Why I Haven’t Been Blogging #2: Improv Festivals

by Nathan Melcher     Aug 19, 2008

I’ve been fortunate enough to perform at my sixth, seventh, and eight improv festivals this summer: I co-headlined the San Francisco Improv Festival over July 24-26, co-headlined at the Santa Cruz Improv Festival on July 27, and recently wrapped up a great show at the Milwaukee Improv Festival on August 9. Keen-eyed readers will notice I performed at two festivals on one trip. That is officially a tour. I am a touring artist, folks.

“The Uncle Ukulele Show” is a solo musical improv show which means when it comes to rehearsal this can be both a blessing and a curse. Getting an ensemble together to rehearse can be difficult due to people’s individual schedules and commitment levels. But if you’re a regular reader of this blog you know how time management is one of my greatest struggles, and for me, getting oneself to rehearse can be an even greater challenge. Circumstances for all three of these festivals demanded I step up and practice hard and consistently.

For starters, the San Francisco Improv Festival (SFIF) and Santa Cruz Improv Festival (SCIF) both asked me to perform forty-five minute shows. This was the first time I was asked to perform a solo improv show over twenty minutes and doubling my performance time was a daunting task. Both shows also listed me as headliner as opposed to simply part of the show and this made me want to stand and deliver. As for the Milwaukee Sketch & Improv Festival (MKIF), I’m their first Minnesota performer and one of the few solo improv shows in their three-year history and it was important to me to make my appearance there a strong show.

In short, that meant I had to put aside a few projects (including this blog) and really focused on practice, practice, practice.

My show is broken up into a series of rotating segments all linked together by the character. That means I can pick and choose which song genres to try, which storytelling opportunities to use, etc. For SFIF and SCIF I ended up using most of my repertoire and trying some new stuff, too. Working up a longer list of segments than I’m used to delivering in a single show meant giving them all more attention while hopefully not spreading myself too thin. To end the suspense, all of the California shows went really well and I can say without hesitation the show I did at MSIF was the best solo show I’ve ever done.

So what does all of this mean to me? I feel like I have tangible evidence of my creative growth as an improviser, performer, and producer. Improviser, in that I really tried to play off the top of my intelligence and do something great. Performer, as I took my characterization to new heights. Producer, in that I really stepped up the content of my show and made my focus giving the audience a great show. The lesson here for successful creativity is that when one puts in the work, man can it really pay off.

This post is an overview of my preparation and performance. I owe all three of these festivals a separate blog post, and I hope to get those up soon. In the meantime, let’s get onto some photos…

All photos are credited to the delightful, helpful, amazing Clay Robeson, save the last which is credited to my wife, Kelly Melcher. Click the pick for a bigger, higher-resolution photo.

Stay creative, people.

-nm

Technorati Tags: audience interaction, better improvising, electic ukulele, improv, lanikai, milwaukee sketch improv festival, san francisco improv festival, santa cruz improv festival, ukulele show

Improvising Lyrics

by Nathan Melcher     Mar 30, 2008

Julie Strietelmeier is running a brilliant contest at her ukulele-centric blog, UkuleleReview.com, and this weekend I threw my hat in the ring to win a prize package including the ultra-sweet, ultra-cute Flea ukulele.

In the summer of 2005, I was at La Vonne Music in Savage, MN with my friend, Eric, and I plucked around on a Flea. Eric said maybe the Flea is the instrument for me; I didn’t buy one that day, but I did ask my parents for a ukulele for Christmas, almost as a joke. They gave me a basic uke, I strummed out a few tunes, and now it’s the center of my solo musical improv show, The Uncle Ukulele Show. The Flea has a unique shape and feel, and I must say it has a beautiful sound. Saving money for the wedding precludes my picking one up on my own, for now, so I’m hoping my contest entry brings that Flea home to me so I might bring the story full-circle to the Flea.

My entry details some of what I do to set myself up for success when improvising lyrics in The Uncle Ukulele Show. The prep work involved allows me to give my full focued attention to the lyrics themselves, leaving them purely improvised. WordPress didn’t make it easy to figure out how to embed video, but here’s my first crack it on this blog:

Julie announces contest winners on April 4, 2008, so stay tuned to see if I’m one of three winners of my very own Flea… (04.04.08 Update: looks like I didn’t win, but there are plenty of contest entry gems, including the winners.)-nm

Technorati Tags: improv, ukulele, improvising lyrics, Flea ukulele, La Vonne

Your Friday Recommendation #6.

by Nathan Melcher     Feb 8, 2008

If you’re passionate about improv, you likely seek out as much information as you can about it. There is a decent-sized handful of improv books out there, and half of them are halfway decent, but one to put toward the top of your reading list is Improvise by Mick Napier.

The intro-level improv class I’m teaching at the Brave New Workshop took most of our rehearsal time to discuss this book last night. They talked about ideas they liked (listening, taking care of yourself, etc.) and ideas that didn’t quite click for them (thermodynamics), and overall walked away more excited about improv than ever, which should be the goal of any good improv craft book. At least two students commented on how something Napier posits pinpoints their exact improvement issues, and it was cool for them to read about them.

Napier talks a lot about the “rules” of improv, and how in many ways, improv doesn’t need them to succeed. On many levels, I agree, thought I think the “rules” have been misinterpreted and misconstrued over the years to become the “rules” they are now. For example, asking questions - I think it’s perfectly acceptable for characters to ask questions in scenes. However, if the questions that come out in scenes are coming from the actor, because they truly have no idea what is going on, that’s the actor coming from a place of fear and they need to get over it. Yet I hear people say not to ask questions in a scene. I propose one can, so long as the question comes from the character, not the actor. To me, the “rules” are there for a reason, and they can work quite well for many people. Also, I wonder about improvisers who never learn the rules whatsoever and their success rate. For example, the book concentrates on re-teaching those who have learned the rules already, which to me says despite any burdens the rules may cause, they’re still out there for everyone to try.

Napier will be the first to avoid terms like “guru,” but he truly is one of the smartest improv coaches today. As one lucky enough to take a few master classes with the man, I witnessed him sense hundreds of young improviser’s “deal” after witnessing just one scene - and when it came to me, he was on the nose every time. Track down his classes and failing that, read the book. Then re-read it.

-nm

Technorati Tags: reading recommendations, mick napier, improvise, improv book, improv rules

Improv and Storytelling.

by Nathan Melcher     Jan 24, 2008

It appears this may be a week of improv-related posts.

I’m teaching an intro-level performance track improv class at the Brave New Workshop these days and the subject of story and scene came up, and this is a subject I’ve been kicking around in my brain for a while. It this particular situation, there was speculation that, if the players in a scene can feel it has reached its natural ending in the story arc, should the scene be cut or is it okay to let it continue and see what else happens. I’m of the opinion both approaches can work - on a case-by-case basis considering the scene, the players, the audience, etc. - if the players involved treat the situation with truth.

Let’s say a two-person scene establishes two characters who are ex-lovers. They are both upset about their relationship and want things to be better. Finally, they make up and tell each other, “I love you.” If this scene were in a movie, the scene would fade to black and the credits would roll. But that’s not how it would go in real life. In reality, something happens after two people say “I love you.” They talk more, or cuddle or make hot chocolate. Whatever they do, it takes what just happens and begins a new story arc. The “I love you” moment moves from the climax of one story to the beginning of the first act for the next story. To this end, a scene could continue and explore the characters’ relationship further.

In improv ensemble work, this approach requires patience from both the players in the scene (deciding your scene has ended from the inside can be dangerous) and the players on the back line (particularly for ensembles who often cut scenes when the “big laugh” happens). Instead of looking for the high point or the “big laugh,” I wonder what would happen if more improvisers cut scenes by looking for story arcs. And on top of that, I wonder what would happen in more improvisers recognized story arcs, let them run their course, and let them carry on beyond into truly unknown territory.

-nm

Technorati Tags: improv, storytelling, scene edit

I’m in the San Francisco Improv Festival.

by Nathan Melcher     Jan 21, 2008

Today I received notice my solo improv format, The Uncle Ukulele Show, has been accepted to the San Francisco Improv Festival. This will mark my second festival appearance as Uncle Ukulele, and my sixth festival appearance overall. SFIF features one-hour performance slots, and that means developing new directions for the show to grow. I already have more segments than a typical twenty-minute set allows, and I’ve brainstormed more and will be diligent in making them reach their fullest potential. I’ll have my performance dates set soon, but I know I’ll be traveling west some time in July or August.

It occurs to me I don’t have much information about Uncle Ukulele on the interweb, so I’ll try to change that soon. In the meantime, I can give a brief bit of information here and now. This is from the show’s submission release:

Uncle Ukulele is a musical solo improv show created by Nate Melcher. As “Uncle Ukulele,” a friendly, overly-upbeat children’s entertainer, Melcher asks the audience to embrace their sense of play and remember the wonder of childhood. Together, they will venture forth on a wild adventure filled with fun songs, crazy stories, silly sing-a-longs, puppet shows, and tons of audience participation. With his trusty ukulele at his side, Uncle Ukulele has been making audiences laugh since March of 2007.

Some posts are in the pipeline detailing what the show is like, how I developed a solo improv form that works for me, as well as how I practice solo improv. Also expect notices about some upcoming shows in Minneapolis for the local readers.

-nm

Technorati Tags: solo improv, ukulele, san francisco improv festival

Why do improv festivals?

by Nathan Melcher     Oct 16, 2007

I’ve returned from the Gainesville Improv Festival a little tired and a lot satisfied. First some diary, then some reflection:

I ended up doing two shows, one “Uncle Ukulele” and one jam. My solo performance on Thursday had some fun highlights and while I don’t believe it was the best show I’ve done, it picked up steam as it went along and the audience was with me. I was invited to play in the GIF All-Stars Armando Diaz jam on Friday night. It was a fun, low-stakes show with a diverse cast of ten from Chicago, LA, Minneapolis, and various Florida cities. The weekend was filled with familiar faces like Tom O’Donnell, Dave Hyland, and Dustin Sharpe (Mod 27), Jesse Parent and Joe Rogan (Jokyr & Jesster), Mark Bratton aka Ho’Lease and the boys from Pimprov, and plenty of new Florida faces including Skyler, Jeff of ArACka, and Brian Jaeger and James Gallen (Taser-Friendly). The parties? Thursday, too loud. Friday, just right.

On Saturday, the fiancée and I headed down to Orlando to catch a show at SAK Comedy Lab, featuring her uncle and SAK artistic director, Dave Russell. The most-unexpected moment (and thus, a definite highlight) of the entire weekend was walking into SAK and seeing Jim Doyle’s headshot on the “Who’s Performing” wall. Jim and I met on YESand.com a few years ago and then in-person during the 2006 Miami Improv Festival. It was fun to see Jim and Dave (plus the rest of the talented cast) play to a crowd who ate it up. Finally, we saw some old friends from my high school days and had a terrible waitress (a requirement of any vacation).

GIF marked my fifth improv festival invitation and the seventh festival I’ve attended, overall. But I’ve never made a dime on them. In fact, I’m plunked down several thousand dollars in airfare, hotel, car rentals, submission fees, and parties over the years on festivals alone. It begs the question, why go to festivals at all? It’s expensive, it’s time-consuming, and it doesn’t put more butts in the seats at your local theater. So why go through the trouble of taping a show, creating a submission tape, writing a bio, printing photos, spending a few bucks on an application fee, and then essentially “pay-to-play”?

Improv festivals typically have an education component worth your time.

There reaches a point for many improvisors when classes don’t necessarily entice, but for many beginners looking to sharpen skills or veterans looking to learn from the best, classes are the way to go. You don’t live in a city with a big improv scene? Go to a festival in one of those cities and learn from their top instructors. On top of that, many festivals bring in instructors from across the nation for their locals (and visitors) to learn from. It’s an opportunity more young improvisors could and should take advantage of on a regular basis.

Where better to learn what the nation is doing in improv than at an improv festival?

Online communication, articles, books and so on are great ways to learn how other people are treating the art form, but there’s something to be said about experiencing it, first-hand. Improv festivals pull in performers and students from all over the world. Thanks to festivals, I’ve met performers from Japan, Norway, England, NYC, LA, Denver, Toronto, Florida, Chicago, San Francisco, Phoenix, Boston, Salt Lake City, Chapel Hill, Honolulu, and so on. What am I supposed to do, travel to all of those places, individually?

Improv festivals can help you gain exposure.

Make no mistake, many people are trying to get their name out there, and an improv festival can help you do that. I don’t see this as a bad or self-indulgent thing. Getting out there and getting known, even in something as tiny as the improvosphere, can be a step in the right direction, especially in the realm of networking. As for folks who say going to festivals only to become famous, I liken these people to the haters who complain when their favorite “local” band makes it “big,” crying out how the artist “sold out.” Dude, what did you want, for the band you love to stay your tiny little secret and be miserable not trying to move on to something bigger and better than the every-third-Thursday open jam night at Bar McGrew? Grow up.

Improv festivals play a key role in networking.

I had my time and energies spent in the above three categories, but I now mostly enjoy festivals for the networking. Improv festivals are like family reunions - old friends are happy to see each other and the new folk get welcomed into the fold. It’s fun to know I have connections around the nation with a shared love of this little art form. For me, it has translated into couches to crash on (which I’ve done, from San Francisco to Chicago to Denver to Orlando and so on), to phone calls / blogs / message boards for discussion (YESand, CIN), to unique performance opportunities (the jam session I put together with Tom of Mod 27 and Jokey & Jesster at MIF 2006 immediately springs to mind), and publishing opportunities (how many times can I type YESand.com in this post?). All of those things happened because people got to know me and trust me at improv festivals.

That’s why I’ll keep applying to festivals, that’s why I’ll keep going to festivals, and that’s why I’ll keep recommending festivals to improvisors of any experience level.

-nm

Technorati Tags: gainesville improv festival, networking, sak, improv festival, yes and, mod 27, pimprov

Rehearsing Solo Improv

by Nathan Melcher     Oct 10, 2007

My perspective on this blog has shifted of late, from only being about writing to touching on creativity overall. To this end, here’s my first official post about improv…

I’m in the midst of rehearsing for an appearance tomorrow night at the Gainesville Improv Festival in Sunny Florida and have really found the difference between rehearsing with people and rehearsing alone fascinating. You see, my latest improv project is a solo piece entitled “Uncle Ukulele.” I play an overly upbeat children’s entertainer who sings songs based on audience suggestions while accompanying himself on, what else, the ukulele. There are other elements in the show, including different genres of songs, puppets, stories, and typically an “electrifying” ending. At the heart of the show is audience participation - my character interacts with the audience from the top of the show to the very last word. It’s integral the audience say “yes” to being young boys and girls for twenty-five minutes and join me on the ride. Having fun with the audience is at the heart of this show, I cannot stress it enough.

So here I am, rehearsing the show alone at home.

I’ve rehearsed in improv ensembles. During scenes in rehearsal, there’s a built-in audience of other actors on the “back line,” ready to jump in and perform a new scene but also watching the scene at-hand with great intent. I’ve also rehearsed in an improv duo, and while there is no audience there is someone to bounce ideas off. Rehearsing a solo show is a solo experience. If something comes up that’s funny, I have to chuckle at it in my head and stay in character. If something isn’t working, I try to persevere as though someone were watching, no matter how great the inclination is to just quit it and start over. If anything, I’d say rehearsing solo keeps me on my toes more than any duo or ensemble rehearsal has.

Most interesting to me is when I find myself having conversations with hypothetical audience members. They’re each unique and I go back and forth with them, working on my tone (super-friendly!) and facial expressions (super-smiley!). Some of them are even uncooperative (what does it say that I practice what to do if I run across a jerk?). I must say, a lot of this happens in the car when NPR loses my attention. If you’ve ever been driving and see someone singing their heart out behind their steering wheel, radio cranked, imagine seeing me actively speaking with Harvey the Rabbit as I sit behind my steering wheel, smile cranked.

There’s more to speak about on this topic, but the above post is a good start. I wanted to get something out to you, dear reader, before I embark on my trip to Gainesville. Questions / comments welcomed.

-nm

Technorati Tags: improv, Gainesville Improv Festival, ukulele, rehearsal, solo show, creativity

Storytelling shapes.

by Nathan Melcher     Jul 29, 2007

Though it’s been a while since I’ve done onstage improv on a consistent basis, I’ve been performing since 1999. I’ve also been writing during that time, though I’ve realized that when I’m improvising more, I write less and vice versa (lately, it’s the case of vice versa). One thing I dig about improv and writing are its commonalities, and one major piece is storytelling.

Jerome Stern presents his concept that each work of fiction has a certain shape which lends itself to a distinct style of storytelling. I’m reading his book, Making Shapely Fiction, and am enjoying the concepts he lays out. Stern presents sixteen story “shapes,” each presents the story shape, explain why it’s effective and what pitfalls to avoid, gives an original example of the story shape (all written by Stern, as far as I can tell), and asks the reader to try writing a story in that style. It’s a quick read, a good shelf resource, and nice and cheap - what more does one need from a good writing book?

A few of Stern’s shapes remind me of what can make a good improv scene successful. For example, in “Bear at the Door,” Stern asks the reader to write a story where the character has a problem, a significant problem, a pressing problem. The example problem he uses is a bear at the door: “The bear demands action. (Stern, 46)” To go beyond the bear example, the story demands action. A healthy improv scene will constantly raise the stakes; the actors won’t hesitate, even if their characters do, to take action. Another of Stern’s story shapes is “Blue Moon,” describing how to make the unreal acceptable in story (think fantasy, science fiction, legends and myths, etc.). These are the stories which rely on the reader’s willingness to suspend belief, and it all begins at the beginning. Let’s say there’s an improv scene where Actor A proclaims his favorite taxi drivers are chipmunks. Actor B has two choices: embrace it and declare something which raises the stakes (”Yes, and they drive better than those stinkin’ squirrel drivers!”) or try to justify the crazy claim with something that breaks the reality (”Oh, grandpa, take your pills!”). They’re both responses, but the first one is a healthier choice. It accepts and supports the reality of the scene laid out by Actor A. With this choice, Actor B is not afraid to let the scene’s reality be different than the reality of his own world, and the characters - and the audience - is in for a real treat.

Stern’s story shapes are aimed at fiction writers (always know your intended audience, dear reader!), but the crossover to other forms of storytelling art is hard to ignore.

~ nm

Technorati Tags: jerome stern, fiction, improv, storytelling, making shapely fiction, writing advice

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  Brought together by mutual interest in creative arts and web development, Minnesota duo Barry Hess and Nathan Melcher founded Scrawlers.com in 2006. Scrawlers marries creativity with a web-based outlet for aspiring writers and The Scrawl blog seeks to add fuel your creative fire.

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