Stepping onto the stage of a packed Upright Citizens Brigade Theater is quite a rush, but not quite rock-star status. Never mind the panties – comic book geeks throw their tighty-whiteys at your feet.On Friday, I blogged about my upcoming slammed weekend, and it turned out even better than I expected, culminating in my UCB improv 101 class’ graduation show. That motley bunch above is my class.
Here’s how it worked: we split into two groups, each choosing a name (my group’s was Unattended Baggage), and worked a half hour on stage. We first asked the audience for a word suggestion, then one of us performed a monologue based on that that word, followed by scenes based on that monologue.
By gigantic happenstance, the director of the Wii commercial I shot last week – along with his wife, who happened to cast the commercial – are friends with one of my classmates, and both showed up at the theater. They got to see a much different side of “Dad,” as I launched into two different monologues, including the time I was faced with the tough decision of whether or not to hook up with a hot, racist Arizona girl I met at the Viceroy. I felt an odd mix of shame and pride. Shide.
The show was followed by a killer party at my classmate Michael’s house. He and I instantly hit it off after our first class and have been BFFs ever since (above, he's the guy in light blue next to me.) But how did we decide to really celebrate? By both signing up for improv 201. Starts next Tuesday. Which means another graduation for us in July. Prepare the BVDs, nerds.
