Apr
23
I’m heading up to the Bridgetown Comedy Festival in Portland, OR for scout work.
Scout work? Is that what you call it? I’m checking out the primarily standup comedy festival as research for the NC Comedy Arts Festival (2010 marks the 10th Anniversary of the NCCAF / Dirty South). Bridgetown has been running for a very short time. I think 2009 is their second year, but they have already amassed an incredible lineup and a list of industry partners and sponsors that other comedy festivals, at least those not operated by TBS or HBO, would die kill for. The festival runs for 4 days, takes over 8 different venues, and offers an unbelievable Alt comedy buffet, for cheap.
While I’m in Portland I’ve been booked to perform at ComedySportz Portland, for both the CSz Mainstage show and The BEE Word (an improvised spelling bee) on Friday. I’m also teaching two improv workshops on Sunday and directing an ensemble called “8 names” on Monday before my flight home, which I can only hope is the name of the group because they brainstormed 8 names to choose from and they couldn’t decide, and it was late, so they defaulted to “8 names” as the name.
KPR from the Impatient Theatre Co. just called (while I was writing this) to let me know that he booked my flight for the ITC Summer Intensive in Toronto. I’m teaching the Harold week, June 21-27. I LOVE that city, but I especially dig Pizza Pizza and teaching Harold to people from Canada.
Awesome.
Tags: Bridgetown Comedy Festival, ComedySportz, CSz, Harold, Impatient Theatre Co., ITC, Portland, Toronto, workshops
Posted in improv, travel | No Comments »
Apr
20
Hey Fans, I am kicking the tires and road testing a new blog.
It’s not ablaze yet with insight (or comedy) but keep checking back. I haven’t started the fire. Yet. So you know, some of my NSFW comic blogs (which are very funny but, as the acronym implies, Not Safe For Wizards Work) might be found on Mister Diplomat, but I’ll be talking here about the philosophy of improv and comedy applied to everyday life. Right now I’m at my home office editing pages and considering the implications of turning 32. Yeah, that’s right. 32. One of my friends got me a shirt from Express wrapped in a Peanut Butter Crunch® Box. Another friend got me a 3-month gym membership. What?! I am excited (and anxious) about the Dave Matthews Band concert tomorrow. Why anxious? I don’t know. I’m also going to shave. When? In the next 30 minutes. More blog entries, videos, photos, and more coming soon.
Awesome.
Tags: birthday, Dave Matthews Band, DMB, Mister Diplomat, NSFW, philosophy
Posted in personal | No Comments »
Jan
19
Arts Leadership readers might start to see evidence of a slightly obsessive professional crush on Albert Einstein. He says, “One of the strongest motives that lead men to art and science is escape from everyday life, with its painful crudity and hopeless dreariness, and from the fetters of one’s own ever-shifting desires.”
In both teaching and performing improvisation, I agree.
However, this DOES NOT mean to say that when we become involved in an Artistic or Scientific Enterprise as a Leader we should ignore the realistic needs of everyday life and the ever-shifting demands of the public that would support our Enterprise.
If Leaders ignore the needs of everyday life, we will no longer have the privilege of running sustainable Arts organizations. If Leaders ignore the ever-shifting demands and desires of the public, our work will cease to be relevant to the audience. And then, as an Arts Leader, we will have FAILED at providing that escape for the audience.
Tags: Albert Einstein, escape
Posted in business | No Comments »
