Had another improv show scheduled last night. This one was the weekly Friday student show in theatre. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this show here in the past, especially in terms of filling in for people. This was my sixth time doing the show, so I had at least a little level of comfort in being there. The night before though, I declared out to the universe that this was going to be a good night. I think I used the phrase “I can feel it in my bones.” Well, last night, the little studio was actually packed. Yes, there are some weeks where it can be sparse, but generally we have a decent crowd. This time though: holy crap. Due to the nature of the rotating cast, it’s not uncommon for me to be unfamiliar with one or two my castmates. This time though I was familiar with everyone, and I figured I had a good handle on how each of us functioned. Yes, this was going to be a great night.

Coming out of it, yes, things went well over all. For me personally I kind of felt a bit off. In my head I could tell that it wasn’t a mind-blowingly spectacular night for myself. It seemed like everyone else shone a bit more. All the same, all together we really rocked it. The energy was high throughout and the audience was more than willing to show us some love. As much as I want to judge myself and say that I was just all right, the audience enjoyed themselves. Ultimately that’s all that matters. Internally, I can assess and figure out what I could have done better. I can still rest easy though that we all worked hard and got good results. That’s right.

Some people say that there are ways to joke about any topic. I suppose I can agree, but there are some topics that even people with years of experience can’t joke about without difficulty. The line between flirting with the edge and being offensive is a thin one. Perhaps during last night’s improv class there was a lot dancing back and forth over that line. I’m going to be honest, during some scenes I was cringing in my seat, almost shaking my head in disbelief. I wasn’t the only one either. I think, if at least there’s some acknowledgement that the people are heading into odd territory then that can diffuse things. On the other hand, if people go forth blithely without showing knowledge of being offensive, that just compounds any bad vibes.

Well, at the end of class last night, I guess I can say that I came out with an increased awareness of where my limits are before I become offended. Maybe part of me wishes that my threshold is a little bit higher. Even so, I think the fact that I can be offended means that I have some sense of what’s socially acceptable, know what I mean?