Too Little...

'Sup home skilletrinos!  I'm all half-shaded and blue and faded (ergo I'm a bad mamma jamma).  Revel in it.  Maybe I ought to come to terms with the fact that I'm not a 20-hours-a-week blogger any more.  Every blog wants regular readers, and every reader wants regular posts.  To the three of you, my bad.  I have to remind myself that my journey here is not to write an awesome blog and build readership, but mostly as motivation to periodically record my thoughts and experiences in the world of comedy, so I can look back on it one day and sigh.  Fun!

Conservatory is going well... our focus right now is truth in comedy.  The kaibosh has been put on space alien cats running a smoothie shop scenes, and Tim O'Malley is gradually plying us into performers who react authentically.  It's surprisingly difficult to "act natural"-- it feels like when you get caught in a lie and you're just trying to be cool the whole time.  "Where's the baby?" "Ah, yes, the baby... is... sleeping in his crib.  Yes that's right."  Meanwhile you're thinking to yourself-- "Baby?  Oh shit!!! Why did you put me in charge? What does he look like?  How do I just leave? YIIIIII!!!!"

I live a 5-minute walk from the Annoyance practice space.  Love that.  Here is the view from the top onto one of my classmates below.  If that stance doesn't say comedy, I don't know what does. 

I felt slightly out of my depths at Annoyance-- if there were ever a place where one was put directly on the spot, Annoyance would be it.  When coming out from the back line to start a scene, the instructor caught me looking back at the line "asking" someone to come out and do a scene with me so he "punished" me by having me act out a scene all by myself, using Susan Messing's "Wake Up, Motherfucker" game (the improviser is "asleep", inhabiting a character as he does so.  Someone bids that motherfucker to wake up and then the improviser goes about a morning routine as that character).  I did a baby-talker with 4 little dogs who eventually puts a gun in their mouth (the other requirement of the scene was that one must die at the end).  It was pretty fun, actually, and made me feel like there could be a one-person show in my future if I keep at it.

My apartment hallway looks like a mental institution.  Now it is!

Truthfully, though, I'm feeling vaguely stymied, creatively.  I think it's the beautiful weather coaxing me towards the beer and patios and away from the sullen glow of my laptop.  The Gorilla Tango Theater is looking for proposals, and I've been thinking the time might be ripe for me to pitch some kind of a show.  Variety sketch?  Full-length play?  One-woman show?? Whatever it is, there have to be prizes for the audience involved.  I'm fully stuck on that.

I Walk the Lion

I found this sweet set of photos starring Tippi Hedren and her pet (?prop?) Lion... this photo in particular is how I feel about rehearsal the other day... all in one 3-hour session, I destroyed my shoulder, banged up my knee and got elbowed in the face, twice!  After the second elbowing, I stopped the scene we were in to "recover", I guess, but in doing so I felt like kind of a turd.  The show must go on.  Don't be a puss, just get hurt and get over it.

Next time, I'll try to seamlessly blend the incident into whatever's happening so no one really needs to know.  Spit the bit of water gracefully into the lion's mouth and then cheerfully "ta-da" as he says, "I'm king of the jungle, fool" and destroys what's left of your face. Or something.

Yours,

Elisa.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day, all ye muthas!

I have a complicated relationship with my own mother, but at the end of the day, I realize that she's just a human being who had to live the nightmare of being goth before it was a thing.

To celebrate, my mother-in-law and her sister came to Chicago all Laverne-and-Shirley-style to watch "Campocalypse" and hang out with yours truly.  Last night's show was F-A-Ntastic.  Everyone was on their game and every sketch was executed to perfection.  As a perfectionist (in this area only) I am still tickled.  Ah!!

We hung out all day today, poking our noses around Wicker Park and catching dinner at my perennial fave, Chicago Diner.  Later I took them to see some of what I like to call "artprov" at the Upstairs Gallery.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  If you can catch Los Dos Dudes (and you can, every Saturday this month at aforementioned gallery) do yourself a favor and see it.  The ladies loved it, and I loved that they loved it because now their cool status is cemented and I don't have to feel embarrassed to be around them.  YAY!

Speaking of moms and being cool, one of my friend's due dates is today, so I'll be pestering her all day by phone to see if she's on the way to crowntown or what.  I cannot wait to meet this kid!!

Til later,

Elisa.

Anniversary

A picture of some of Unicorn Jockey at Gorilla Tango Theater.  I apologize to everyone this picture made look like an afterthought.  Deeply, agonizingly, disturbingly sorry. 

Exactly one year ago today, I started my very first classes at Second City.  I was working for the BMV and driving with my Sweets to Chicago every Sunday and Monday so I could take the classes, and spending those days of the week at my friend Mike's.  It feels so recent and yet... so intractably far away...

Today I started Conservatory I at Second City and felt like I was in good hands-- my instructor asked what had inspired me to do improv and I mentioned seeing the above documentary of TJ and Dave as my very first experience with improv at Columbus Comedy Festival in 2010... I was blown away by their level of skill and also at the nature of the form itself-- I've tried my hand a lot of different artistic ways of expressing myself, and I feel like improv is the best way to distill my essence.  Writing is very close, but writing is automatic to me, improv is like an intriguing hot girl in the movies:  the protagonist catches a glimpse of her from a distance, and then gives earnest chase, trying to introduce himself while she ducks around corners and flirts and laughs.  I just watched a documentary on the making of Duran Duran's album "Rio", so excuse me.

Two other Unicorn Jockeys convinced me to join their AP2 class at Annoyance, and that also began today.  I've read Mick Napier's book and I was dying to experience the book in class-form, so I was going to end up in it one way or another.  Their distinct style is immediately apparent, and after a whole lot of fretting on my behalf about the preciousness of free-time, I'm glad I signed up because diversity of experience is where it's at, man.

Stay weird,

Elisa.

To Remind You I'm Still Alive

One of my favorite videos ever.

By the way... Campocalypse opens tomorrow!!! If you're worth your salt, get yourself some tickets... right... MEOW!!! Police orders!!

Yours,
Elisa

The moment is here!  Everyone's busted their hump and they're ready to go and now... you can buy tickets to our Writing 6 Show, "Campocalypse"!

It really is such an important moment for me, as this show is the culmination of a year's worth of Second City writing classes.  So buy a ticket already!


CLICK HERE

Refreshed, thanks.

via

I'm back from my little vacation (Florida).  Highlight of the trip?  Nude, nighttime beach romping, complete with thunder and lighning (and ahem, Four Loko).

Now back to the regularly scheduled madness.

Yours,
Elisa.