Last night I had a dream I left a taping of SNL to perform in my own improv show.
Look how dedicated Dream-Brie is to the practice her craft!
Amy Poehler gave me a ride in her minivan, for whatever that’s worth. And Colin Jost completely ignored me.
Even in dreams I have issues with self-esteem.
…I’m such a nerd.
Mmm. I’ve taken some time in for my writing this week and it feels wonderful.
I’ve even got some headway on the spec script I’m working on, which I wanted to have finished by the end of the month.
It’s still possible.
Maybe.
At least it’s the most progress I’ve ever accomplished in this particular career goal, which is:
I’m doing it.
EXT. Toronto on a Friday Night.
MY BRAIN
You had a good day at work today, and a fun show this evening. Feeling a bit tired now, let’s go home and get some rest.
ME
Good idea, brain!
INT. At home, opens laptop to Facebook.
MY BRAIN (cont’d)
AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!FOMO FOMO FOMO FOMO FOMO!!!!!
Why aren’t you everywhere else right now but home?!?!?!?!?!
ME
Sigh.
I know this is really just a blog about my own personal experiences writing and performing comedy in Toronto, and I don’t really take on topics that are too politically-heated.
In spite of that, the events in Paris today call for solidarity among all of us who poke fun at the world and how ridiculous it can sometimes be.
Nous sommes tous Charlie.
IN MEMORY OF MY COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS FROM CHARLIE HEBDO, a cartoon for the International New York Times http://t.co/2v21S7ZmGJ—
Chappatte Cartoons (@PatChappatte) January 07, 2015
I went to Wheel of Improv tonight. It was Wheel’s 6th birthday and Colin Mochrie and Rob Norman were Boomer’s guests.
I wanted to play with Colin because he’s famous. I mean it’s Colin Mochrie for Pete’s sake!
Here’s why playing with Rob was better. Firstly, he’s younger and better looking. (Sorry Colin.)
But for realsies, I feel like when you’re in a scene with Rob Norman, he’s constantly teaching you things while he plays with you. Tonight, I played a character with a real competitive edge, all full of conflict and the likes; Rob’s character was docile; a why-can’t-we-all-get-along? type, which to me was a clear message: why the conflict?! It doesn’t have to be a competition! There do not need to be winners or losers. I don’t always have to be loud-mouthed, high-status bullies.
Maybe this is proof that I was too in my head in the scene tonight. Even if it isn’t, I am taking a mental note to be less antagonistic in my character choices. (Even though I got a pretty big laugh by calling Rob a motherfucker.)
Ah well…Happy Birthday Wheel! Thanks Boomer, for everything you do.
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for CCC.
Here’s an excerpt:
A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 3,700 times in 2014. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 3 trips to carry that many people.
Don’t get me wrong, Movember, the fundraiser, is great. I’m all for men and women raising money and awareness to help deal with men’s cancers and the mental health issues that surround these types of illnesses.
But the act of Movember; the growing of the moustache, the questions that arise, the variety of complexities involved, well that’s a whole other bag of facial hair, if you ask me.
Here are just a few reasons I’m not so sure about Movember:
Look, your Dad might have been good-looking back in the day. And I know a lot of dudes look up to their fathers. A lot of them don’t. Whatever. But I genuinely worry that you might show up, and I won’t recognize you behind your Dad’s genetically identical facial hair.
What if I call you mister? You might like it, but I don’t want to be subjected to the humiliation that would ensue.
What if we go out somewhere and someone mistakes me for your daughter?
When we got to a restaurant, people will automatically give you the bill, which given my current financial status might not be terrible, but it is inherently sexist, so we can’t be having any of that!
Worse though, what if your moustache has controlling elements on your psyche and makes you act like your father as well? What happens then, huh?
Is it from something you ate? Did something just fall out of the sky? How did it get there? Is it food? Is it a non-food substance? What the heck is that on your face?!
So many questions as to the life-story of the crumb stuck on your upper-lip. I’m nice and all, for the most part, but I might not tell you about it just to see how it plays out.
You’re not used to facial hair. You don’t know the weight it carries? You could be walking around all day with an entire strip of the bacon you had at breakfast and you would just think “well, I guess my Mo’ is growin’ in nicely” but NO! You got BACON in there, sir!
Yup, I can be that shallow.
If you participate in Movember and your moustache is all splotchy and uneven, I’m going to have a whole heap of criticism ready. You want to talk modern theories of masculinity? I’ve got plenty of ammunition right here in my Feminist Political Thought background; about what it means to be a man; how you are perceived amongst your peers let alone around women, how you should look and act, and most importantly to this circumstance, how your facial hair should represent your sense of self.
If none of that adds up, I might call you on it, bro.
… SO WHAT’S THE FRIGGIN’ POINT?!?!?!?!
…
That speaks for itself, I think. How can any of moderns deal with that? I’ve seen Outlander. That shit gets messed up. Although it can be a little kinky at times…
This is important for the average woman. I know it sounds terrible, but if you’re just a dude wearing a ball cap representing your favourite football team, that’s one thing. If you’re doing the same thing, the football team happens to be from the South, and you’ve got a weird moustache-thing going on, well then I have to ask myself some questions and ponder walking on the other side of the street.
…
***
*For all intents and purposes, I do actually support Movember and agree it is a hugely worthy cause, so please support it. Here are two mo-growers to whom I’d like to encourage people to donate; my brother Nick’s mo: http://ca.movember.com/mospace/828278, or my captain Dale’s mo: http://ca.movember.com/mospace/3138449 *Sorry if I’m too late mo-bros*
My friend wrote a book about The Colbert Report! You should DEFINITELY pick this up if you’re a fan. Even if you’re not, really. Just buy it!
Bears & Balls: The Colbert Report A-Z (Revised Edition)
P&C: You’ve been covering comedy for 16 years, in print, radio, and with your blog, third-beat.com. When did you first become aware of Stephen Colbert, and were you a fan from the start?
SJ: I was a loyal Daily Show viewer when Colbert was still there, but I wasn’t a fan of the correspondents. At the time, the field pieces still had a bit of the “weird news” angle, and I often didn’t feel good about their choice of targets. It felt like they were making fun of well-meaning people. I didn’t pay close attention to Colbert until I saw him on a Daily Show
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I’m so stoked to announce that this Saturday’s show features none other than Second City Main Stage alumni: Naomi Snieckus and Alastair Forbes. And if YOU attend, YOU might get to play with them!
Get to know more about these two phenomenal improvisers/people and read on:
Naomi Snieckus is an actor, writer, improviser, voice over artist, and director. She studied at University of Waterloo and then Ryerson Theatre School before moving to Vancouver for five years. An alumnus of the world renowned Second City in Toronto she wrote and performed in 5 shows and met her funny man Matt Baram. She is a founding member (along with Matt Baram) of five time Canadian Comedy Award winning The National Theatre of the World and performs and produces: Impromptu Splendor, The Carnegie Hall Show and The Script Tease Project. The National Theatre of The World is a company in residence at The Young Centre For The Performing Arts in Toronto. They have traveled internationally to Berlin, Israel, Amsterdam, England, New York, South Carolina, Chicago, Los Angeles as well as throughout Canada. Naomi won the Canadian Comedy Award for best female improviser in 2010, as well as best female in a TV Series (Mr.D) and was nominated for an Actra Award in 2013 for her work in Mr.D.
Alastair Forbes is a Second City Mainstage Alumni, Dora Award nominee and two-time nominee for the Canadian Comedy Awards Best Male Improvisor. You may have seen him on your TV (Insecurity and The Ron James Show, CBC; The Bridge, CTV;Breakout Kings, A&E; That’s so Weird, YTV) on your big screen (My Ex Ex) on your stage near you (Theatre by the Bay, Thousand Islands Playhouse, Centaur) or have seen his voice on your radio (Go!, CBC Radio One). He has written for YTV’s That’s So Weird and is a story editor on a CTV development project Matt and Jeff. Oh, and yes, he’s probably that guy from that commercial you saw. You can catch him almost every week performing at the Comedy Bar or with his critically acclaimed improv troupe Bonspiel!
For more information, check out: https://www.facebook.com/events/1510937449152943/?fref=ts
Brie Watson 