UCB 201: Justification

Ah!!! What to say? This UCB class is definitely working my brain. We learned about justification in class tonight. For example, in the exercise, you start off a scene as completely normal. When the unusual thing comes up, one man is the strait man and the other is the unusual character and the scene will play our three times over with different justifications. Afterwards we discussed what made them successful or unsuccessful. For my scene, my partner opened with how excited she was to be invited to my sleepover. I responded saying I was so glad she could make it. She says she’s especially excited because I’m so popular and I deny the fact that I am popular even though I obviously am. She endows me with dating the star of the football team. The unusual thing is that I am clearly popular, but wanting to deny it. So now… why? My first justification was because popular girls where short skirts and I don’t, so I clearly can’t be popular. I DON’T KNOW!!!! It was the first thing that popped into my head. And then she proceeded to comment on how all my jeans are so in style. I contradicted with, “but really, when you think of the ideal popular person, she is always wearing a short skirt, therefore I can’t be popular.” Then the scene proceeded and got stuck on the skirt thing. In the notes afterwards, it was brought to my attention that the justification wasn’t bad, I simply got distracted. It wasn’t necessarily the skirt. It was the idea that “If I wasn’t 100% the ideal, I couldn’t be popular.” Ways to build the game instead of sticking on the skirt thing could be to mention that in the cafeteria, I don’t sit at the #1 table, I sit at the #2 table, so clearly I’m not popular. I’m not the captain of the cheer squad, I’m the co-captain. Basically, being popular, but not the #1 perfect ideal. So, my justification wasn’t dumb, I just had to expand it. To ask myself why did that come into my head? Short skirt should connect to fitting an image which should connect to what else in in that image then that should connect to how can I build the scene/game? The writing helps me process. I’m getting stuck at finding a specific game and then building the right parts of it (not following bunny trails). I think one of the keys to staying off bunny trails is actually listening. We, as creative improv artists will always have an idea. Most of everything that’s successful is turning off your brain to your thought process and reacting to the last line said to you, really listening. Detailed listening.

In the next justification, it was that I’m too nice to be popular. It didn’t play out well because I didn’t commit enough. I kept saying how I take care of elderly on the weekends and always buy girl scout cookies. I could have heightened it. Aka. By mentioning if I really wanted to be popular, I would have to start crushing kids skulls and beating them up, making girls cry and that’s all so exhausting ect.

The third justification was that I’m not popular just because I have a popular boyfriend. In the scene I mentioned how people always talk to him when we’re together. They don’t know my name. The science of popularity by definition is based on one’s ability in themselves, not who they’re dating. My teacher gave a really funny suggestion, but I forgot it.

p.s. My teacher drives me crazzzy Because he is always so funny and so smart and so good at finding the specific games and heightening. I marvel at his ability to pick things out. It is soooo frustrating. But, I suppose it’s good that he is my teacher and I can learn haha.

Then we did an exercise where one person opened with a worldview statement and the other had to naturally respond. This was more fun. Which is ironic because the point was that just by listening and responding naturally to the last thing said, you will get a ton of laughs. Being real and honest is funny.

I think I just need to work on finding the game and building it correctly, but also, you want the game to develop naturally and not too rushed. Yes, establish relationship, location ect. But not too fast to where there are SOOO many unusual things. Because trying to ground the scene becomes almost impossible as there is now no reference for a true reality.

THEN, we saw a show at the Franklin theatre. UGH! They were so good. It’s sooo annoying how they were so good. I just sit there in awe of how they can just do it all, but the most fascinating part was how quickly everything happened. And THEN, we saw a two person team, Heather and Mehl I think it was, but that Heather girl... I mean goodness. She fascinated me. I couldn't keep my eyes off her, everything she did was fresh and entertaining and new, and she too moved so fast through everything. they bothe were able to track each other and transition to scenes together, like they had the same idea at the same time. How do you orchestrate that? I talked with Heather afterwards. She told me she's been doing improv for 15ish years, so I can hardly compare my level of performance to hers. I'm just a baby at this point. It's interesting because I watch her and I say, "That! I want to be able to do that, because if I could, I could do anything." She was so beautiful and versatile. However, there is the understanding that this skill could take years to develop. To train my brain to react so specfically, and the amount of time it would take to train myself seems overwhelming. But, what else am I going to do? (cricket, cricket) Okay! Sounds like I'm still on the bandwagon. What is a bandwagon anyway? A wagon for the band? And if so... not just anyone can jump on, you kind of have to know an instrument. Or do you?