williebhines asked: Hello Anthony. Are you doing improv out there? If not, do you miss it? Separate question: do you think with an improviser's vocabulary when you are working on your big fancy SCRIPTS?
Hi Will! Happy New Year!
I am indeed doing some improv out here, though not nearly as much as I did in NYC. I get to do Assscat a couple times a month, Brand New Ball sporadically and I get asked to do the occasional one-off show at UCBT or iO. But I’d very much like to do more because I often feel pretty rusty. Also I’m not on a team here and I miss the shared goals and camaraderie of being on an actual team rather than just doing shows. I even thought about auditioning for an LA Harold Team (because I also miss Harolds… and rehearsing). And… I guess I’m still thinking about it cause I haven’t done it.
As to your second query, I do indeed think with an improviser’s vocab when I’m writing, though a lot of the time and energy on a sitcom is focused on thinking about Story - and improv is not so useful for that. I think the biggest thing improv helps with in sitcom scripts is recognizing the difference between a joke and a character joke. Also I like to do a lot of lewd object work in the writer’s room and I feel my improv training has helped make that very precise and uncomfortable for everyone.
Question for you: What are your three favorite things you’re working on right now?
