On Saturday, the members of Logan Out Loud gathered on Trent Hunsaker's front porch, ate Jordan Todd Brown's pizza, and congratulated Taylor Miles on another successfully navigated birthday as they waited for the arrival of an audience.
Little did our improvisionaries know what horrors would momentarily befall them. Soon, small groups of people appeared on the horizon, carrying blankets and lawn chairs. They began to fill Trent's backyard like so many carrion birds on a stinking carcass.
After about thirty people, things started looking grim. But this was not the end. That comes after the denouement!
In a matter of a half-hour, things had gotten entirely out of hand!
Look at them! Hungry for the kill!
The members of Logan Out Loud called upon their courage in the hopes that they might somehow appease the ravenous crowd as well as their mighty improv god, Blaydor, whose hoof seemed poised to stamp out all life in the yard.
With that unknowable, unconscionable, unbeatable courage, Logan Out Loud had a pretty decent show. Somewhere between fifty and sixty people huddled in Trent's backyard to enjoy some comedy. That was enough to inspire Logan Out Loud to keep up the fight for another few millenia!
Also, no rocks were thrown, so let's chalk that up as a win!
This is the denouement
The End
Or is it?
(In one sense it is, because it's the end of this particular story, but in another sense, it isn't, so it depends on what "end" you're looking for)
As you already know (because you are aware of everything that goes on in my life), Logan Out Loud, Logan's professional comedy troupe, was recently forced out on the streets where they had to fight other nomadic troupes (circuses, jugglers, Shakespearean actors, and minstrel shows (I was as offended as you)) to keep their rightful place on top of the Cache Valley comedy world (which is about two steps up from the bottom, it's a shallow comedy pool).
The most important thing that a comedy troupe can do is throw it's weight around like it's the greatest thing in the world (which works for us, because we are). We entered our troupe into NACA (National something something something) and will be attending their convention in November to audition for college tours. But you're asking yourself, "Master and King of Adventure, what will you do until that blessed day?" Perform, of course (I can't believe you didn't think of that)!
We are close to having a venue (more details to come), but until then, we will be doing a series of shows around the valley. The first will be on July 21st in Trent Hunsaker's backyard. Who is Trent Hunsaker, you ask? I can't give out that kind of information without his permission. But here are the deets (details (details about the show (details about the comedy show that Logan Out Loud will be performing in Trent Hunsaker's backyard))).
Now that you are dying with anticipation to see some real live stars (us (we're huge between Logan and the edge of Logan)), I figured you should get a little preview of what's to come for the backyard show (aside from what you're about to see, you can also expect the police to show up and shut us down because they hate happiness). So my roomie, Mike Grover (Junior Adventurer 1st class), and I decided to check out the venue (because we don't trust Trent).
Mike, ruining my perfectly framed shot of the parking lot across the street
So with Mike on his scooter and I in my Sweet Bonny (Chevy Bonneville, the pinnacle of luxury, and a Chevrolet to boot! Probably Chevy's finest car), we headed over to look at the place.
Definitely a house
Trent lives in a questionable part of town. So BYOG (Bring Your Own Gun)! In fact, the mailbox has two names, neither of which are "Hunsaker," so it's very possible that we're performing in the backyard of a house-thief. I wouldn't put it past him. On to the performance area!
Mike, blocking your view of the seating area
The backyard can fit a bunch of people (don't ask me for specifics, just show up early). There's a big tree that will probably offer shade if you're one of those people (people who think that melanoma is still a thing (get over yourself)). We envision this backyard coated in blankets and dotted with lawn chairs. A fight will break out about five minutes prior to the show and somebody (maybe you? You'll have to be there to find out!) will get stabbed. But they won't die, because laughter will heal their wounds. Which brings us to the stage!
The stage/back porch/bicycle storage area
The stage is a traditional drop-down stage (is that a thing? It sounds like it should be). We checked the acoustics (which means "sound stuff") and they sounded great (as good as they will without some extensive remodeling of the area that Trent is unwilling to shell out the money for, like a baby). Also, we'll be able to use the side gate to go to the driveway which we can use as a performer's entrance/quick exit when the police show up!
As if the backyard was not exciting enough, we discovered as we were leaving, tucked away (in plain sight) in the corner of the back porch, the most incredible thing:
In case we need to cook some tasty burgers between games (we get famished)
Don't get your hopes up, fellow adventurer! Burgers are for performers only! Also, we are too poor (cheap) to actually buy burgers, so we'll probably just forget about the barbecue grill. But it looks great/not broken!
Moving on from the grill (though I'm not sure I can ever forget it), Logan Out Loud is grateful to the fans (friends) who have supported us. We're excited to bring you this free show and future shows.
I personally invite you, fellow adventurer, to come and laugh with us, cry by yourself (because we aren't sissies), and enjoy the summer weather (unless it rains, in which case, tough it out, champ!).
When I joined an improv troupe last Spring, it was not my understanding that I would have to put forth effort to teach inexperienced improvisers the ropes. Well, fair warning to all, they don't tell you everything when you join an improv troupe.
Logan Out Loud has been doing shows in Logan (hence the name) for over a year and our crowds have grown from a handful ("The little audience that could," we called them, hoping they didn't take it as an insult) to a consistent group of 70-120 during the school year. But when Summer hits, the comedy goblins pack up and head home for the season and everyone takes a suicidal nosedive in numbers.
David Bowie, King of the Comedy Goblins
To overcome that sudden lull in audiences, we decided that maybe it was time to reach it out in other ways than just posting statuses on Facebook on the day of the show, saying, "Logan Out Loud 2-NITE!!! All Bros and Lady-types invited for some hefty LOLZ!!!1! Seriously, please come to the show."
Because, as effective as that post is (try it, just see how many "likes" you get), personal interaction with those interested in improv turns out to be much more vital to the growth of a strong, rabid, fanatically devoted core audience who would kill for you if needs be. Or darn your socks, whatever, they're yours to command.
"Shall I darn another sock for the masters, or shall I kill members of a rival improv troupe?
Decisions, decisions."
Our way of reaching out was simple: Get a bunch of people to pay us to teach them improv. It's a foolproof plan! Plus, our self-esteem goes up about a thousand points because people trust us with their comedy education. But we also realized that it would be impolite to teach improv with no working knowledge of the manner in which improv is taught (apparently that's rude, I don't get it). So we set about learning from the finest improve teachers in the land ("the land" is the fifty mile radius around us and Ogden, because going further just seemed like a chore).
The next step in the plan was to teach a three-week course for free and invite only a small, elect, willing, text-message answering group of people to participate. But procrastination (the bane of the Adventuring spirit, fellow Adventurers) became rampant among the group, and what was meant to begin in May was pushed back week after week like a mound of rat corpses being swept away by a snow shovel (I only say that because it is probably the clearest metaphor).
Now, imagine a bunch of these, but dead
Finally I couldn't take the laziness (my laziness, mind you) another week and set up the workshop. I went about inviting people to join and figuring out what I would teach in my first course. Saturday rolled around (like a bulldozer, crushing that same pile of dead rats into a fine, hummus-like paste) and I arrived at the Logan Out Loud Theatre to impart some knowledge onto the unsuspecting (but willing, so it's their fault) participants.
The rat metaphor is really starting to infuriate this guy
Adventurers,
I waited for a while.
And, eventually, two people showed up. Two of the nine that we had invited.
And guess what? Screw everybody else, we had a great class.
We focused on creating and sustaining a reality (that sounds much more scientific than it is) within a scene. Two characters have to exist within one another's reality OR THE UNIVERSE ITSELF WILL COLLAPSE (not our universe, the universe of the game, so calm down). So here are the ways that we created that reality:
RULE #1: "Yes, and..."
Whatever your partner gives you, you must accept as existing within this reality, whether it is space aliens, unicorns, or a fair shot for every kid who grew up with no mother, no father, no friends, no prospects, because if he pulls himself up by his bootstraps, that boy can be a star! A star!...From that reality that your partner has created, you must also create. Accept his (or her, anyone can be an Adventurer!) truth and add to it with your own. This not only helps the audience imagine the world of the scene, but it creates the commonalities between scene partners that make the relationships that matter. If I don't care about the relationship, I don't care about the scene.
A perfect example is the movie, Transformers. Sure, we live in a world where alien robots are destroying each other. But the true meat of the movie is the love story between Shia Labeouf and what's-her-name. That's true love, Adventurers.
"I love you...(mumbles her name inaudibly)"
We practice this with a simple game which I refuse to explain to you because I don't give out freebies.
RULE #2: "What? You Think I Give Out Rules Like Taffy at a Parade? Just Be Happy I Gave You One."
Adventurers, this is the moral of this adventure: No matter how much you procrastinate, that first improv class is going to be a huge downer, because only two people show up. But at least you did it. Also, you are me in this scenario.
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