Just say 'Yes'!

After a long absence I finally started my Improv classes at CERN again, I had mentioned starting them last year, but have not been attending them for the last couple of months, cos first my parents were here, and then I had to move to a new flat and was extremely busy.

But yesterday I decided that I should go even though I was a bit stressed at work…or maybe because of it, cos improv gives me the chance to behave like a kid again! J

For those not familiar with improv, this link shows the kind of crazy things we do! Freeze is one of our favorite games that we play and it’s a load of fun!

The main concept of making improv work is ‘Just say yes!’ so no matter what your partner says, you should say yes and play along with the idea, and build it rather than arguing cos it’s funniest when you build the scene together rather than trying to break down the other person’s ideas, or bring other ideas cos then it doesn’t make a coherent story. This can be more difficult than it appears, simply cos usually as we start the scene we have already made this 3 act opera (as our instructor put it) in our head, and then if the other person does not do what we expect them to, we have the bad tendency of wanting to stick to our own initial idea, rather than validating the new one. Cos if one person says no and brings a new idea, then the second person would not want to agree with it and will continue with the initial idea, and in the end there is no story, so the improv does not work. I guess you could call it a team sport (the only one that I can play J) If you watch the video closely you can see how each person keeps saying yes even to the most ridiculous ideas, and it just makes it really funny.

I was just thinking that this is also very relevant to everyday life. Even in conversations, sometimes we have the bad habit of wanting to get our own thoughts and ideas, rather than listening to the other person. Saying ‘Yes’ to another persons ideas and listening can really show that we are interested in the other person and is a great way of building relationships! The other thing you can learn from improv is to listen without judging, cos everyone’s ideas are important, and that;s something that is very important in life cos when we listen without judging it helps the other person to be creative and expore an idea without being fearful of being ridiculed.

So as Kevin Hogan put it in his book 8 barriers to communication “People that don’t give us a chance, an opportunity to share and express ourselves, to be US, put out our spark, our flame. It is this spark, our spirit, this fire, this waterfall within us all that drives us, which makes us whole. This constant, ever changing flow of energy is what makes us, US. why not allow yourself to truly listen. Not just hear someone speak, but focus on listening to them, be in their shoes when they talk, see the world through their eyes, experience life from someone else’s point of view instead of being compelled to express your own.”

Improv at the CERN!

Who would have thought that I would take part in a comedy improv workshop at the CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)!

On Saturday there was a comedy improv workshop at the CERN conducted by Charna Halpern who is the founder of Improv Olympic Theatres where Mike Myers has studied! I just heard about it from a friend and thought I'll check it out and see, since it was open to anyone.

Actually it was like killing 2 birds with one stone, cos ever since I had read Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, I've been fascinated by CERN, and wanted to visit it, and ofcourse I've been trying to get involved in theatre here as well…

Charna and her 2 assistants conducted a really great workshop. I learnt so much about improvisation. I hadn’t really done much improvisation before this, though I had done a few improv exercises at the theatre classes. One of the first things I realized was that improvisation can be more difficult than scripted plays as there is no predefined plan and you have to think on the spot and react to the other actors on stage. So it leaves you more vulnerable as it is your thoughts not some script that you are putting into action…Which can lead you to think Am I funny enough? Would they think I’m stupid?...

Today most people who meet me don’t believe that I might be worried about what others think or that I may feel inhibited, but the truth is that it has taken over 15 years to get out of that shyness and it still sometimes comes across in certain situations and I have to continually keep working at it to have confidence in myself. One of the reasons I really love theatre is cos this is what brought me out of my shell. More about that long story can be found here

That is another reason why I decided I should attend this workshop as it is the perfect setting to act and ‘let my self go’ even if I make a fool of my self all of us are here to learn, and not professionals. It was pretty cool cos most of the others there were physicist from CERN. And being with people from a different background was really fun cos we all bring a little bit of ourselves into improvisation.

I also realised that it really is a 'team sport' cos for improv to be successful there cannot be any shining stars! With each word or action the actor creates the scene maybe by giving another character a name, setting the location… and it is important that the other actors accept this initial offer and build on it. As they call it the ‘Yes And’ attitude.

Actually there’s a lot that you can take from this into life as well. Especially the ‘Yes And’ attitude where you try to build on what others have done, rather than breaking them down…

The song on its mighty pinions took every living soul, and lifted it gently to heaven

I just came across this quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and had to post it, as I feel there’s something about songs that can really uplift the soul. (ok not every song, but I guess you know what type of songs I’m talking about )

Come to think of it, I have a song for each major milestone in my life...

One of the songs that’s really close to my heart is ‘Stay the Same' by Joey Mcintire

When I was a little kid I had a strong inferiority complex and always thought very little of my self. I used to be very shy, and rarely spoke, not because I didn’t have anything to say, but because I always worried that others might laugh at what I had to say, so I’d rather be silent. I used to wish I was different and popular. I was usually classified as a 'nerd' cos I always worked hard at school but kept to my self a lot. So I tried really hard to become 'cool' and pretend to be someone I'm not, just to be part of the 'in crowd'...

It was around the time that this song came out (1999) that I realized inorder to really be successful in life, or to really love anyone, you have to start by loving your self. It was a long hard process to get out of the mode of thinking I was already in, but today I can honestly say that I am happy with my self.

I initially started theatre as a way of getting rid of this shyness and it truly did help. I will always remember the advice to me, by the director of the musical I was part of which was to "Lose the Critic and the Judge". What he said was that it was the 'critic' and the 'judge' sitting on the shoulders of each person that keep telling you that others may laugh at you or think that you are weird if you do something different, which is what kills creativity.

People can usually see through the mask, when you pretend to be someone else. Anyway now I know that you don't need the kind of friends who can't accept the person you are. I believe that it's alright to be different as long as you are true to your self and don't hurt others.

So now when people say I'm different, I say I'm Unique. :0) People say this often cos I don't fall in to any of the typical stereotyped categories. I'm an engineer by profession, and rather studious and ambitious when it comes to my work. I also love working with people and find human psychology very intriguing. At the same time I'm someone who loves performance theatre, and singing and dancing as well as adventurous experiences. When I'm with the 'techys' I'm a total extrovert where as compared to my out going drama friends, I'm the total introvert.

Another thing that I have come to learn is that people who are happy with themselves don't try to put others down, I believe that the deep-seated feelings of inferiority is what makes people want to 'bring others down to their level'. Now that I don't care what other's think of me and not too bothered about the 'in crowd' the 'in crowd' comes to me. :0)

As someone whexperiencedienced the whole spectrum from total introvert to extrovert (though the old feelings do come now and then) I know that once you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything.

I know I totally went out of the topic of songs, but thought of ending this post with that song which changed my life.

Stay The Same - Joey Mcintyre

Don't you ever wish you were someone else,
You were meant to be the way you are exactly.
Don't you ever say you don't like the way you are.
When you learn to love yourself, you're better off by far.
And I hope you always stay the same,cuz there's nothin' 'bout you I would change.

I think that you could be whatever you wanted to be
If you could realize, all the dreams you have inside.
Don't be afraid if you've got something to say,
Just open up your heart and let it show you the way.
Believe in yourself.
Reach down inside.
The love you find will set you free.
Believe in yourself, you will come alive.
Have faith in what you do.
You'll make it through.