Day 1 of Improv!

Hi guys! I'm not sure if I'm doing this right but here's my takeaway from Mondays (June 16) class:

Unfortunately, I can't talk about EVERYTHING we learned because it would take hours. However I will say that all the 13 points of "Jons 13 Theses" (my new name for his foundations) taught me something I didn't know before about acting. This is all so new to me, and I know that with everyone's help I can start to become the actress I hope be. After only one day of class, I know what it means to be believed (having a dimensional and multilayered performance), that we, as actors, must read underneath the lines and bring randomness to characters, trust our gut, don't overthink what we want to say, and connect/understand the sensory information around us. I now know that acting does not always mean talking, and I can use my eyes or hands to develop a character. We must use crafting, conflict, and contrast to improve our scene and roles. These were my takeaways from yesterday.

Last but certainly not least, one thing Jon said that has stuck in my mind would be "LIFE is improv". When you really think about that, it's crazy to me how true it is. Everything we say to people, every interaction, every hand gesture is improv. We figure it out as we go, just like in our exercises. I told you all that I was nervous yesterday, and I probably will be tomorrow too. Despite that, I think keeping this quote in my mind will help with the anxiousness.

Again thank you all for introducing me to acting and being patient with my inexperience! I can't wait to embark on this journey with such open and encouraging people

Uma Daniel

This is a killer post
I again have to say how jealous I am of you starting with Jon as a mentor, vs years of hum drum nothing-ness of university style 'learning', but I am happy for you too!

Last block we did tons of work on memorization and releasing any script related hiccups that keep us from living under the lines, now we learn the tools to improv into, thru, and out of a scene.
Once we learn the lines in their entirety, we can then explore and play and improvise our way through a scene to make art! and have F U N!
xoxo

Uma. This is a very nice read! Well written and personal stuff. I am so glad you are here. Also, thank you Lauren for your kind words to her.