Reality (and) Performance

"Through spontaneity we are re-formed in to ourselves. It creates an explosion that for a moment frees us from handed down frames and undigested theories and techniques of other people's findings. Spontaneity is the moment of personal freedom when we are faced with a reality and see it, explore and act accordingly. In this reality the bits and pieces of ourselves function as an organic whole. It is the time of discovery, of experiencing, of creative expression."
Viola Spolin
Improvisation for the Theater, Third Edition

"There is nothing in this world without a decisive moment."
Cardninal Retz

Embrace chaos!
Chaos is the traditional organisations’ word for the form of order that they don't understand – yet.

Be lustful!
Your lust leads your will.
Without lust, nothing happens.

Search blindly!
If you always know what you’re looking for, you’ll never be surprised.

Sit less!
You can’t leap from a sitting position. When you move your body, you also move your thoughts.

Wipe out habits!
If you do what you always do, you’ll just get more of what you already have.
As Einstein said, "We can’t solve a problem with the same thoughts as those with which the problem was made."

Give the best away!
Share with everyone and they’ll come back for more.
And they’re sure to bring you something too.

Drop plans!
Plan less – allow for free space
Only where there isn’t anything can something new occur.

Be good to others!
In others’ eyes you always belong to "the others".

Beware those who are perfect!
They are extremely careful and afraid of mistakes.
Change does not happen without the courage to make mistakes.
Many inventions are the result of mistakes.

Be greedy!
The world is boundless,
Its variations infinite,
And human resources inexhaustible.

Be playful!
Be as playful as a child and as disciplined as a soldier.

Be disciplined!
If you want to change something you have to insist and be persevering.
New ideas are like children: It’s easy to make them, and after that they have to be raised with love and allowed to develop over many years.

Ask anyone!
After asking the professor, ask the kid on the street.
Ask those you don’t expect understand you.
All answers are descriptions of the world and contain a truth.

Flip graphs!
Graphs show in what direction the world is going.
If the good is going down and the bad up, the graphs should be flipped
Graphs are statistics. Who makes up statistics?
We do! The graphs describe us!
Therefore it is us who determine them.

Look up from your computer!
It’s indispensable, but it’s not creative.

Exploit each other!
Together we make up all that the world can do.
Whatever is left unused is waste.
Who wants to go to waste?

Ask questions!
Swing your sword! Questions are a weapon.
Sharp questions are sharp weapons.
A piercing question can cut through cracks and knock down a warrior in thick armour.
Questions also have an inherent energy that seeks answers.

Ask stupid questions!
Children can – but we lose the ability if we’re not careful.

Drop your weaknesses!
Your strengths are all that can cause change in the world.
Weaknesses should be avoided.
Find someone who is good at it. In the business world it’s called outsourcing.
Do what you’re best at doing!

Take more risks!
If you never take a risk, you get left behind.

Beware of political correctness!
There’s a difference between acting correctly and not daring to act at all.
"Danish residents of other ethnic origin" – Does anyone really want to be called that?

Defer critique!
Then you allow something interesting to happen before closing the door..

Don’t be sure you can figure it out!
You know where you start a process but not where you’ll end it. Otherwise there would be no purpose in starting it.

Slow down!
Then your brain will have time to think and your heart to feel.
As the Buddhists say, "We are very busy so we have to proceed slowly."

Think in fairytales!
Believe in happy endings.

"The only people who get speaking parts are those whose lives are grabbed by chaos."
- Dave Eggers
Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius, p 424

Off-Book Productions is back at livejournal.com!

1.) One because of the convienent downloadable program that livejournal provides which makes it easier to update entries
2.) Two because of the more objective platform that this offers me.

A lot has changed and moved. I've learned many things about brainstorming the ideas and brand behind a company facade. I need a more open playing ground.

The last location was a wonderful website and should be browsed by improvisers and fans of improvisation alike. However, in representing a different perspective and business tactic, I have found the community (an amazing 6500 and growing!) to be reminiscent of an institution- somewhat inclusive to the style and views of 'campus life'.
Everyone has their own shows and their own studies to worry about within that context.

..

in other news,
My personal success in working with Juvie Hall on "Saturday Night Rewritten", my performance life in "beatboxing", "Beatboxing Entertainment" and "Freestyle Love Supreme" has altered the direction of which I travel with this concept of "Full Scale" rather than my ability to directly deliver product independantly.

Particularly Freestyle Love Supreme - we're going to Aspen Colorado in february for the USCAF (google it) so the flow of this stream will be redirected. The landscape is changing.

In the new year, I will offer more quotes, and personal perspectives...

The concept of a personal journal kept online is interesting, "Dear Diary: I think John hates me." Meanwhile, you know John reads the journal... very interesting. I'll, on the other hand, try tol keep this more as a "blog" or a way for me to direct this creative energy until I have the the real tools to make things happen. Now, mixing pertinant news to an emerging, self-sustaining, artistic and profitable community and my own creative endeavers....and in that, a mix of public announcements and personal notes as I develop the goals and practices that do not yet exist.

I do all this because of the beliefs BEHIND improvisation....
media is moving in that performance direction,
the training concepts can improve public teachers,
the ideals can change lives...
And I would love to make money with this art.
wouldn't you?

Someday television will be live.

I like to think of this as a living memoir of the prequel.

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Now if you're just tuning in, visit the Improv Resource Center and catch the gap in this "blog".
copy and paste:
http://www.improvresourcecenter.com/mb/showthread.php?t=18227

Here is the link for the old location of the Off-Book Productions online journal.
CLICK HERE
or go to: http://www.improvresourcecenter.com/mb/showthread.php?threadid=18227
thanks for your continued support and interest.

Go out there.
Do the best you can.
Then fuck it.
-Yogi Berra

Off-Book Message Board : http://offbookimprov.proboards20.com
(warning, just as I work to redefine the useage of a "online journal" this "message board" is always under construction.)

In order to maintain our roots in improv comedy (and improvisation) and progress further into both the theater arts and the realm of education, the following has been developed:

Off-Book Productions Brand Image Maintenence

Off-Book Productions

updated June 1st, 2003



I. Off-Book Productions is an arts company in support and (co)production of improvisational or improvisationally inspired, original productions.



A. It is in the best interest of Off-Book Productions and all underlying productions to support the improvisational nature of social and public performance enacted in either co-production or first-hand creation.



B. Publicity for Off-Book Productions and all underlying productions is exempt from the "No Revision Policy" in the name of maintaining company structure.



C. All foundational graphic design for all Off-Book publicity will remain true to the form and content of improvisation, blatently or in subtext and always to the greatest degree of simplicity.



D. Whilest Off-Book Productions will preserve and maintain its roots in "improv comedy," all company publicity will remain void of visual represention of humor in the form of "slapstick" or "shock humor."

**********

The "No Revision" policy will be explained in future updates.

"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn burn burn like the fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everyone goes, "Awww!"
-Jack Kerouac