improv

Last night was my improv class's showcase. I forgot how much of a rush it is to be in front of an audience. In class I often got nervous participating because I felt like I was nowhere near as funny as my classmates (even though they were always super supportive), but when we were all up on stage together, I finally internalized that I wasn't performing *for* them, I was performing *with* them for the big mass of faceless people in the audience. And when you have a group of people up on stage who you're looking out for, and who are looking out for you, it's energizing, not scary.

Anyway, now I need to go see the professional troupes perform. And I think I need to sign up for the next level. I was sort of wavering and thinking maybe I'd just do the 1A class again, or maybe I wouldn't take any class at all, but I like improv, and I want to get better. I think I need to keep getting pushed beyond my comfort level in order to improve, so level 1B makes the most sense.

Other random things from the showcase:

• I ran into a girl I went to high school with. She's apparently in one of the professional troupes. Random.
  


• My class was all going to meet up in a bar afterwards for a celebratory drink. When I lost track of my classmates after the show, I just headed over there, but the bar was closed. (Not really surprising at 10pm on a Sunday night, I guess?) That was a little disappointing.


• On my way back to my car afterwards, I got followed by a homeless guy.


• I *really* don't know my way around DC, and I got pretty lost driving home. Eventually I figured out that I could just drive from Gallery Place (where the showcase was) back to U Street (where the class was), because at least I knew how to get home from U Street. It was a bit of a circuitous route, but it worked.