SUN-02 Improv Workshop

[eddi]

Exercises (as best I can recall):
Name-pushing/receiving
Sound-pushing/receiving
Ants on a cracker
Simultaneous word-saying
Gift-giving, giver says
Gift-giving, receiver says
Dealing with objects in scene (roommates in kitchen, renter-rentee in garage)
Adding peeps to scene (Lightbulb -> Climbing -> Tattoo -> Football -> Tattoo -> Climbing -> Lightbulb)
Status-play: 2-up with numbers called-out (two kids in mall; two guys at a bachelorette party)
Sequential connections w. maybe different status (Dog-walkers, therapist at the gym, brothers having coffee, squash friends)
Twenty

Thoughts:
- As others said - I really appreciated Karen highlighting how each particular exercise applied to LARPing.
- Twenty's 'group think' thing still bugs me. I want to be able to define what I'm working towards. How do I improve something I can't identify? I believe it's possible, I just wish it were less nebulous.
- I also loved how positive the space was. Wonderful to be surrounded by nothing but mutual appreciation.
- Possibly conflicting with the previous point, I'd kind of like to get some feedback on ways I could improve. You can sort of infer it from watching what other people do, but I might be blind to my own mistakes. Probably some way to give advice without breaking the good vibes of the space; but maybe that's too hard in a con environment when everyone are strangers and trust is so fragile?
- Appreciated how incredibly sensitive Matt and Karen were to how people might be feeling; when discussing the scenes afterwards; when being the one left out in ants on a cracker; when a person might think they made a mistake.
- One of the other players mentioned some of the games had elements of 'winning'. I didn't actually notice that at the time, but if there are, I'd rather have them de-emphasized than encouraged. 1) It adds to your mental load - when you're already trying to listen to your fellows, portray your character, keep track of imaginary objects, etc. 2) Trying to win might lead you in a direction that is different from the one you would have taken if you were just acting in the moment with your partner.
- Again, I appreciated the restatement of personal boundaries and space clothes, space shoulders, etc.
- I messed up the second gift-giving exercise and kept waiting for Morgan to tell me about my present. Sorry, Morgan!

- Favourite Exercise: Really can't decide.

- Exercise I think I got the most out of: I think the methods for manipulating imaginary objects will be what I'll be able to apply most quickly, but I think the status stuff has given me the most to think about. Without someone directing me when to dial it up or dial it down, I'd have to be in charge of deciding my relative status on the fly - which is just one more thing to think about. For now I'm mainly taking away that it's possible for your status relative to another character to change depending on the circumstances; even within the same conversation. And that one shouldn't feel that one has locked oneself into a single, static, power-dynamic.

Favourite Bits:
- Jeremy's character julienning. And Jeremy's other character explaining how relationships work.
- Ross's character's tape-measuring.
- Karen's reaction to Matt's gift of the raccoon. She snuggled it so believably!
- Will's run-in and huddle. Such authority! Sounded so sports-guy-like!
- Miles' character telling Morgan's character to handle that one clip by himself. So good.
- Morgan E's recovery from the fall and anxiety about a single speck of tattoo-ink. Brilliant.
- Morgan S's excitement about his chair gift! So. Much. Enthusiasm.
- Gavin's neosporin and squats. Great physical acting!