Truth in Comedy

"Acting is the ability to live truthfully
under imaginary circumstances."
-Sanford Meisner

Lately I've been falling out of love with improv, just a little bit.

I've yet to see an improv show that really truly knocks my socks off. No, I take that back - there was a Jackie show a few summers ago that dazzled me with its cohesion, evidence of the "group mind" at work. And don't get me wrong, I've seen a ton of shows that were highly entertaining. But what appeals to me about improv is the promise of truth in comedy - of playing real, and having faith that the laughs will come. I can't remember the last time I saw a show that lived up to that promise. The laughs are too tempting.

I'm hungry for the experience of playing real characters, in real situations... in a performance that is truly willing to go without laughs if they don't come, but that avoids melodrama. No easy feat. But the prospect of it dangles in front of me like a drug.

I suppose you demand the most from the things that matter most, so my angst is probably proof that my love affair with improv is far from over. I'm hoping to scratch the itch I'm feeling with an acting class this summer.

In the meantime, I'm sitting in Tryst in Adams Morgan, and everyone around me is a potential character...

Creative DC Profile:Topher Bellavia, Improv Evangelist

Those of you who've been reading Creative DC for a while know that (a) I'm an improvisor, and (b) improv changed my life. By extension, that means Topher Bellavia changed my life, because he's the reason I started improvising. He got me up on stage one night at an open mic where I was fully intending to be an innocent bystander, and then he taught my first two improv classes, through Washington Improv Theater (WIT)... an organization with whom I now perform.

Topher - who was recently appointed WIT's managing director - loves evangelizing improv, and he does it well. When he asked me to post something about WIT classes on my blog, the journalist in me balked. Then I got over myself, and decided to take the opportunity to try to glimpse the mind of Topher. Behold the results.

Why do you evangelize improv?
Improv helped me to understand more about myself, other people, and the world around me. I teach improv because I’m addicted to seeing people have those “Ah-ha” moments, where they suddenly realize why certain people do the things they do, or even better, why they themselves do the things that they do. I evangelize it because I know that if everyone learned to do improv there would be more connection between people and less suspicion.

What's it like to be an introvert in an improv class?
It’s like having permission to do and say all those things you’ve ever wanted to in a fun and safe environment.

In your experience, are most good improvisors funny in real life?
Good improvisers can see the humor in everyday life. They are observers. They can make amusing connections between events and concepts that other people don’t seem to see. But are they constantly going around being hilarious? God no. I’d quit this in a New York minute if I had to hang out with people that are being “funny” all the time. Man are they tiring.

A lot of WIT's materials reference improv as an antidote to the seriousness of life in DC. Is improv about escaping seriousness?
It’s about escaping the fake seriousness that seems pervasive in this city. Ego battles, fake deadlines, territory squabbles, needless paperwork, status rituals. All that stupid stuff that doesn’t even matter. In improv we take a step back and observe this stuff, then use our insights to skewer it and figure out what is really important.

Name something you're intrigued by.
Most people’s inability to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. When we’re in a car, we get annoyed at pedestrians. When we’re walking, we hate drivers. Or at least I do . . .

Ok, here's your chance to make a pitch: why someone should take an improv class, in 10 words or less
Students walk away from class surprised and amazed by themselves.

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Registration is now open for WIT's spring 2007 classes.