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Sorry for not getting this out earlier, but I didn’t see the announcement on the UCB:NY website until Sunday afternoon, and just managed to get tickets myself. Hopefully this will reach folks before the show, if not, I’ll be sure to have a review of the show for those of yall who missed it. Sorry about that.
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UCB Harold team 1985 performing on Harold night
When I see a Harold (long form improv), part of me just sits back and enjoys the action with a cold PBR in hand, but the other half studies each scene, trying to discover what works, and what doesn’t. I try to keep track of highlights, and write down, in a notebook, a quick review of the troupe’s performance. These notes not only help me remember a performance months later, but also allow me to put together a good overview of who’s who in the New York improv scene. The purpose of this list isn’t to create a good aor bad list of groups, but rather to serve as a teaching tool for myself.
So, how do I look at Harolds? Here’s a constantly evolving list of a few things. Read on…
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Here in New York City it’s been raining forever. Well, not really forever, but if I was a fruit-fly, I would have been born and have died and only seen rain. So, in my final class show for Shannon O’Neil’s Improv 101 class, which I totally recommend, the suggestion for our monologues was? You guessed it, rain.
And today I check my weather thing and guess what? More rain. This forecast has been the same for the last week, one more day and then it’s going to be sunny, but the sun never comes, only the rain.
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To surf you must paddle quickly at the outset, in order to catch a wave. If you do not paddle fast enough you will be passed by the wave and wind up not surfing. likewise, In an improv scene you want to come out of the gate with strong ideas, whether it be your character, location, or situation. The stronger your ideas, the more your partner will have to work with. The more you have to work with the better your scene is likely to be.
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25 Years of Improv Comedy
:2 stars:
2006
90 minutes
Filmed at the 25th Anniversary Celebration of iO (formerly the Improve Olympic), this movie basically tries to document the evenings shenanigans.
While I appreciate the idea of this documentary, the actual film making is really lacking. Not only do the improvisors have to hold a microphone if they want to be heard, destroying any illusion of character, but the cabled mics get wrapped around improvisors legs and makes for bad scene-work. The 90 minute running time means that almost every improv scene got edited for time and basically defeated the point of Long-form improvisation.
Unfortunately this disc is a very bad representation of iO’s excellent talent. I would suggest instead of renting this film, to check out the iO to Go podcast instead as you will get a far better overview of their work.
Highlights: Tim Meadows playing a spelling bee contestant and the UCB4 creating mischief.
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Last night I attended Harold Night at Upright Citizen’s Brigade to catch some long-form improv.
So, after a few Harolds and a few beers I had to pee pretty badly and headed to the men’s restroom to relive myself and there was a line. Unfortunately, I psyched myself out by thinking, “I hope I can pee with all these guys behind me waiting to use the urinal” Sure enough… Pee shy.
CRAP!
I zipped up, turned around defeated, and wondered back over to the people I was sitting with. Of course, back in my seat my bladder regained it’s courage and again I had to pee like the dickens.
After the last Harold team went up, I sprinted back over to the Men’s Room and again was greeted by a line of fellow patrons all waiting to pee. “Please O’Lord,” I said to myself, “let me pee!” However, this time, I really had to pee and even my bladder couldn’t deny me release.
Then a voice from ahead said, “I have a lot of trouble peeing with other people watching.”
“It’s alright,” I said consolingly, “I had the same thing happen earlier.” The statement came out sounding a lot wierder than it would have, had we not have been in a men’s room at the time. But my friend up front couldn’t do it and left the bathroom humiliated.
Finally, it was my turn. I walked up to the urinal and hopefully waited for something to happen. And sure enough, I began to pee, but not a regular pee, this was one of those really long pees. The kind where your eyes tear up and you shoulders involuntarily shudder in relief. I must of stood there peeing for a good 3–4 minutes, now embarrassed that I couldn’t stop.