Improv

I auditioned for Stagewerx, an improv theater group in San Francisco. It was mind blowing and an extreme rush to be able to have this experience. I thought i could really do it just by watching "Who's line is it anyways?". I had an idea of what it entails, but again as always, my ever growing ego had the better of me. I didn't make it.

I was amongst comedians and actors who were spontaneously witty and just went with the flow.I was a nervous wreck in the middle of auditions when we were free styling. Free styling is an exercise where in actors would be given a scenario to start with to improv with each other. There were two people who started and we on the stage are to play along whenever we could add to the scene. And so i did.

I was doing my bit with them and i realized that i was talking out of my ass. Then my knees wobbled uncontrollably. I started feeling sick and i thought "this was a bad idea". It's not that i didn't want to do it. But wanting and being able to do it are two different things. Some of these comedians who are in the stage with me had done t.v. work, film and stand up and i have seen them. This is when i started judging myself. Fearful and defeated i was immobile.

They were so good they were awesome. And here i am a Filipino who who had three lines to memorize during my stint as a t.v. commercial actor, venturing into the world of improv. I can barely pronounce p's and f"s right without interchanging them. What was i thinking? It was difficult going with the flow because i can't relate to the topics and words they were improvising to even be quick witted funny. I felt like what is said on my green card... an alien.

Even though it was embarrassing i went with it. How may could say that they have improv amongst professional actors and stand up comedians? The experience were both uplifting and depleting. I would have wanted to jump in again but how can i? Life like auditions is a one shot thing. Although we can have a lot of chances in this lifetime, we must be prepared for every opportunity to own it with gusto and skills. I would love to do improv one of these days again but i might have to do it outside the theater walls for fun with friends, love ones and you.