Making the Mono-Scene

PERFORMANCE

Okay, so I suppose I may be stretching it a tad, but I performed a set of long-form improv at 12am, FRIDAY morning at the Magnet Theater in the "Magnet Mixer." That qualifies, right?

Anyway, the Magnet Mixer is a chance for people in the improv community to mix it up by doing scenes and different improv forms with students and even audience members. (My boyfriend managed to persuade a couple of newcomers to give it a whirl and they had a swell time!)

I did the form known as a "Mono-scene" in which the improvisers get a suggestion of a non-geographical location that can fit on the stage and create a scene in which all players may enter and exit at any time, but the location remains the same.

Our suggestion was "Candy Shop" My mind immediately went to Dylan's Candy Bar on 60th and 3rd. As much as I hate to admit it, I love that place. Every time I go in there I feel like a kid...in a candy...store. Well I do. But that's not how I played the scene - I opted to play an Upper East Side mother throwing her son Toby a $50,000.00 birthday party. Hey, in Manhattan don't think it doesn't happen. I felt good about how the scene went overall. Even though I've decided to dial down on the amount of improv that I do, I still don't want to get improv flabby. It's a good weekly workout for me. It's a chance to perform (which is never a bad thing) and it keeps me sharp. Lately I've been working on things like specifics and keeping the scenes grounded in reality along with strong relationships. No court or acting professor in the land would be able to argue with that!

I'll admit that sometimes I get really nervous about getting up there in front of my peers, but I force myself to do it because I think it's good to make myself do things that sometimes scare me or make me a little weak in the knees. It makes me a better improviser and a better performer, but it also makes me feel like a stronger person for facing my fears. The kicker is that no matter what happens up there, I inevitably always manage to have a great time. The Mixer is good clean fun! Everyone should try it! It'll make you feel like a kid in a candy store!