishly riding a unicycle inches away from injuring audience members and yourselves. Don’t get rid of the name, just loose the unicycles and grow unibrows.
19. Wait for the initiation — Coming into a scene with too much energy or information can sabotage your scene partner’s initiation. If you are entering onto a stage with a performer who has made an initiating move, keep your body neutral until you have heard their line, or you sense that they require some additional information from you. Coming into a scene with too many specifics can often step on the toes of your partner and throw a scene off completely. You have to allow your partner’s brick to be placed, before you know where to add your own.
20. Have fun — There’s nothing to worry about. Everyone in the audience wants you to succeed, take your time and enjoy the ride.

That’s it. Hope you enjoyed my little notebook of thoughts. Thanks again for all of the staff that made this year’s DCM so seamless. See you all next year.

This is just my way of saying, I haven’t forgotten about you, I’m just not as sprightly as I used to be.

P.S. — I’m not actually sure I was ever as sprightly as I used to be, but that’s between me and my poor memory.

(Photos to come)

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.

UCB Theatre (307 West 26th Street)

• I Eat Pandas
• Baby Wants Candy
• Wicked Fuckin’ Queeyah
• Code Duello: Hamilton & Burr
• The Swarm
• BASSPROV
• Walsh and Roberts
• KROMPF Improv Breakfast
• Biscuitville
• ASSSSCAT 3000

Hudson Guild (441 West 26th Street)

• MONKEYDICK: The Reunion Tour 2007
• Rebecca Drysdale

FIT (Seventh Avenue at 27th Street)

• Baby Wants Candy
• Respecto Montalban
• Scheer-McBrayer
• BASSPROV

I should really tell you what day and what time to see all this stuff, but why don’t you print out a schedule for yourself and mark up what you want to see? It’s easier for me and also… easier for me.

Part of all the buzz is because the week leading up the the DCM is filled with enough amazing improv to make your shriveled liver exclaim with fear and excitement, “moderation, moderation, moderation!” It’s going to be one hell of a week and knowing what to expect is half the battle… sidestepped G.I. Joe copyright infringement there.

For those of you who haven’t attended a DCM before, here are a few tips to help make the ride a bit more comfortable.

Del Close Marathon Tips

• Sometimes the sidelines are your best bet — Once the marathon is underway, seats are scarce. Seats on the sides are usually easier to get.
• Watch for Theater Flushings — Every few hours the theater is emptied to clean, restock bathrooms and bars, and give people in line a chance to get in. Check the schedule to plan when you enter and leave the theater. It sucks to get in, just as you are asked to leave, although you will be warned before hand.
• Remember to hydrate — you are probably going to drink, remember to occasionally drink water.
• See as much as you can — The DCM is one of the only times you are going to see certain groups perform, especially secondary characteristic groups like Wicked Fuckin’ Queeyah or Code Duello: Hamilton & Burr, who perform as characters performing improv. Stay for as long as you can stand it, then stay for one more show.
• Check out the other Theaters — While the UCB Theater is the main performance space, FIT and Hudson have the premium performances. Be sure to buy tickets and check them out for those special shows.
• Say Hi — Many of the performers coming to UCB will feel completely out of place in the hectic energy of the marathon, be sure to say hello and welcome everyone to New York. If you are visiting, feel free to chat up us New Yorkers, we’re super friendly… well most of us at least.
• Buy Your Sunday ASSSSCAT Tickets Early — They sell out online.
• Bring Snacks! - Although the UCB does not normally allow food into the theater, during the DCM it is allowed. Justin Purnell suggests Beef Jerkey and I heartily agree.
  

The DCM is one of the only times during the year that the asylum is opened to the insane. It was at the Del Close Marathon that I truly felt I had found a place where I belonged as an improviser. It’s a wild ride which will be sure to leave you with enough new ideas about improv to start a website called improv(something). :)

Have any tips yourself?

Also the Apiary has a slew of tips from last year’s DCM. Anna’s got tips as well.

This material is available on several pages on the DCM Website, and as a soon to be printed handy-dandy postcard, but it’s awesome to see what’s going on across all 3 days at a glance.

Our recommendations on what to see, coming soon.

Del Close Marathon Workshop

Special Marathon Workshop

Rob Riggle It’s sold out.
Tuesday 7-10pm Jul 24

Rob Riggle It’s sold out.
Wednesdays 7-10pm Jul 25

Matt Walsh Class is sold out It’s back up! It’s sold out.
Friday 12-4pm Jul 27

Matt Besser
Sunday 2-6pm Jul 29

We will be keeping up-to-date DCM information as it becomes available.

More classes were just added with Kevin Mullaney from UCBLA on Improvising From The Gut, Monday July 23rd 7-10pm.