Teaching again - this Friday only !

Hi friends - Just wanted to let you guys know I'm teaching the Friday night Drop-in this week at the Pit. (Filling in for Ashley, who's out of town.)

It's the "Scenework Fundamentals" drop-in, so the content will be a little less out there than my Thursdays were. Whether that's a good or bad thing is your call :)

Anyway, 7-10 on Friday at Simple Studios, I'd love to have any or all of you there. I miss drop-in teaching. It's gonna be fun.

Have kickass holidays and I hope to see you there!

Yer pal,
Geoff

Tonight's the Night -- for something Else (No Class!) (Anymore!)

Hi everybody, just a quick reminder that there's no THursday Drop-In tonight, or any other Thursday for the knowable future.

I'll really miss you guys, and the chance to work with new and returning students every week.

BUT!!! Drop-Ins are good, and useful! The Pit knows this. So they're preserving the Friday night, and Saturday & Sunday afternoon Drop-Ins on an ongoing basis, for you guys.

Full info here: http://www.thepit-nyc.com/dropins2.html



Fridays will always be "Scenework" with Ashley Ward, 7-10.



Saturdays will always be "The Workout" - the class designed to your order every week, with Pete LePage, 3-6.





Sundays will alternate between Short Form with Justin Zell and Long Form with Brett Wean, 3-6. See the PIT drop-ins page for the exact schedule & who's teaching Sunday this week.


I was asked to also teach Sundays so it would be a 3-man rotation, but I work Sunday days at my jobby-job, so no dice.

I'll really miss you guys. Thanks so much for coming and putting so much of yourself into the work every week. Thursday Drop-In really wasn't a class that you could come in and half-ass, and none of you did. Thank you for that.

These 7 classes are an absolute highlight of my year, and my improv career so far. Thank you.

Come see my PIT house team, Punch, any and every Wednesday night at 9:00, for free at the PIT.

And feel free to drop me a line with your questions, thoughts, pictures of birds of prey, or restaurant recommendations.

With Thursday nights freed up again, I'll be available to coach improv teams again, too, and would be happy to work with any of you.

Any more plugs to cram in?. . . I guess not. I can always edit more in later. Hooray!

Keep playing from your gut; keep stepping out on stage with nothing in your head. Everytime you do, an angel gets a free sub sandwich.

Thanks again.

Your pal,
Geoff

Tonight's the (Last) Night - Let's (Learning) Party!

It's strictly for financial reasons on the part of the Pit. What're you gonna do.

I'll tell you what we're gonna do: We're gonna have one great last Thursday Drop-In class together! Email me today if there's anything you especially want to do, and we'll do it.

Other than that, we're gonna hit favorite exercises, def get some Intervals in there, and probably make up an exercise or two on the spot, as has been the norm.

I've come up with a brand new kind of Intervals that any TDI veterans (or adventurous newcomers) will be welcome to try. It's badass.

This class has truly been a highlight of my year, and of my improv life so far. Thanks to all of you for being a part of it, and I'd truly love to see every one of you tonight.

The more we get, the more I'll adjust the exercises to keep people on their feet as much as possible and on their chairs as little as possible.

Let's rock it out.

Can't wait!

Your pal,
Geoff

P.S. --This here below is now my new favorite video ever. And appropriate for tonight!

Tomorrow - The Rumors Are True: It's our last class

Sad but True

For financial reasons, the Pit's cancelilng the weekdcay Drop-In classes for the foreseeable future.

It makes me very sad, but I'm thrilled that we at least get one more class. That's this Thursday.

C'mon out, and work with me in here one last time.

I'll write more later.

It's been, truly, a party while it's lasted.

Let's party one more time!

Your pal,
Geoff

That Was Awesome: "100 points for naming her "Cabinet"

Kickass dudes - including two eager returners from last week, and one brought in by major glowing recommendations from one of the returners.

We had a really great time, I think. People had specific stuff in mind to work on, and I think we got to all of it, at least a little.

I'll say this: Three and Four-person classes may not be sustainable from a business point of view. But while they last, wow, I think they're great for the people involved. You get so much individual attention, and so many more times on stage than you do in your normal team rehearsal, or 18-person class.

And we're doing 3 hours, at that!

I really believe this class is worth perpetuating. If you think so too (or feel like it's something you want to check out sometime or other), I urge you to come out sooner rather than later. Big numbers now will help carry us through any lean weeks in the future.

The lean weeks are great, they truly are. But we need some bigger weeks to keep it worth the theater's while to keep us going.

Why did this get depressing? It's the weatheroutside today, I bet.

Last night was awesome. Everyone was game as hell, and we got to do the unprecedented combo of Solo Intervals followed by Pairs Intervals. All three guys loved it.

It's seriously such a huge joy for me to get to introduce the stuff I love in improv to people, and to see them see the beauty in so much of what we do.

Also, one guy had an iPhone, so we were able to check the Yankees scores during the break.

Thanks for another great week, you guys. I hope to see you (and all the rest of you!) and your friends in the next few weeks to come.

Wahoo!

Stuff we did included:

Word Smash
Crossing:
-Silent
-With asides
Turn Out
Silence
Emotion Chairs
Son of a bitch
This is Bullshit
Raw Intervals
Pairs Intervals


Notes I took included:

100 points for naming her "Cabinet"
Cabot?
Gender confusions
Fitler
W/ the fuckin Krinkles
I love the long ones b/c the change!
statements
single
"yesterday, today, and the day before"
Yay! not sefl-conscious [sic]


I find I'm taking less notes every week. Maybe that's me growing to trust my short-term memory more, as I get comfortable teaching. I don't think it's laziness...

See you soon!

Your pal,
Geoff

Punch cards! $5 off for PIT students!

Big News!

Two new promotions to make Drop-In classes (especially the Thursday...) an even better economical choice:

1.) The Punch Card: Just like at the sub sandwich shop -- come to 9 Drop-In classes (any combination of days), and the 10th class is free!

2.) PIT Student Discount If you're a current student at the PIT, just show your PIT student ID at the desk when you pay and you get $5 off the (already 50% off regular levels') price of your drop-in, every time.

We Drop-In teachers have been pushing hard for these from day one, and are thrilled they're getting implemented.

If this makes it possible for you to come to more drop-ins than you could before, that's fantastic. If those added classes are all mine -- Better Still.

Hope to see you soon, punch-card in hand!

Your pal,
Geoff

Tonight's the Night: Week 6 - Pimp Away!

Good lord, that's garish. BUT, it does accidentally touch on my point - which is not original at all, but true, so we're gonna work with it: Pimping, in improv, is not a crime.

Now, there's an important distinction to make between true, bad pimping, and "giving gifts", which is a wonderful, helpful move that too often gets lumped in with pimping.

Now here's the secret: Even the bad pimping isn't bad. Certainly not when you know your partner.

Anyhow, that's the definite item on the agenda tonight - Fun with Pimpin'.

I'm also looking at some more Whispered Secrets, since that went so well last week, and maybe some more Holiday Gift Exchange, Basement/Unbasement, Open Crossing, and, of course, Intervals.

Haven't come to my class yet, and are wondering what the hell those things are? Well, roughly translated they boil down to: Awesome, Awesome, Kickass, Fantastic, Fun as Balls, and Incredible. Hope that helps.

7-10, tonight, Simple Studios on 29th, $20, come on out!

N.B.: Actual pimps are very bad people.

Hope to see you there!

Your pal,
Geoff