So this weekend I got back to the Improv theatre in town, which I last visited back in December. We ended up very early (got the time of the show wrong), so as the dinner crowd left the guy who turns out to own the theatre came over to talk to us. “Is this your first time at the Improv?” he asked. My wife informed him that while the couple we were with were newbies, she and I had been in December. “We sat right over there in the front row,” I said. “I’m the guy that likes to yell out Shakespeare! and then nobody else in the audience contributes anything.” “I remember you,” he said. “Looks like a small audience tonight, so I’m not sure how much more we’ll get.” “I could yell out Ionesco if you prefer? Beckett?” “See, we could do that,” he tells me, “But the you’d be the only person who gets it.” “Fair enough,” says I. As predicted they did not do the “theatre and film styles” game, and there were a total of about 12 people in the audience. Highlights: Cast member: “Somebody in the audience shout out something you did today? Something you really enjoyed? Or, you know, something you hated? Either one, really.” Me: “Watched the kid’s soccer game.” Cast member: “Watched the kid’s soccer game, ok great, thank you. We’re gonna take that as something you hate, because we hate the little bastards, we really do, always kicking the ball the wrong way….”
Oh, and this. One of our friends, who is a high school Spanish teacher, got called on stage for an “interview” segment. Interviewer: So, tell us something bad that happened to you this week at work. Sarah: Well I almost got restructured out of a job, but luckily it didn’t happen. Interviewer: Really? Tell us, what did you do to save your job? Me (from the audience): She slept with the guidance counselor! Interviewer: Tawdry! Me: No, seriously. Interviewer: So, Sarah, are you here with anybody tonight? Sarah: My husband. Interviewer: And what does your husband do? Sarah: He’s the guidance counselor. Me: I told you! Last one: Cast: Ok, for this next game we need you to tell us something you did this weekend for someone else that made you feel really good. Anybody? Anything, something that made you feel good about yourself. Maybe you told someone they looked nice, or gave someone directions. Kerry (my wife, who is a physical therapist): Taught someone how to walk. Cast: Taught….someone how to walk. Ok, great, thank you. Now we all feel like total a-holes, don’t we? Felt good about myself because I gave someone directions, what did you do? Taught another person how to *walk*. Very nice.
