Doreen Calderon is the owner of The Recognized Actor, where she coaches experienced actors, writers, and industry professionals who want more out of their careers. Get your FREE 20 minute coaching session HERE.
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Let's talk Improv for a bit.
When I was a child, there was no "Whose Line?" on television, SNL was considered a late night "underground" show, and I was too young to have been to The Second City. So I fell into improv quite accidentally. I first learned stage games at the age of eleven, and then performed my first show at the local park district. Improv, however, became a way of life after studying Viola Spolin's work in college. I will talk about that at a later date, but for now I'd like to share with you what I discovered about eight years ago: There are Laws of Improvisation – not rules or guidelines, but actual laws - that can never be broken. They are like the laws of physics, existing whether or not we choose to "obey". I had been reading Deepak Chopra’s The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success every day for five months when it suddenly clicked as to how those laws directly related to improv.
After attending a theater conservatory, I signed up for classes at The Second City just to "get out of my head". In the short years after, I was asked to join several comedy groups, played on a premier House Team at ImprovOlympic, performed independently produced long-form shows, was part of the first year cast of Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, and eventually toured with The Second City. I was never afraid, but I took my fearlessness for granted. So I asked myself: What is it in me that makes me fearless without a script? Why am I so excited about uncertainty? It seems that I – and so many others– was born with a knowing that the Universe had our back on stage. |
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LAW #1 – Infinite Creativity
Get out of your head, and you will access infinite possibilities.
How many times have we (improvisors) been told, “Get out of your head”? The problem is the harder we try, the louder our thoughts get. When our minds are occupied with pre-planning a scene or a joke, our intuition shuts off. So what to do? Get out of our head, and get into the Now. We might protest: If I get out of my amazing memory of impressive facts, how can I wow the audience with quick wit and pop culture trivia? Or, how can I make my scenes relevant without implementing current events and philosophical references? Personally, I hate when a stage gets so littered with “clever clutter” that we no longer see a scene. It shows me that the actors don’t trust. They don’t trust the scene, they don’t trust that what they’re doing is enough. So they push inventions, news headlines, psychology, etc. into their scenes in order to impress their audience.
The 13th century poet and mystic, Rumi, said, "Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment." Observe the artist who successfully suspends their rational, linear mind and moves 'into the zone'. It’s when our thinking mind lures us out of that zone – out of the “now” – that we resort to mental acrobatics. It’s a lot of work. |
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So how is Infinite Creativity a Law of Improv? It’s a law, because it’s always there. The noises (overthinking) in our head simply block our access to it. When we experience our connection to Infinite Creativity, our world shifts. There is no fear, no need to control and no need for approval. Being in the zone is our natural state. A great way to access this connection is to be quiet. Be still. Slow down. It’s funny, but while most people have a fear of public speaking, most improvisers have a fear of silence.
Next month, I'll cover LAW #2: Giving (and Receiving).
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For a very long time, I've been wanting to hold a FREE space for cool, smart actors where they could find the Truth about the business without being sold the "same ol' same ol'". And so I present, "Now What?" - a free forum (led by me) for actors who want more than just the "tools". It's private coaching in a group setting on Monday mornings.
7/19, 2021, 7am-8am PST, on Zoom.
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It enabled me to get my very own custom URL!
Enjoy this recent video from January:
This advantageous way of working isn't just for actors!
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FREE 20 MINUTE COACHING! (new clients only) |
Would you like a nudge in the right direction? Would you like insight into a work or personal relationship? Would you like a glimpse of your next career move for free? I'm offering FREE 20 Minute Career Coaching sessions (new clients only).
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