Category: Clown College

I’ve been down a bit lately with regards to our sketch troupe falling apart.  I had all these ideas for sketches.  Even when I didn’t have any ideas, I knew that if there was a show coming, I could sit in front of my computer and come up with something funny for the show.

But now, without a sketch troupe with which to perform, I’ve decided to turn my sketch ideas into short stories.  The first one I’m working on is Christmas-themed, which is good because there’s no way I’d be able to stage it on time before Christmas.  Once we start school up again, people will have moved on from the whole Holiday thing. (Ah, How fleeting is our time?…)

I don’t know if the humour I wish to depict on stage via sketch performers will translate as well onto the page.  Maybe it’ll be more difficult when it’s not possible to see the reactions on the actors’ faces.

Hopefully readers’ imaginations are still capable of visualizing such emotional responses in their minds…, if the piece is written well enough!

Ooooh.  New challenges!

Extremely Short Story

Woohoo!  The Holidays are here!

I intend to get loads of reading and writing done over the Holidays (doesn’t everybody?, ha!) to make up for the fact that I’ve been crazy busy over the past few months with year 2 o’ Clown College.  I didn’t expect this year to be as challenging, mentally and emotionally (?) but alas, the first half is over and I now, I just need to make it out alive for four more months.

Four more months of gruesome competition:  Who’s play is going to be put on?  Who’s going to get to perform on the radio now that we have our new ties with XM?  Who’s sketches and plays will make it into the end-of year show and finally, who will get a coveted sport in the Industry Show at the end of the year?  That’s a lot of pressure, readers.

So again, I fully intend to take advantage of the next three weeks of vacation to recharge, because next semester is going to be insanely-nutso-busy-face!

Bring it on…

 

… in three weeks… I still need this break, hard.

There’s nothing like the dread of reading, out loud in front of the class, something you’ve painstakingly worked, re-worked and finally submitted to the critical masses that are your classmates and teachers.

All that, dramatically, to say…. “please please please I hope you liked my play.  PLEEEEEEASE.  Tell me it was OK.  Tell me you liked it… PLEEEEEEEASE!!!!”

I mean…

Pfft.  I don’t care if you don’t like it.  Whatever.

I think it’s awesome.

Toates.

Pfft.

Whatever.

 

Howdy Blog-followers!

The semester’s winding down now!  You can practically hear the sleigh bells in the hallways between classes!

Both myself and my computer were feeling a little under the weather recently.  But systems seem to be getting back to normal, and in the case of my computer, even better than normal.  (Sometimes, factory flaws are fun, because they mean your computer gets a new keypad thingamajig even four years after you bought the dang thing!)

Anyway, today Mark Breslin gave a presentation at school.  He’s the guy responsible for the Yuk Yuk’s chain of comedy clubs in Canada, and ultimately, the reason any of us Humber kids are allowed as much experience as we are on a Yuk Yuk’s stage.

Here are a few things he brought up that really resonated with me:

1)  Consume Culture, in all its forms:

I remember last year, the topic of comedy as an art-form was discussed in class and compared to music as an art-form.  There was debate in class on that subject, suggesting the two were incomparable, but my opinion, as shared by many others, I recall,  was that they are very much on the same scale.  Breslin went so far as to compare his era of stand-up comedians as the comedy equivalent to the punk rock scene in the 70’s.

It makes sense that we should embrace all forms of the performing arts as performing artists.  Why not increase our understanding of the theatre, opera, live music, poetry or any other art form if we wish to be recognized as legitimate artists?

2) Authenticity, a reminder to myself:

Forget about the fact that Humber kids tell dick jokes every Tuesday, Brie.  You don’t have to tell dick jokes.  You don’t.

3) Well, that was embarrassing…

That thing, that think you hate about the way you look.  The audience is looking right at it, no doubt.  That little piece of your history that you’re too shy to talk about, that’s going to make someone fall off their chair laughing.  That story, that thing you do, that problem you have, that thing that hurts you the most…

That’s what’s going to sell.

There were a lot of other interesting discussions in the lecture; a question about the systemic problems inherent in Canadian television programming rendering it exceptionally difficult for homegrown talent to hit it big on the home front; musings about bullying and whether or not anti-bully laws might stifle the future creativity of some poor kid stuffed in a locker; how women are socialized toward loneliness (ha!) and how that makes life on the road as a stand-up comedian more difficult for (some) women.

Anyway, lots to think about.

I do enjoy this program, but I’m starting to really look forward to the post-this program to see where all this will take me.

Another reminder to myself: Brie, don’t let your lookingforwardness take away from each lesson you learn in that school.  Wasn’t today a good improv class?  You know it was.  It was.  You got to yell a lot.  You like yelling, right?  It’s fun!

Alas… Mark Breslin’s visit to Humber, everyone.

See you soon!

Tonight, I went to see my Physical Comedy teacher perform Stand-Up Comedy.  Apparently it was her first time performing stand-up and she did GREAT! I think it’s fun to be part of a community of people who keep trying new things, working new techniques, exploring variety all in the name of comedy.

It’s inspiring and encouraging and I can’t wait to explore as much of it as possible.

Now, to rob a bank so I can afford to.

What a week!

We’re in the midst of rehearsing for two days of 3-camera shoots (a la SNL) of parody sketches we’ve written.   We’re filming next week.  I can’t wait to see my Star Trek sketch come to fruition on screen.  I’m a bit nervous about playing a prostitute, primarily for the protection of my own self-esteem.  Perhaps I should consider forgetting the concept of self-esteem entirely for the rest of my second year at Humber and just go with the flow, as qotsa would say. Perhaps I should give up eating.

I performed a stand-up set as a dog sweater in class.  It went over terribly, although I still stand by my jokes.  Particularly this one:

“I’m not saying you have to be dumb to buy a sweater for your dog, I’m just saying I’m sorry your barren.” 

Another big development – the sketch troupe I’d been performing in, LaughDraft, dissolved this past week, for several reasons.  It’s too bad because we actually experienced some modest success at our shows, ie: people came to them.  We got ahead pretty quick in the game, what with our entry into this year’s Sketchfest – and we were starting to be asked to perform with other Toronto troupes around town, but I guess, ultimately, it was not meant to be.

I hope it doesn’t take too long before I find people to sketch with.

Oh November – getting dark at 4:30 does not do good things for one’s personal motivation or morale.   Good thing I already put up my Christmas lights!  #livingalonerules #imsimultaneouslylonely

The current project we’re working on at school is a 3-walled shoot of a sketch parody we’ve written.   I’m excited to say that my parody was selected as one of the sketches to be filmed.  However, the upcoming rehearsal schedule is a little daunting; especially considering I still have to go in to work, I also have three additional assignments due this week and LaughDraft is performing at the Hard Luck on Tuesday.  This is going to be nuts.

I wonder if anyone else is feeling the pressure of this impending week of parody doom?

You know those days when you SHOULD be editing your 10-minute plays, but instead you sort and organize through all the photos on your computer – those days when you decide it might be a more effective use of your time to start writing Christmas cards or other correspondence?

You contemplate washing the dishes, but even that doesn’t seem nearly as important as installing the two-year old iLife you’ve been waiting a year to set up, even though the 2011 edition is now available.

You know… those days?