Improv 101 is over. What an amazing opportunity. I’m so glad that I bit the bullet and got out of my comfort zone and did something like that. While I find myself personally hilarious I would never suggest that I am by any means skillfully funny. Although from what I learned in class, and read on improv-haters blogs, improv is not supposed to be funny. Huh, who knew?! Anyway it’s totally helped me with off the cuff and public speaking work-wise so brownie points.
Leading up to my last class, or the “showcase’ was weird. The “what if’s” were in full force, “what if I say something disturbing”, “what if I go-up”, “what if I pee my pants”, “what if everyone thinks I suck balls”. Then all would be cool and I wouldn’t stress a bit. Then I would get back all in my own head and have all these crazy thoughts swirling around and little voices taunting me. I know, so freaking nuts. It’s an artistic brain or something, I read about artists being sensitive and weird all the time. But then our teacher sent us this guy Jimmy Carrane’s Blog called Improv Nerd.
It. Was. Life changing.
Not because he’s this great improver or hilarious, which he may very well be – but it was how he articulated pre show nerves and the range of emotions he would feel before and after a performance. He claims to have all kinds of emotional anxiety and maybe that’s why I related so much but it gave me the courage to get out of my own head and pretend to feel confident. And I did. And the show was awesome. And apparently I was always the mad, angry or yelling character, which maybe leads me to think maybe improv is my outlet for repressed emotional anger. That’s deep.
