Speed

One of the Scotts and I were talking tonight before U Who. He was saying he was feeling a little wonky from his weekend of improv shows. Not that the shows weren't funny, that the audience didn't enjoy them, or they weren't decent shows in and of themselves but that he felt like they didn't have a message, a theme, or a statement. There was no challenge in them, they weren't difficult to do.

We both agreed that the U Who shows are challenging and fulfilling, sometimes significantly more so than some of the other stuff we're doing, because of the speed at which we play. The four of us all have a very aggressive style as far as pacing and variance/energy in character. It lends it self to shows, I think, that you get caught up in and swept along with. At a certain point the momentum of the show carries us along and there's little thought to what scene will come next or what scene went before it. It's a challenge every week, not only to play with such a high energy talented group of guys but to always try to push the boundary: how fast can we go, how many characters can we play, how many people can we fit on stage. More, more, more, faster, faster, faster. It's like continuously adding balls while juggling, how many can we keep going in the air until they become too many to handle? We never know.

We don't go after theme or try to have a message. We try to go as fast as we can with as much reckless-abandon as we can.

I once was skiing down a mountain and realized I had forgotten how to stop or turn. I picked up speed quickly and rocketed down the slope. There were people in my way and many people at the bottom of the run. Part of me was afraid. Afraid how I would stop, afraid of the possible collision. But the other part of me, the other part of me just embraced the thrill.

And let gravity do its work.

The Grind

My first week back to work is complete and it's an odd feeling. The past 8 months I've gotten rest and sometimes too much rest. I've had time enough to get things done but in that time got little done. Now, one week in, I feel energized. Simply getting up early, going to bed early, having my sleep regulated and at times shortened has made me feel more alert, more awake, more present.

I've heard of writers going off to isolated cabins to spend months writing. But always it seems they come back to the world. They come back because they need inspiration. They need fuel for the stories they need to tell. They go off to limit distractions, to focus, to wrestle their ideas out on paper. But after the idea has been expunged, laid out, exorcised, its time to go out and find another one.

In the past 8 months I put up a sketch show, wrote and recorded a podcast, and began writing another show. But now its time to reenter the work-a-day world: to ride the train, to make some money, to survive the grind. To be inspired. Now the time I have is precious and I am doing more in it. I think it will be sometime before I have a job that I enjoy. Until then I use it to pay bills and get out into the world. To meet new people, handle new situations, discover new stories to tell.

Darkness

I miss the dark. Chicago is a great place to live and I love it. But there are things I miss. Light pollution makes every night bright. There are street lamps on almost every street. There are no shadows, no secret places, nothing left to the imagination. Of course it needs to be light at night to keep people safe. Even so something is lost in big cities, a certain mystery, a connection to our past.

There are a lot of parks in Rockford where I'm from. One of my favorite things was to go out and hike at night. It wasn't pitch black but dark. My friends and I would take hikes using our night and peripheral vision to find our way. There was always a small bit of fear which in a way was thrilling. The fear was a childhood fear of the dark and as an adult feeling that fear is almost nostalgic. There's something fulfilling about going out and feeling an old fear, no matter how old, and overcoming it.

I worked at a camp in Rockford for seven years. Once a summer the staff would spend the night out in the park. Every time we did I would lead a night hike with no torches or flashlights. There's something comforting and evocative of the past about being swallowed up by the dark, surrounded by trees, and knowing which way to go. Or maybe not caring.

The most surprising things can be found in the dark.

Graffiti 96

Kill Transit Not People. I'm assuming that this is some commentary on pollution. I think it'd be more effective if there was a bike or car pictured. The breathing mask looks more like Bane's mask in Dark Night Rises more than anything else. If it's suppose to be a riff on the instructional pamphlets in airplanes I don't think it's a success. But I guess I agree. Drive less, bike more, take public transit more.

But I think there is something sinister about this. I don't know why exactly but "killing transit" seems to intend to solicit some kind of violent action. Like blow up buses and trains just make sure there's no people on them. Like it's instructions for terrorists. The breathing mask looks like it could be for poison gas.

Maybe it's a subliminal message. A secret code. A call to action to some unknown party.

Bubble Boys: Moonshiners

Episode 5 and we're half way through the season! We recorded this episode in almost one continuous take sitting on the floor in a circle in Tim's studio telling stories, shooting the shit, and making each other laugh. It reminded me a lot of summer camp and bonfires and starry nights. I suggest listening to this episode shortly before you go to bed or walking outside at night. I'm proud of all the episodes we've put out but I think this one is something special.


Sven and Henry sit around the campfire and spin yarns with some unexpected friends. Join them won't you?

Featuring:
Steve Nelson as Sven Ingaborg
Andrew Tisher as Henry Mossmouth
Bill Boehler as Jackknife
Mike Brunlieb as Turtleneck
and Scott Nelson as River Drew
With excerpts from original songs "Two Thieves" and "Sea"

'The Host' & 'Gimme The Loot' Reviews

The Host is a scifi romance based on the book of the same name by Stephanie Meyer. The movie is incredibly convoluted in structure and all in all an unsatisfying narrative. It borrows much from Invasion of the Body Snatchers for premise and duplicates almost exactly the love triangle from the Twilight Series.

It's the future and small alien bug creatures made of light have possessed most humans on earth and created a utopia where everyone is nice to each other and pollution has been eradicated. One alien called Wanderer has invaded the heroine Melanie. Wanderer with Melanie still alive in her head flees to the last human stronghold in a cliff dwelling. Wanderer falls in love with one of the human survivors and he with her but tensions mount because Melanie(trapped in Wanderer's head) is still in love with her former flame. Drama ensues.

The most distracting thing about the movie isn't the overly dramatic dialogue, the non-existent chemistry, or the fact that nothing actually happens, it's the frequent scenes where Saoirse Ronan plays Wanderer in Melanie's body talking audibly to the voice over of Melanie in her head. Ludicrous.

Don't See It.

Gimme The Loot is a day-in-the-life comedy about two teen graffiti artists from the Bronx. The movie begins as if it will be about our two heroes 'bombing' part of Mets Stadium but quickly reveals itself as a reflection of a day or two in their friendship.

The film portrays the realistic lives of these two teens, with hopes and dreams, artistic aspirations, romantic struggles, and occasional illegal activity. There's a wonderful sense of authenticity about it however the movie isn't actually about anything. The story doesn't move, the characters don't change, they seemingly accomplish nothing. We simply see an unfiltered glimpse of who they are, which is almost enough.

Ty Hickson as Malcom and Tashiana Washington put out great performances especially as the movie goes forward. I would guess the movie was shot chronologically because it's clear Hickson and Washington get more and more comfortable in their characters and on screen as the movie progresses. They start off over the top and kind of false but engage you as the movie rolls forward.

An interesting film from first time actors and director. Not quite there but almost. I'm very interested to see what this group of people do next.

Rent It.

Lutz

John Lutz was in town for CIF and played with Two Scotts, Two Nelsons and a Uhlir. He was on Valhalla with Craig back in the day as well as the famed 4 Square. He's a Chicago improv celebrity, after coming up here he wrote for SNL and was a regular on 30 Rock. The Scotts and I were pretty nervous but once the show got rolling we all had a blast.