Study Break... again

Someone just sent me this website for free improv comedy "jam" sesions in Milwaukee. the website is here: http://www.alchemisttheatre.com/. It seems like a cool idea, for three bucks you get to do improv with a bunch of people and from what I understand its a wide range of skill levels.

Next time you think about going to ComedySportz, check this place out first. It seems like they haven't sold out yet and are way cheeper. Plus 100% of the ticket fees go into helping independent theater in Milwaukee.


jimmy

Comedy week to Hell week

Man last week was the best! A sketch show and an Improv show all in a 6 day period with two improv practices in between. Fun times. This week, not so much. As of this moment, I am supposed to be doing research on the Cold War. So far its not going that great. And to top that off, I have two papers and two tests to go. This is for sure not comedy week.

Wish me luck. I don't think I can use improv to get me out of finals week.

jimmy

That's a long time

Second City had it's 50th anniversary celebration this weekend. 50th. That is unbelievable for a comedy group. Fifty years really means something and for Second City it is pretty evident. They helped produce almost every great comedian for the last well, the last 50 years. And they still are doing it. Four years ago I went to go see a show, and the guy that I thought was the funniest is now a writer for SNL and on Sonic Commercials. I remember the first time I saw him and just thought that it was the coolest thing.

But I am real happy for Second City. I think its great that they can still stay afloat in these times. It just goes to show that laughter may really be the best medicine out there.

Here is an article with some great pictures from the festivities:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-091211-second-city-reunion-pictures,0,3913056.photogallery

jimmy

Over

The show went great. We had one mix up when the lights decided to go out, but we were able to cover that up with some awesome improv. We didn't have 99 people like we hoped, but got around 70ish, which is still good. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and we even had a Marquette grad who started to sketch shows come. He really enjoyed it, so it was awesome having his approval of sorts. I just want to say thanks to all of those who were able to see it and the people who helped put it together. If all goes as planed, we should have another show coming at you guys by this time next year, and if things really go well, sometime next semester.

jimmy

The bees knees

We are getting to the point in rehearsal where we need an audience badly. I can't tell if anything we are doing is funny anymore. All of the repetition has trained us to not laugh at what we should laugh at and because of it, we are lost. Don't get me wrong, things are going great and the scenes are really looking good, but we are just in a weird stage.

However, last night we had a breakthrough. We were rehearsing our last sketch and in the last few minutes of it, a few of the members did a bit of improv and the ending was fantastic. So good that we are keeping it. We spent over five minutes laughing about it.

I hope that this can continue, regardless we will have some people watching the show this week, so that will be a big help.

Fugee Thanksgiving

Last night was a Studio 013 Refugee tradition called "Fugee Thanksgiving." Every year, the Sunday before Thanksgiving my improv group gets together and has a Thanksgiving dinner of sorts. The menu last night included pizza, pasta, chicken nuggets, cabbage, chips and salsa and we finished it off with drumsticks. Yum. It was a blast. Check out our family picture.

some deep shit

I heart comedy. I do.

Comedy is the only thing that has remained consistent in my life. I have always loved to laugh and I have always loved to make people laugh. This love of mine is the sole reason that I have met the people I know call my Friends. My college improv group, The Studio 013 Refugees, is how I met my best friends and the people who have the most influence on my comedic style. The years I have spent working with them have been some of my best.

Now, in my third year in the group, my comedy has grown. I have reached far beyond my comfort level and by doing that, I have made my pastime even more apart of my life.

Doing comedy in college is a very odd feeling. During parts, all I can think about is how much I would love to do comedy for the rest of my life. Then at others, a feeling sets in that I'm going to college for a reason and that its not comedy. It doesn't really get me down, but it gives me more freedom to explore because I know that i may not be doing this forever.


For that reason, I consider college comedians some of the most experimental group out there, and that is what this blog is for, to showcase that freedom to experiment.

jimmy