Typing into the void and the void types back
Comedy festival is on its way, workshop teaser ahoy, and a plea from a woman and her blank page
It’s pouring with rain and I’m staring at my screen and thinking about how much I like being inside when it’s wet (because I am Basic), and also about how during the week I have so many thoughts about which I think ‘Oh! I should write about that in the newsletter’ and then I get to here and the writing and all of them are gone from my head, just gone. A blank page of an email waiting for me to spout improv wisdom or ask probing questions, an empty stage waiting for me to start a new scene with no audience but my cat, determinedly sitting across my lap despite my best efforts to keep her off my keyboard. I want to be the kind of person that writes down and then remembers she wrote down her relevant thoughts… I wonder how much of that problem is because of improv. I want to have someone to bounce off, a partner to play with, and an audience that responds and tells me what’s working (and what’s not). I struggle without that interplay. Is this a round about way of saying ‘please talk improv with me’ and encouraging you to hit reply on this email and tell me what you’ve been thinking about, or ask me a question in the comments? Yes. But not on purpose.
snippets
The Comedy Festival is ON from this weekend in Wellington, starting with the big Gala on Saturday night and running til 27 May. There’s no poster campaign or printed programme this year, though, so you can be forgiven for not feeling the buzz (I’m not yet and I’m in the damn thing!). If you would like a quick calendar to see what’s on when, you can check out this pdf available on the festival website, or of course search the website for more info. There are THREE improv shows in Wellington, which I’ve listed below. Go go go! Share the events on your networks!
I made my newsletter a logo, it’s at the bottom of this email. I like it!
Snort is finishing this year after an impressive 10 year run! If you’ve not yet seen the huge Auckland/International show, you’ve got til the end of November to get up to the Basement. (Is it just me or is it weird how much Rose doesn’t seem to even like improv in this article?)
A little bird told me (okay I’m the bird) that there will be some incredible workshops on offer in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin in the first two weeks of July with a certain internationally renowned improv teacher from Melbourne. Watch this space! I’m firming up venues and will share when things are on sale…
coming up…
shows
Wet Soup - Experimental Comedy Show (Wet Soup Comedy). Thursday 4 May, 8pm at the Pow Wow Room, tix from $15.
The Big HOO-HAA! at Autumn Laughs (Locomotive). Friday 5 May, 8pm at Te Auaha (Tapere Iti), tix from $20.
Tiny Dog at the NZ International Comedy Festival (Tiny Dog). Friday 12 May, 10pm at Te Auaha (Tapere Nui), tix $25 - $30.
The Big HOO-HAA! at the NZ International Comedy Festival (Locomotive). Saturdays 13 and 20 May, 10pm at Te Auaha (Tapere Nui), tix $26 - $32.
Jez & Jace at the NZ International Comedy Festival (Ginge & Minge). Friday 26 and Saturday 27 May, 9:45pm at Te Auaha (Tapere Iti), tix $20 - $25.
workshops
WIT Tuesdays (Wellington Improv Troupe). 6-8pm, Te Auaha, various teachers. Drop in, koha. Check the most recent newsletter (at the link) for info on this week’s session.
Improv Movement Class (Java Dance). 9-10.30am Tuesdays, join the FB group to stay in the loop.
Help me collate all the upcoming improv and improv-adjacent events and useful news - tell me about yours!
ka kite anō
That’s all for this week; let me know what I missed in the comments. Stay safe and well xx
Just realised this is my first post since the NZIF 2023 dates were announced, and I didn't include them in the round-up! I will do so NEXT TIME.
I have this same problem and is part of the reason I’m taking a break from improv to try and cultivate creativity in different ways (with extremely limited success so far hahaha). As for whether improv did this to us or we were drawn to improv because it allowed us to create, I don’t know! Maybe both?
I know I get bored of things very easily and quickly (and have some other thoughts about why that might be that I’d be happy to share more privately Dan and Jen) and am currently reading four different books and about 15 different articles which is good for stimulating my brain but not good for a sense of focus. Improv sometimes feels like the only thing that can focus me enough to create. I’m not sure if it’s the presence of an audience or what. More introspective vibes of “what’s wrong with me?!”
My other issue is I’m increasingly finding much improv unrewarding (your talk on mediocrity a couple of NZIFs back haunts me Dan) and I can’t unsee it.
Anyway! Often reading and thinking these things and happy to chat in person with you both should the opportunity (Dan in Wellington anytime soon) arise!