Improvland
In response to our tsumani of fan desperation I (Tom, the elbow-y one) have developed a Social Media Disaster Relief Program that will consist of five reflections on the two weeks we just spent in New York performing as part of the Del Close Marathon and FringeNYC. Out of respect to the city, these reflections will be organized in five memory-neighbourhoods: three actual, two experiential. One will be posted everyday(ish) so check back or be left out!
This particular show took place at 4:15am. No big deal. The Big Apple was a dream destination for us, and in many ways the gem in the crown of our tour, so we were out to make the most of the town. But we were also there for business…improv business. All of this time was concentrated on two theatre companies that make their home in the same eight block area around 26th street and 8th avenue also known—for the sake of this post—as Improvland.[1]
Our first weekend in town was dominated—completely—by the shows and parties of the infamous Del Close Marathon, the huge festival the Uprights Citizens Brigade (UCB) puts on each year that runs no-stop for 72 hours. UCB is where many famous-ies got their start, and it’s also where thousands and thousands of others paid thousands and thousands to take classes. For hockey fans, UCB is the Notre Dame of development programs, for tight rope fans it is Brunar’s High Top Tots Training.[2]
The weekend was pretty incredible. Yeah, there was an open bar, two-floor dance party going on at all times for performers in a loft down the street, but there was so much more…highlights included three tremendous ladies of Doppleganger who hold no regard for your delicate sensibilities, Canadian homeboys Sex T-Rex, and L.A. superspeed demons Convoy.
Outside of the festival we took in improv all over the place, but mostly at the Magnet Theatre. Magnet has more of an indy vibe, preaches a less restrictive philoshophy to its students and teams, and personally several of my favourite groups[3] and teams ever have come from there. There are no hockey schools like it, but in the tight rope world it would be the White Cat Red Line school. We saw great shows from Dunk and Brick there, and then played a fun (as in, beer-heavy) mixer with a couple of New York favourites.
All in all, our time in improvland was pretty damn top notch. For a couple guys used to a town of a relatively small cohort of talented improvisers that do some-not-lots of shows each week, seeing a city with hundreds or thousands of great performers getting attention from “average” New Yorkers, this put things in perspective a bit. We have a good thing going here, Vancouver.
[1] Reading over it, this whole post is pretty damn improv nerdy. If that’s not your thing, well, no hard feelings, come back tomorrow, when I will resume reflecting on other things almost as exciting, like the places I found good soft cheeses, and the experience I had almost buying some shoes I was pretty ok with.
[2] You don’t know that isn’t real.
[3] Has everyone heard that 4Track is no longer? R.I.P. favourite improv troupe/form ever.