A Month at the IMPROV
Laughtrack theater is turning Honolulu’s inhibited into comedic actors while providing another reason to head downtown. It was a mission of the like rarely undertaken. The assignment: Infiltrate a local theater troupe an effort to discover the hidden secrets behind acting
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ple system exists the room to take off and explore your own ideas while maintaining a flow that the audience and your fellow performers can follow.
Though the idea of walking on stage may seem terrifying - and it pretty much was that first day of class - the process is much easier than it sounds. Winpenny and Potter provide a welcoming environment with plenty of positive feedback, and being surrounded by people sharing common fears just adds a further level of support. Still, few enter with a cocksure walk.
“Being vulnerable or looking foolish is the biggest fear,” says Winpenny. “You will make an ass out of yourself. The sooner you get over that, the sooner you will have fun. That’s the hardest thing, because everyone thinks you have to come in here and be funny and be great. It’s not about trying to be funny. Being funny is incidental. It comes from building relationships on stage.”
The instruction at the theater is a condensed version of the year-and-a-half-long programs common to both Second City and Improv Olympics - another famed Chicago theater. The six-month program is broken up into three eight-week sessions that are intense but enjoyable, and students benefit from a small class size.
That means more stage time and more opportunities to work on scenes based on Winpenny’s or Potter’s often one-word suggested topics. Or, in my own case, more time to stumble upon the correct definition of a monologue.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the class is that it is not just a home for A-type personalities. Sure, some take part because they love being the center of attention while others use the classes to prep for scripted theater roles, but others have found it a excellent way to be more confident in public settings.
“When we first started, we didn’t think we’d get past the first eight weeks, and the amount of people who came out and signed up for it was a very diverse group of people from all walks of life, and from age 17 to 50,” says Potter. “Marketwise, we cannot pinpoint a demographic.”
One hundred ashtrays walk into a bar. One says to his buddy next to him, ‘Whatever you do, don’t make an ash out of yourself.’
New classes begin Feb. 24. Interested? Go to laughtracktheater.com or call Potter at 384-3362.
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