Capsule review: My first class was wonderful!
Ok, now on to more detail.
My class, as some of you may remember, was actually supposed to start last week. But then Mother Nature decided to screw with us one last time during this unfunny practical joke we’ve called “April” this year, by throwing down an epic snowstorm. Thus, class kickoff was postponed one week until weather could get its act together.
And it did. So last night I made my way over to 2605 Hennepin, signed my release form (Sure, BNW, you can use my photo…) then went with the rest of the class down to the basement and into Classroom 1.
Boom. It's official. Also, please enjoy the glimpse of my messy desk in the background.
We began by hearing from SU co-director Joe Bozic, who gave an overview of the school and of the Brave New Workshop’s history in general. In a very Minnesota moment, he said it was “kinda neat” how Dudley Riggs and BNW had a big role in propagating improv as an art form. In any other place in the US, this phrase would have been replaced by “a major contribution to society, and look at how freaking important and awesome we are” or something like that. But “kinda neat” is how we roll in MN…
Anyway, then the class officially kicked off with our instructor, Corey Anderson (former BNW mainstage performer and current member of improv group The Mustache Rangers), having us sit in a circle (in chairs, people: this isn't kindergarten) and introduce ourselves.
The questions all 18 of us (10 ladies, 8 guys) had to answer were:
1. What’s your name?
2. What made you decide to sign up for this class?
3. What’s one thing you hope to get out of this class?
It was so interesting to see where everyone had come from and why they were taking this class. A couple of highlights:
-A mom and her 22 year old son are taking the class together to improve presentation skills (and I’m guessing, to have some bonding time)
-A pediatric kidney doctor is taking the class because he (understandably) doesn’t have much fun at work
-A man who’s terrified of public speaking is taking the class so he can, you know, not be terrified of public speaking.
All in all, it was a really varied group of people. Younger, older, professional outfits, sweatpants, the whole gamut. Pretty amazing that improv can bring that kind of group together, eh?
After introductions, we finally got to stand up and get started with a series of games that got us talking and moving. The first two were oriented towards getting us to learn each other’s’ names, which was a godsend for me because I am TERRIBLE with names. I think I managed to nail down at least half of them, so I’m counting that as a win.
Of the games that followed, my favorites were definitely the ones that involved creativity and the improv principle of saying “yes, and!” to ideas. Corey explained that every idea is a good idea in improv, and that saying “yes, and!” to someone’s idea means that you can build on that person’s idea and keep the scenario going. Saying “no” would slam the brakes on any interaction you’re having in an improv setting (and in many real-life settings, for that matter).
We did two “yes, and!” games. My favorite was called “What’s in the Box?” We stood in two lines, and two by two we paired up. One person asked “What’s in the box?” and other could respond with anything they wanted, from an elephant to a bag of cookies to anything else. Then the first person had to accept what was in the box and say “Thanks! I’m going to use this to ___.” Then that pair went to the back of the lines and it was the next pair’s turn, and so on. With some of the weird things “in the box,” it was a great exercise in thinking on our feet and saying yes to everything!
As for the mood, it was remarkable to see how it changed over the course of those two hours. At the beginning of class, we were all busy sizing each other up, not speaking but looking around the room anxiously. At the end of class, we were all chatting, laughing and full of energy. In between, it was so surprising and comforting that absolutely no one was too cool for school. Everyone dove right into each exercise and did their best, smiling all the way. I bet it’s not like that for many classes, so I’m guessing I’m pretty lucky.
Looking forward to next week!