I’ve been sitting in and helping direct a group of improvisers in a form that involves a five-person scene. We’re trying to make it a form where all the improvisers have their “moment”.

I have to admit that I’m into thoughtful scenework. I think there’s a very tenuous balance to making a large group scene work. The dynamic in the group that we’re working with right now is very interesting. They’re primarily BIG players. They all think outside of the box and play big and loud. It’s a lot of fun to watch but can be especially dangerous in a large group scene.

We broke it down like this though – it’s all about F-O-C-U-S, every one of the players has a reason for being there, and each one deserves focus, so when it’s their “turn” give them the focus because what they say is important and when you start fighting for that focus, it’s chaotic and self-serving. Besides the fact that you can’t hear each other and neither can the audience.

I follow a couple of feel-good feeds on twitter. Tiny Buddha is one of them, I love the posts that deal with relationships because sometimes I feel that they are the applicable to good scenework on stage as well. Here is my translation in, I hope, understandable improv catch-phrases for you. But for the original article, please click on the title.

7 Vital Choices for Happy Relationships

1. Practice self love first.
(Improv translation – Take care of yourself first, you can make choices right from the top that will help your scene partner and you have a great scene, so take the time to do your things, they will help you support the other person you’re with.)

It seems like you can only have happy relationships if you can be happy with or without them. ~Erika Gonzalez

Know that it is not the other person’s job to make you happy. The only person who can do that is you! ~Christi Emmons

The ultimate kicker: be honest with yourself about who you are. ~Kelly Bell

Know that you can be yourself and still be accepted. The best relationship is when you bring out the best in each other, and you are purely content when neither has anything to say. ~Stephanie Schwenning

Take it off the page:

* Make a list or mental note of all the things to appreciate about you. Realize everyone has flaws, and there’s a lot more right with you than wrong with you.
* Work on forgiving yourself. The past is the past and you deserve to put it behind you, but no one else can let it go for you.
* Be good to yourself today. Practice yoga, meditate, or take a walk.

2. Focus on compatibility.
(Improv translation – Reach an agreement of sorts, everyone relates to everyone else differently, figure that out and agree that, that is the reality that you have established. You don’t have to keep inventing your reality, establish one and reap the benefits of being able to explore that reality to the fullest.)

Be best friends first. ~Wendy Nicholson

Have an incredible “like” for each other. ~Diane Bateman

Have shared (or at least compatible) values and communication. Everything else can be forgiven, accepted, or put aside, however values are the root of how we relate to all beings. ~Frank Ra

Find the person who inspires you to be a better you, and always encourage them to become the best them. ~Corinne Morrill

Take it off the page:

* If you’re single, do something social that you love. You’re more likely to meet compatible people if you get out there and foster your interests.
* If you’re in a relationship, spend some time sharing something you both enjoy. My boyfriend and I met at karaoke, so singing together is a great way to connect.
* If you’re in a relationship with someone and it always feels like hard work, ask yourself: are you trying to jam a square peg into a round hole? It can be scary to walk away from the wrong person, but it’s the only possibility of meeting someone who will feel right.

3. Practice acceptance.
(Improv translation – Improv is about accepting the imperfections of life and building on them. When we say, “Yes, And” we are accepting the way things are and making the most of it. It is how everyone wins.)

Accept that not everyone or everything is perfect. We are all perfectly flawed. ~Simon Kirk

Be non-demanding of your partner—partners don’t tell each other what to do. ~John Bigl

Mutual adoration and acceptance of the differences that make each of you individuals are keys to a phenomenal relationship. ~Casey Kimes

Happiness is a choice, as are all things in life. I choose to see and feel grateful for all of the best qualities in my partner, rather than focusing on shortcomings. ~Emily Roberts

Take it off the page:

* If you feel yourself focusing on everything someone appears to be doing wrong, ask yourself if there’s something else upsetting you. It’s easier to blame other people than it is to look in ourselves, but oftentimes that’s where the problem is.
* If you feel like changing something about someone else today, ask yourself what change you can make in yourself instead. If you feel unappreciated, show appreciation. It’s more empowering and productive to show people how to treat us than to complain about what’s lacking.
* If there’s something you just can’t accept, ask yourself if you’re willing to walk away because of it. We can’t change other people, but we can change our relationship to them.

4. Have realistic expectations.
(Improv translation – Dare to be boring. In life, interesting things happens every day when we open ourselves up to them, don’t feel the need to make it or force it to happen, just let it.)

Don’t expect it to be happy all the time. ~Stephanie Goddard

Don’t sweat the small things and speak up when it really is important to you. ~Elizabeth Sadhu

Remember that it isn’t always happy, but get through those not so happy moments together or apart, whichever is needed. ~Jessica Duff

Keep realistic standards for each other. ~Ashna Singh

Take it off the page:

* Eliminate the word should today—how a relationship should work, how people should act if they love you.
* Notice when you’re projecting something onto the other person that has nothing to do with them, like a fear from a past relationship. Then make an effort to let it go.
* Recognize when you’re looking for that person to do something for you that you need to do for yourself, like make you feel lovable or take care of your needs. Then release those expectations and do it for yourself.

5. Be kind in words and deeds.
(Improv translation – Listen. What you say and what you do matters in the scene. What your partner says and does matters in the scene.)

Think about the person’s feelings before you speak or criticize them. ~Dana Brewer Covey

Have a fast ear and a slow tongue. ~Mark Ward

Have compassion and grow together, not apart, as the years go on. ~Krista Tverdak

Love must be bigger and stronger than anything else. Never keep any record of your partner’s mistakes and faults and be ready to forgive. ~Mel Escobar

Take it off the page:

* Make an effort to really listen—not just wait to talk.
* See the other person as if for the first time. It’s all too easy to take someone for granted. Really notice all the wonderful things they do, and let them know what you see.
* If you get frustrated with each other, ask yourself, “Will this really matter after I’ve cooled down?”

6. Be honest.
(Improv translation – Vulnerability. One of the biggest things that you can do for yourself and your partner on stage is be vulnerable. When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and react honestly to what is happening in the reality we’ve established, what we do is always interesting.)

Talk about things that leave you vulnerable from the heart. ~Cheryl Floyed

Compromise and dream together. ~ Becca Stinson

From my grandparents, who have been happily married for 60 years: the three C’s: caring, communication, and compromise. ~Emily Larsen

Don’t sweat the small stuff, and if something really is bothering you talk about it in a calm controlled manner. Leave drama in the theaters and movies. ~Ben Reyna

Take it off the page:

* Open up about something that you’ve been keeping to yourself. It doesn’t have to be big and dramatic. People can only be there for us if we let them.
* If something’s on your mind, express it without implying the other person is responsible for your feelings.

7. Remember to act.
(Improv translation – Don’t just stand there, do something. Do something physical, do something emotional, do something big, do something small, do something loud, do something quiet. But most of all, do something you wouldn’t normally do. You may just surprise yourself.)

When you’re bored, do something about it. ~Ernie Somers

Adjust to change. Adjust to moods, lifestyle changes, and new additions, and always remember to love. ~Elysia Cordero

The rest comes and goes as we change and grow and struggle, but being able to laugh together brings you back together. ~Kerry Kokkinogenis

Have rich individual pursuits and pursue things together. ~Laura Texera

Take it off the page:

* If you haven’t in a while, take time to do your own thing today—completely on your own or with friends.
* Take time to laugh together, whether it’s watching funny YouTube videos or trying something new together.
* If you feel dissatisfied with your life, don’t assume it’s your relationship. What other adjustments could you make to feel happier with your place in the world? Maybe you need to take a small step toward a hobby or more fulfilling job.

And lastly…

Start over again and again. ~Miguel Angel Carrillo Infante

It’s a new day–a new chance to practice giving and receiving love.

Fun with Dicks & Jane (and friends)
A Secret New Year’s Show Just for You!

Dicks & Jane (Ds&J), Hawai’i’s newest independent improv troupe and special guest, R. Kevin Garcia Doyle, perform an improvised evening of entertainment to officially welcome in the New Year on Friday, January 14, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. at a “secret location” (now disclosed! Ward’s Rafters! 3810 Maunaloa Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816 – in case you need to call 808-735-8012).

“Fun with Dicks & Jane’s (and Friends)” will be a two-hour performance spontaneously created by the performers based on audience suggestions. With original and classic short-form games (improvised games, like those seen on Whose Line is it Anyway?) and long-form pieces (improvised vignettes that tell stories), there’s sure to be something for everyone.

The two long-forms for the evening will be, a two-person long-form called Ajar, starring Jennifer Waihe’e and R. Kevin Garcia Doyle, and Ds&J’s signature form Karma. Karma is a conglomeration of ideas and concepts imparted by many acclaimed improv teachers, such as Jonathan Pitts, Jeff Griggs, and R. Kevin Garcia Doyle. Meant to be a source of entertainment for all audiences, Karma is a long-form that explores causal links between relationships. The actions and inactions of each scene’s characters affect the characters that follow. This long-form is guaranteed to be unique, thoughtful and not-to-be missed.

Ds&J is a troupe made up of six improvisers regularly inspired by audiences at Laughtrack Theater Company in downtown Honolulu: Squire Coldwell, Monica Coldwell, and Jennifer Waihe’e, and three different varieties of John hailing from; Hawai’i (John Waihe’e), Seattle (John “Jay” Polk), and New York (John Schemitsch). Together, they make up Ds&J, a rare improv group that enjoys performing forms that are both visceral and cerebral. Special guest appearance will be by R. Kevin Garcia Doyle, Hawaii’s own improvisational guru and father of improv, responsible for most things improv in Hawaii.

For “secret show” information; email, tweet, facebook, find, and friend. No cover charge at the door or tickets needed, tips are appreciated and will go to allow the performers to perform their original form, Karma at national festivals in 2011.

For more information about Dicks & Jane, please e-mail Monica Coldwell at improvhobby@gmail.com.

Saturday, October 30, 2010 at Laughtrack Theater

Class Description: Improv vulnerability scares everyone. That’s why it’s easier to fake awkwardness in a cute, clumsy way than it is to be actually vulnerable on-stage with your scene partners. The key to improv vulnerability is to focus on first being open as an improviser and then let everything said or done onstage, by your scene partners or even yourself, have an effect on you. Then what appears as vulnerability becomes a super-sized strength, as the audience’s eyes follow your every move, as your characters become grounded and as your relationships become real. Through that reality of improv vulnerability, laughter always follows. The workshop process’ focus will be explored through the process of two and three person engaged in open ended scenes.

Instructor bio: Jonathan Pitts is the Executive Director of the Chicago Improv Festival Productions. He is also the Co-Founder of the prestigious Chicago Improv Festival. This is his 14th year producing the festival. He’s been involved in improvisational theatre for over 30 years.

He is also the creator/producer of the CIF’s All-State Improv Team; College Improv Tournament; Ridge Park Summer Theatre Camp; and Teen Comedy Fest, as well as CIF Production’s touring educational outreach programs, The Make ‘Em Ups; Storybox For Kids; Viola Spolin – Visionary Woman of Play; and World Tales.

He has improvised in over 1,100 shows with numerous ensembles in Chicago and across America, in everything from games to long-forms, and from scenes to experimental work. He was a member of Improv Olympic’s first ever house team, Stone Soup. As an actor, he’s appeared in over 30 plays and performance pieces with several Chicago area theatre companies. He’s also a former company member of The Blue Rider Theater.

Additionally, he’s also the creator/director of several theatre productions, as well as the improvisation theatre forms: The Oracle; The Silent Movie; and Storybox Theatre; as well as The Marty, a teaching exercise that he utilizes in his Whole Body Listening workshop.

As an improv teacher, for the past 13 years he’s been a guest artist at The Second City Training Center and he’s also a 3 year faculty member at Piven Theatre Workshop. Nationally, he’s taught in Albuquerque, Atlanta, Champaign, Chapel Hill, Honolulu, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Internationally, he’s taught in London for The Spontaneity Shop; and in Norway for Norsk Sceneskrekk.

For 7 years, he was the theatre/performance art curator of the Around the Coyote. For 3 years he produced the Director’s Festival for Bailiwick Theatre. While there, he also produced Naked I, a Chicago visual performance arts fest, and Art Attack, an arts festival in Michigan. Currently, he’s an Advisory Board Member of Director’s Lab Chicago and the Windy City Burlesque Festival. He’s also currently an Artistic Associate of Philadelphia’s Duo Fest and Austin’s Out of Bounds Comedy Festival. He’s a former Artistic Associate of Bailiwick Theatre and WNEP Theater.

He’s interviewed in three documentary films about improvisation: The Compass – America’s First Improv Theatre; The Delmonic Interviews; and Improv Legends. He’s a contributing writer to Anne Libera’s book, The Second City’s Almanac of Improvisation. He also wrote the forward to Asaf Ronan’s book On Directing Improv, and he was profiled in Tom Salinsky’s & Deborah Frances-White’s book The Improv Handbook, which was published in England and Europe. For 3 consecutive years he was selected by New City magazine as one of “Chicago’s Top 50 Theatre Players”.

Notes for Posterity:

First, let me start by saying that this class had me wiped out for the rest of the weekend. I’m serious. The class was centered around the idea of being open to the energy around you and the energy of the people around you, too. It was very holistic and the energy of the whole is integral to the group dynamic.

Pitts began with talking about Del Close and that Pitt’s always thought of him as his “improv father” but his “improv mother” was Martin deMaat. He cared about connections between people and the relationships and that was the center of how and what he taught.

This class was very different than most. We started off by warming up the parts of our bodies that we felt we needed to work on. Then we dove into exercises. We did three of them. All of them involved keeping your eyes closed and we did them in this order.

1) Two people at opposite sides, facing each other. When we were told to start we would walk toward each other with our eyes closed. At the point we felt the other person’s energy we then stopped.

2) Three  people in a line would walk towards the wall. They must start and stop as a group.

3) Two person scenes with your eyes closed. Both people remain seated and must do the scene while their eyes remain closed.

In general, I think Pitts left a lot of us with quotable nuggets. Here are my favorites:

• Vulnerability is a product of being open.
• Being open is a choice by you and it’s not something someone else can do for you.
• Give a gift, not an entire Christmas.

Side note:
I did want to add one thing about the idea of group mind. I come from a theatre background, so I’m used to coming into a show and working on it as a group. There are no misconceptions about what we’re doing and I think that (out of all the things about theatre and improv) this is the most translatable. When you come into a group, I don’t think you should worry about having “group mind” with those around you but having a group purpose that you are all working toward. As a coach, creating a common language can help that, but as a player, just understanding why everyone is there in the first place, with this group of people, working on this form, may help lessen the drama (if you have any). We’re here to have fun and enjoy the process of creating something from nothing, right?

I just checked this out on my Windows 7 laptop, it’s called Windows Live Writer. I don’t know how user-friendly it is yet, but I think it’s interesting in concept and so far I’m impressed. I can post to different blogging sites like WordPress and Blogger (among others). So far the test has been fun and interesting. Here is the screen print out of what I’m looking at right now. (I just did a shortcut to print screen and pressed ctrl+v (paste) to add it to the page.) Awesome! I was even able to change the size in the document itself.

To start the new year off right, I just want to make sure I post at least once in January 2011. I don’t quite know what I’d like to talk about yet, but I would like to share some of the interesting things that I liked of 2010.

Streaming online football games and tv series that I missed or cannot watch on regular tv. Without the worry of DVR setting and space limits, the world of on-line watching has become an amazing landscape. This past year I was able to watch a football game I couldn’t get on tv, streamed in spanish and later in italian. (The world of cross-cultures collide in very interesting and educational ways sometimes.)

A zombie tv series. Things you’d never expect, only happen in a world that’s constantly evolving, or like in the series, devolving.

Reconnecting with family. I am not someone that has a close relationship with any of my relatives but I do think it’s amazing what happens when you reconnect with family members that you haven’t seen for years (I do mean YEARS.). You remember the small little children that you had to babysit or the elders that you wouldn’t dream of speaking to because it never even crossed your mind to have a conversation with them and you were too busy running around without any supervision because the kids watch over each other. Then you don’t see them for years and all of a sudden no one is a baby anymore, they have jobs, lives, significant others, and too many things going on, just like you. But they’re still family and you are in the unique circumstance of getting to know people that you’ve known your whole life for the first time. How exciting and terrifying is that?

My husband and I saw this movie a couple of days ago. We’re still thinking about it.  It was fun, exciting and so well done. One of the things that I don’t like about a lot of American disaster movies is that I normally don’t care about the main characters, the secondary characters or even tertiary, it is normally all about the action and that more than suffices because that’s what it is. This show actually managed to make me care about all the characters that were being affected by the natural disaster in their midst. If you have time or a netflix account, you might want to check it out. The action was good but the characters were better.

Woohoo, the HIFF (Hawaii International Film Festival) starts tomorrow and my husband and I are going to attempt to watch eight of the shows this year. Here are the movies that we got tickets to see this year and why it was on our list.

I must warn you though, I’ve been told my taste in movies is not “normal” for a girl.

Thursday, October 14 at 6:00 p.m. – Woochi
HIFF link

Synopsis – JEON WOOCHI: THE TAOIST WIZARD involves an undisciplined, talented Taoist trickster, Woochi, who has been derailed from his search for the implements that will make him the most powerful wizard, ever.

Centuries ago some bumbling demigods erred in their attempt to secure the world from goblins. Now, in a plot that spans pre-modern times into a contemporary Korea, Woochi and his sidekick, a charmed dog-man named Chorangyi, must make their way against formidable wizards and shape-shifting demons in a coerced attempt to save the world. With WOOCHI, Choi has brilliantly executed a breathless action plot that still finds time for coy asides and smart humor– a must-see for all adult ages.
Synopsis written by: Bianca Isaki

Why: I’ve always been a fan of foreign films. I would go through phases of different genres and country foci. But my heart  and my husband’s heart have always held the asian action genre near and dear.

Saturday, October 16 at 9:00 p.m. – Bodyguards and Assassins
HIFF link

Synopsis – Set in turn-of-the-century Hong Kong, B&A is an old school, all star extravaganza the likes of which hasn’t been seen in decades. Nominated for more Hong Kong Film Awards than any other movie in history, it broke the bank in Hong Kong and busted the box office wide open in China.

The founder of modern day China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, is coming to Hong Kong for a secret meeting but the Qing Empress wants his Republican head on a plate. The call goes out: volunteers are needed to protect Dr. Sun for the few hours he’s in town. Chances of survival: low. Crossbow battles, primitive IEDs, razor-sharp iron fans and a rain of death ninjas keep things moving as the unprepared bodyguards buy Dr. Sun safe passage across Hong Kong, a few feet at a time, paying for every inch of his journey with their blood.

Restricted to just a few city blocks, B&A is as epic as BEN HUR and as emotional as grand opera. It’s a movie about the men and women who sacrificed themselves for a cause they barely understood, giving their lives for a man they never met, dying for a future they’d never see.
Synopsis written by: New York Asian Film Festival

Why: “. . . old school, all-star extravaganza . . . ,” really, need we say more? (Yes we will!) We are fans of Donnie Yen and Leon Lai, both of which are in two films that we’re aware of in this festival. However the other Donnie Yen film is IP Man 2, a movie we’ve already seen, so naturally . . . .

Monday, October 18 at 6:00 p.m. – Clash
HIFF link

Synopsis – CLASH, starring Johhny Tri Nguyen and Veronica Ngo (the stars of THE REBEL) and directed by Le Thanh Son (who served as an assistant director on THE REBEL) is another reinvention of the Vietnamese action film. Ex-convicts Quan (Johnny Tri Nguyen) and Cang (Johnny Depp look-alike Lam Minh Thang) are part of a hit squad assembled by Trinh (Veronica Ngo) to steal a hard drive from French mobsters. Trinh works for an elusive criminal mastermind who seeks the hard drive to get control of Vietnam’s first and only satellite.

As the crew proceeds to execute the theft, a lone counter-operative from within the crew runs off with the hard drive. Quan reluctantly helps Trinh hunt down the traitor, but nothing is what it seems in this duplicitous world of crime and secret agendas. Director Le’s film represents a milestone in Vietnamese filmed entertainment, cross-pollinating the trends of the West with the sensibilities of the Vietnamese.
Synopsis written by: Anderson Le

Why: We can’t recall the last Vietnamese action movie we’ve seen . . . have we even seen one? This just might be a new treat for us.

Monday, October 18 at 10:15 p.m. – Machete Maidens Unleashed
HIFF link

Synopsis – Busty babes, mutated monsters and midget secret agents, the Filipino genre films of the 70s and 80s had it all. Saturating drive-ins around the world, the Philippines became a dreamland for exploitation filmmakers with cheap labour, exotic scenery and non-existent health and safety regulations.

The all-too-often overlooked world of Filipino exploitation flicks gets the Mark Hartley (NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD) treatment in MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED! Featuring interviews with filmmaking legends Roger Corman, Joe Dante, John Landis, Eddie Romero and a host of filmmakers, actors and critics, each with a story about a genre with no scruples, no scripts, no boundaries and – more often than not – no clothes.

Why: This may be the one documentary we watch during the Festival and what a fun one, not many of the others will be talking about midgets and mutants. Also our improv sensibilities would like to hear more on the; no scruples, no scripts, and no boundaries. Notice what we left out?

Wednesday, October 20 at 10:15 p.m. – Fire of Conscience
HIFF link

Synopsis – The investigation of a prostitute’s murder brings headstrong Detective Manfred (Leon Lai also in HIFF 2010’s BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS) in an unlikely collaboration with shady Inspector Kee (Richie Yen) from the Narcotics Bureau. When DNA of one of Manfred’s colleagues is found at the crime scene, Internal Affairs comes sniffing around. In the line of fire between high levels of corruption, Manfred must solve all the twists of the mystery, reluctantly with Kee. Together, the duo will wage a two-man war and uncover a conspiracy that will threaten to upend the entire police force, and paint the streets of Hong Kong with blood.

This explosive action thriller comes from the mind of action director Dante Lam, who struck action genre gold with his modern classic THE BEAST STALKER, shown at HIFF last year. FIRE OF CONSCIENCE is a tour-de-force that harkens to the golden age of Hong Kong action cinema of the early ‘90s.

Why: This is the second film we’re watching with Leon Lai in it, and a definite husband pick. We both have liked most of the films that we’ve seen him in and this one is also directed by Dante Lam. An action director that enjoys the action!

Friday, October 22 at 10:oo p.m. – Gallants
HIFF link

Synopsis – Martial arts fans will delight in this new kung fu comedy from writer/director duo Derek Kwok and Clement Cheng. As a punishment, incompetent office worker Cheung is sent to a rural village to settle a property dispute between some greedy property developers and the owners of a run-down teahouse. However, the teahouse turns out to be owned by Tiger (Bruce Leung Siu-Lung, KUNG FU HUSTLE) and Dragon (Chen Kuan Tai), two aging martial artists who are anxiously waiting for their master to awaken from a 30-year coma. When Master Law (Teddy Robin) suddenly awakens unaware that any time has passed, Tiger, Dragon and Cheung set out to revive the old martial arts studio.

Featuring a cast of old school kung fu stars from the heyday of martial arts films, GALLANTS sets out to prove that youthfulness is a state of mind. This film is truly an homage to the spirit of kung fu, one that values honor and wisdom and never backs away from a fight.
Synopsis written by: Anna Page

Why: We REALLY want to see this show. We think it’s awesome that the masters of this craft have gotten together for an epic event that is also made to entertain us. We have a lot of respect for them and believe that seeing their movie is one way to show deference.

Saturday, October 23 at 2:15 p.m. – SHODO GIRLS!!
HIFF link

Synopsis – Meet the Shikokuchuo High School Calligraphy Club, a group of oddball students that take their calligraphy so seriously that they send new members fleeing down the halls at top speed. For the Calligraphy Club and their team captain Satoko (Riko Narumi, HOW TO BECOME MYSELF) calligraphy has become a joyless task requiring endless dedication. But when a new club advisor arrives on the scene and performs a strange demonstration to music, he forces the students to view calligraphy in a new and exciting way.

The film is set in Shikokuchuo city, the paper producing capital of Japan. Due to severe economic recession, the town’s local businesses are closing at an alarming rate. Inspired by their new advisor, the Calligraphy Club students set out to organize a competition that will revive both their spirits and the town.

Directed by Ryuichi Inomata, SHODO GIRLS!! is based on a popular televised event called “Shodo Performance Koshien” where groups of high school girls compete by performing traditional calligraphy on 10 meter sheets of paper, choreographed and set to music. SHODO GIRLS!! portrays how this unique competition has revitalized this traditional art form.
Synopsis written by: Anna Page

Why: Calligraphy is beautiful and we’re really interested in seeing how they make this a competitive sport.

Sunday, October 24 at 2:00 p.m. – The Butcher, The Chef, and The Swordsman aka Legend of the Kitchen Knife
HIFF link

Synopsis – This darkly inventive film follows the journey of a mystical blade as it passes through the hands of three ambitious men. As the interwoven story unfolds, they find that the blade possesses the power to dramatically change the fate of each of its owners.

The Butcher is a simple man in love with a beautiful courtesan, but is rebuffed each time he approaches her. The Chef is a handsome loner obsessed with seeking vengeance for the slaughter of his family. The Swordsman, the son of a legendary warrior, is consumed by the desire to eclipse his father in both power and fame.

Their stories comes full circle as each man takes possession of the mystical blade and discovers its double edge – the great power it bestows is matched by even greater danger. If you enjoy KUNG FU HUSTLE or SHAOLIN SOCCER, this film’s kinetic and zany energy will enthrall you.

Why: Quirky kung-fu show usually means tons of fun. Most of the time it also involves well done fight scenes and light humor.

So in closing, this is what we’ll be doing for the next two weeks. Wish us luck we just may be truly zombified by the end of it.

I’m beginning to think my personal improv mantra is, “make it interpersonal.”

I think there is a huge difference between your roles in a scene and the relationship that you have with the person that happens to be on stage with you.

Roles are established parameters of the two characters on stage (i.e. Lawyer and client, mother and daughter, father and son, teacher and student, and etc.). By definition, it is the proper or customary function. The position one holds to another.

The relationship is personal. It is the connection to the other person that necessitates an emotional response to a situation. To me that is the piece that when absent from the scene keeps it from moving forward. It typically shows itself as two people talking about the activity and not the way they actually feel about each other. (I.e. Lawyer and client speaking about the case, teacher and student speaking about schoolwork.)

However, I have to say some roles have interpersonal components that are built into them and, when combined, two roles at the same time can equal a relationship (i.e. Lawyer and client who are also brother and sister.)