ISN’T THAT SOMETHING?
I love figuring out why choices pop into your head during a show. Last night I was at a rehearsal for an improv group. We were doing a scene in a rural kitchen. I could see the room. It was filled with a salt and pepper shaker collection. It was just a little detail but it endowed the other player with more information about his character. We found out that he collected salt and pepper shakers and the scene moved on.
Later I remembered having been in the actual room. It belonged to a farmer and his wife in Black Earth, WI. They were named Buford and Vera Nelson. I hadn’t thought of them in a long time, years. We used to visit them on their farm. Vera and my parents would enjoy a nice slice of homemade pie while Buford walked me around the house. He’d tell stories about his salt and pepper shaker collection. It had pretty much taken over their house. There were shakers everywhere.
I remember him picking up a favorite and saying something like, “This one is from the World Fair they had in New York City. Imagine that. Someone was there and thought of me and Vera and brought this back to us. Isn’t that something?”
I love that improvisation uses memories like that and brings them back to life in a new context. I can almost hear Buford saying to Vera, “Isn’t that something?”
I love figuring out why choices pop into your head during a show. Last night I was at a rehearsal for an improv group. We were doing a scene in a rural kitchen. I could see the room. It was filled with a salt and pepper shaker collection. It was just a little detail but it endowed the other player with more information about his character. We found out that he collected salt and pepper shakers and the scene moved on.
Later I remembered having been in the actual room. It belonged to a farmer and his wife in Black Earth, WI. They were named Buford and Vera Nelson. I hadn’t thought of them in a long time, years. We used to visit them on their farm. Vera and my parents would enjoy a nice slice of homemade pie while Buford walked me around the house. He’d tell stories about his salt and pepper shaker collection. It had pretty much taken over their house. There were shakers everywhere.
I remember him picking up a favorite and saying something like, “This one is from the World Fair they had in New York City. Imagine that. Someone was there and thought of me and Vera and brought this back to us. Isn’t that something?”
I love that improvisation uses memories like that and brings them back to life in a new context. I can almost hear Buford saying to Vera, “Isn’t that something?”
