Improv Utopia East
I can't believe I was able to do both west and east this year. So amazing. The instructors were fabulous! Simply amazing.
Paul Valliancourt - still on my mind's Mount Olympus and the highest pedestal, ruling over all. His workshop on the triangle of a scene was great. Super meta and theological. As if some equation is going to bad scenes from happening. Also had a great conversation with him at the local bar, Dimmick's Inn, about the types of radishes. He even wiki'ed to see how many species of them there are. We high fived about that and not eating meat!
Craig Cackowski - living legend. During the picture of all of camp, I plopped next to him in the 3rd row and asked about where I was living now in Chicago, I told him and he proceeded to let me know that that might be Tina Fey's old apartment building. I was to send him a map of it for him to double check - I did and it is. WHA.. Also his workshop on selling it, improved with time.
Rick Andrews - Magnet theatre. Calls scene like a game show host. Amazing funny and allowed all of us to be vulnerable. Fucking scary. I confessed that although I live in Chicago I'm having a hard time saying that's where I'm from. I know it's only been a month, but I think it's more along the lines of me not wanting to let go of Detroit and CSz and DIF, then me being part of this awesome community in a huge setting. I also confessed that I just want to be the best at improv. And I do. If I could make a living creating random stories and having a great time doing it, that'd be the dream. I also said I wanted to win at improv. Everyone laughed. There's my book title.
Will Luera - his workshop broke down a scene and made each part a subscene. It was interesting to take giant breaks in between and then to pick up emotionally charged where you left off. I think this is what acting is all about.
Comparatively to Improv Utopia West, the amenities were not pretty. Showering was scary. None of the toilets had doors. My bunkmates were overwhelmingly selfish and rude. I was sleep deprived from the moment I arrived and was never allowed to actually get a some rest.
And I'm still in that plateau/rut.