Abel Brainz Digest, Vol. 62 - August 9, 2024

62? Oh man!

Sorry this is late. 

I've caught Olympic Fever and I don't need a cure. 

sports and improv 

As many of you know, I love the juxtaposition of baseball and improv. Basketball is a close second in terms of how it relates to improv.(It better be. I have recommended Sacred Hoops to a lot of people) All sports, really. I just really emphasize baseball because it really does directly parallel improvising. More than one person, working together, playing in a set of agreed upon rules and roles, spotlight on one person at a time (for the most part), game of failure, etc. etc. etc. 

And I love with these Olympians had to say about competing in their respective sports: (from Austin Kleon's newsletter) 

“I have to focus on not thinking,” says Simone Biles

Pommel horse champ Stephen Nedoroscik takes off his glasses when he performs: “It’s all about feeling the equipment. I don’t even really see when I’m doing my gymnastics. It’s all in the hands— I can feel everything.”

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Am I recommending that you improvise or act with your eyes closed? No comment. 

What I am saying is that being completely in the moment is all about feeling everything, and trusting instincts. 

cool storytelling stuff

As I begin another session at Drama Inc. and will soon start another at Dad's Garage, I revisit tools and approaches I encourage people to try. One of them is using silence whenever possible. No words. You don't need words to tell a story. A few movies that come to mind when I think of story in silence are:

There Will Be Blood

2001: A Space Odyssey

Wall-E

All three have beginnings where there is no dialogue for about 15 minutes. And yet we know everything. 

We can apply this to how we listen, how we stand/posture ourselves, and how we communicate. Check those movies out again, or for the first time, and see what you can steal ;)  Also, let me know what comes to mind when thinking of examples of storytelling without dialogue. 

cool retrospective stuff

I've decided I'm going to post a link to some old stuff I've been in. I think I may have posted this one in a past newsletter. I don't care, you're gonna see it again anyway. 8 (eight) years ago(!!!) a dear friend of mine decided to get a few of us together to improvise as wrestlers. It was a lot of fun, to say the least. We got to make promos. Click here for the madness.

Thoughts? Questions? Hit me up! 

Click here for all the past volumez. 

And remember, this labor of love is handcrafted and distilled every week. Click here if you want to show some love and "subscribe." And even if you don't, I'll still send you the newsletter :) 

Much love, 

Abel