I spoke about committing to a narrative in the last post I wrote about improv. Your mind can wander in many directions, but if you blurt out X and it happens that X is in the realm of possibility then you need to stick with it. If you don’t, it almost seems kind of indecisive and accidental.

At the end of today’s class, we played a game of hitchhiker. There were three people seated in a row with one person acting as the driver and the other two as passengers. The driver would act out a particular character trait and the passengers would pick up that trait as well and work out the scene with it. This would continue until a hitchhiker came along and got in. That person would become the new driver and everyone would shift down. Anyway, my turn came up and as soon as I got in the car I said I was going to turn on the radio. I did, and started scanning my head for something ridiculous and overwrought. In a split second I picked something and started belting out a song.

Unbreak my heart! Say you love me again! Undo this hurt that you caused when you walked out the door and walked out of my life…

Oh LORD. I went there. I was wondering what the passengers would do. I was half expecting them to sing with me, but instead they started to cry. At that moment, I picked up on that and continued to sing while starting to sob. It got ridiculous! No one was coming up so I just continued to sob uncontrollably. The passenger next to me proceeded to pat me on the back. That’s when I knew everyone clicked into the scene. I eventually forgot the lyrics (or at least my place in the song) so I just did those breathy sobs. I suppose I could have started laughing or singing another song, but no, I just stuck with the song and the mood and I laid it on thick. I think that took balls. :-p

Like I said last week, I’m really loving this activity. I think it’s helping me out in so many ways. Apart from bringing me out of my shell, it’s also causing me to be a more active listener. I found this to be true during the week at work and at Running Room. As I spoke to people I picked up on “offers” and let my mind wander in terms of directions I can take the conversation. If the situation allowed (like it would among friends) I actually tested out those spontaneous bits of related but unrelated conversation. It’s an interesting experience.

Can’t wait for next weekend.