As
a boy, I was considered a very quiet and calm child, always taking
the time to formulate my thoughts before I put them into words.
As I became a young man, I mostly kept to myself in high school.
I didn't say much, didn't have many friends, and read many books.
I said very little in class but when I did speak up, strangely enough
people would actually turn to listen to me. I still cannot explain
it to this day. To make this long story short, in high school I
was a very afraid and lacked confidence in any of my pursuits. I
can remember having sweaty palms in bed the night before having
to give an English presentation the next day. However stumbling
in into a smoking coffee house one night forever changed my life.
It was a windy and rainy night in the downtown a.k.a. "artsy"
district of Montclair, New Jersey. Several of my friends and I had
been walking in the rain for some time now and decided to stop by
for some hot coffee in this seemingly avant garde, and unique coffee
house appropriately entitled Café Eclectic. As we were shown
to our table in the rear smoking section of the establishment, I
was surprised to find a group of "actors" on stage apparently
acting out a scene with no props, costumes, curtains, or predetermined
dialogue. We sat there for over two hours laughing hysterically
to the distinctive comedy stylings of Possible Side Effects a Montclair
State University based Improv Comedy troupe. I was hooked. We began
to make our visits to Café Eclectic a regular affair. From
then on, every Wednesday night at nine PM we were there; front row
ready to have our minds gouged of everything that we perceived as
reality and replaced with this alternate dimension of being that
was created completely from the suggestion of one word from the
audience. I was most impressed by their seemingly unnerved and fearless
approach to public theatre. I was entranced, amused, and addicted
all at the same time. I had to know more, learn more, do more. I
had heard though an announcement they had larger, longer shows Saturday
nights at midnight. I began to go to those, alone now, for my colleagues'
interest began to wane. I took a twelve week course in introduction
to improvisation that they offered sensing that this was my chance;
my chance to break out of my self induced silence. I found their
classes intellectually stimulating as it served both as an outlet
for a new passion that I had found and a venue from which I could
uninhibitedly express my true thoughts and emotions.
This month (February 2003), it will have been three years since
I first walked into that smoking coffee house. Possible Side Effects
no longer has shows there, they've moved onto become a professional
troupe having productions both in New Jersey and in New York City.
I have grown as well. After taking their class, I discovered a new
passion, a new drive in me, and during freshman orientation I met
someone else who shared my enthusiasm for the improvised stage.
Together, we started a fledgling improv troupe known as "…stop
laughing Mom!" which initially consisted of twelve unique individuals
of which only four original cast members remain. A year since our
founding we now have a strong cast of nine talented improvised comedians,
we produce a show once a month; which routinely grosses hundreds
of dollars. We are known both on and off campus by students and
local residents and have a zealous fan base. After graduating from
college, I plan to move to Chicago where improvised theatre as we
know it today was created. There I hope to learn from the most talented
instructors in the world and hopefully someday become part of the
resident cast on Saturday Night Live.
Now why the story? Comedy has become so important to me over the
years that I have found and have improved or exploited my strengths
and weaknesses in my pursuits. I still get sweaty palms the night
before an English presentation OR an improv show. However whenever
I am at center stage or in front of a blackboard, I never expose
my fear because it is detrimental to both my personal presentation
and the improvisers that I must work with. Strangely though I feel
more comfortable in front of larger groups of people than I do smaller
ones. This I still cannot explain. I am always infinitely more tense
while speaking to freshmen parents at orientation than I am acting
in front of four hundred people. I supposed you could call this
"reverse stage fright." Also I have discovered that laughter
can be used a very powerful tool for a speaker or an actor. It is
a driving, locomotive force from which I draw a lot of my momentum
and energy from. Thus I try to make light of situations in order
to ease my presence and boost my confidence whenever I am speaking.
However I no longer let my personal fears stricken my poise, all
thanks to a windy, rainy night in February. |
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