SET recap
What do you guys think of a SET recap to talk about the funny things that went on that night. In improv, awesome scenes are performed once, never to be done again. It would be good if it was documented here so we can look back and say "remember when (I think) Scriptless did a scene about where video game bad guys go after they die and Paul played the ghost from pac man?" Also, Im not gonna make it to this mondays SET so i can look on this and see what i missed.
p.s. can someone put my name in the drawing for the wheel for me, thanks
Re: SET recap
Well everybody, Pang demands a recap of the SET, and Pang gets what Pang wants.... so if anybody went they should probably post it before Pang gets angry, you wouldn't like him when he's angry.
I would but I didn't go. It's good to rest up for the big On the Rocks performance next week. I know you guys are waiting in suspense. Get ready!
Re: ?
First, that's a fine reason for me not to go. You would be hard pressed to find someone who goes to as many shows as I do who is not a regular participant.
Secondly, I believe the E in SET still stands for experimental. Besides "we're making it up as we go", was there any experimenting at all last night? Did the formats change in either the running order or the actual form used by the players? Was there a different host besides Josh, Homer, Michael or Paul? Was there a new game played during roulette? Hell, did the bathroom break occur after the Wheel instead of the student troupe this time?
Thirdly, I'm in a bitchy mood today. So I'm taking all comments meant as jokes that are sent in my direction as personal attacks. So there.
my 2 cents
Ending by 11 would be nice. Not to be a whiner, (and not that I've been coming all that often), but many of us have jobs to get to early Tuesday morning. We don't all have the pleasure of night gigs.
Re: my 2 cents
I think the reason it starts late is so the mainstage players can get there in time for the show. I agree that ending at midnight is quite rough for those of us who have to get up early for the jobbie job. Luckily, I am not one of those people .
PS - Hello to BEAT, whoever you are.
PPS - I'm not as bitchy today. Apparently, my vagina was quite sandy yesterday.
Re: my 2 cents
Maybe the improv community just needs to get better access to some uppers. I've been surviving the past 6 months with on average less than 4 hours of sleep.
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sorry, just fell asleep at my keyboard, im back. yea, SET should end early... good call. or at least serve some alcohol so i can forget how late it actually is....
Edited by: Enrico Fermi at: 1/20/06 1:14 pm
Whatever... I totally have fun when I go to S.E.T., no matter who is performing, including myself.
So I have no complaints as to the lineup, format or time frame. I'm just glad it exists.
Also, it IS a two hour long show, so who cares if some people (Second City cast) get there late and some people leave early (job havers)?
Some experimenting would be nice, so thanks in advance to On The Rocks for bringing it. However, I would argue that to some people (myself including) performing in and of itself IS the experimental part. Recent troupes/performers have no doubt learned a few things about themselves as performers because they got up there and tried it. Trying something new = experimenting. They are experimenting with improv. They may not be the greatest performers, but they try.
F.Y.I.
While changes take time to implement, changes have been implemented. Thanks to these very boards, I saw the importance of the Roulette to you guys and made sure that went longer. I/we do listen and try to improve the S.E.T.
Also, we had a couple of meeting recently and were discussing things we can do to improve the S.E.T.. There are things we don't want to cut out, because we've seen the improvement in student troupes by having an example to learn from.
I'll tell you, the Second City crew is discussing other formats and 'moves' we can demonstrate for you guys, because most/all of the long form in this town is basically a 'montage' style. Maybe there's a creative edit, but for the most part, all anyone is really doing is montage. We mostly blame ourselves, because we aren't showing you more. Well, you're going to start seeing it.
Will it change over night? Nope. Will it change? Yep.
I'm excited for next week. As part of Martin Garcia's last night with the S.C. Vegas, him and the mainstage crew - including Seamus - are coming to the S.E.T. to perform! It's going to be awesome.
Rocks... this week had quite a bit of filth in it. You should have been there, you probably would have loved it.Edited by: JZ at: 1/18/06 5:31 pm
Re: Geez.
And I suppose making guns forces people to kill?
This head is rolling around looking for logic.
Besides, if people come and go - it's fine. They should just come and go as they please. I don't know about you guys, but I learn from the S.E.T.. I learn every night I go. I love the fact I get to play in the Wheel each week, with a whole different cast of people. Each time they throw me things I'm not used to getting. (Play with the same team for a year and a half and you start to know each other's moves.)
You know, when I was a student, I went to the shows at least once a week. Usually twice. Back when it was scripted and there was very little improv. It was worth it to me though. I know what I want to do in life. I know what I want performance to be in my life. I know that I learn from watching others. Have I stopped learning? Hell no! I learn and learn and learn and learn. As a matter of fact, I watched a serious movie tonight, but it had one clever little laugh in it... I must have replayed it 10 times just to watch the set-up and execution. I study comedy.
If you say you want this to be your life, I don't understand why you don't do more? The S.E.T. may not be perfect, but I see nothing but opportunity. You don't think we know there needs to be new stuff? Take advantage of it... give us something different to put up. You know we'll put it up. Enjoy the fact you get to see 'beginning level' performers all the way up to 'proffesional' in one evening! You can learn from it all. I went this summer and spent my one day off to watch a day of Liz Allen's week long intensive. I watched the students go through improv exercises I'd done tons of times, and I walked away with 7 pages of notes.
My business is comedy. I've made it so, and no one did it for me. I'm proud of that fact. I know what it takes. And sitting around complaining about opportunities - isn't it.
So take the S.E.T. for what it is.
And to squelch rumors I've heard about it being part of our 'jobs'... it isn't. We don't get paid for the S.E.T.. We all do it for the love of comedy, and the love of sharing with all the students.
Sorry for such a serious sounding letter guys, but I had some conversations lately, coupled with some of the stuff on these boards... and I've had enough. It's time for me to speak up about something I'm VERY passionate about.
my 2 cents
Just wanted to let you know JZ that we are all grateful that you guys do this for free. The SET is so awesome, i have performed a little over 10 times which is not much but without the SET i would have only performed 2 times which was the student showcases. Everytime I perform, i gain a little more confidence. Also, its awesome for me to be able to perform with my ex-instructors (who also happen to be pros that perform in a show in vegas). I just cant imagine how hard it was for you guys back then when there was no SET to get the extra performance time.
p.s.
Guys, dont think im trying to kiss ass to "JZ", i see your point also. I'll admit there were times when the SET felt 3 or 4 hours long and i couldnt wait to get out of that stuffy little theatre, im just tryin to say a dull SET is better than no SET. I just dont want people to get bored with the SET if it never changes and as time goes on, fewer and fewer people show up and then they might just stop doing the SET. OR, people will complain to Josh, then Josh will be like "we are doing this for you and you dont appreciate it, fuck you the SET is over". Ok that was a little extreme, just sayin, i read what everyone posted and can see the point in both sides. I just wanted to put a little positive feedback in there.
Problematic
First and foremost, let me just say this. I am so appreciative of the SET it's not even funny. Having a place to perform that's so supportive is incredible. When I was younger and acting in NY, you were happy to find a hallway to perform in and felt lucky if 3-4 disinterested friends came to see your show. I love the SET and I love going to the SET. There are few if any who have gone to more SETs then I.
Second, if at any time I have sounded unappreciated to anyone who puts the SET together, then I apologize. What you guys do for the love of the art form is truly inspirational.
That being said, while I may not have the extensive comedic or improvisational experience that some do, I do have quite a bit of theater experience. And one truth is no matter what, even the best of shows close. And I guess I feel the SET in its current state is just a show. It has a strict form that rarely deviates. But stages can last for damn near ever.
However, I think if the SET became more of a stage with various productions, it would have a longer shelf life. When the audience you're playing to is composed of the same people (pretty much) every week, the same show gets stagnant. However if acts are switched around, people deviate from the strict form and more experiments take place, I think the stage has a much better chance of staying afloat.
I'm thrilled that the guys in charge are going to change things up. And I totally understand it's going to take some time. I can't wait to see what you guys are going to cook up.
Can't get enough!...of the SET
I think that the SET is great the way it is and the longer the better! So I have to get by on very little sleep one lousy night a week in exchange for some invaluable improv knowledge and entertainment. All for the incredibly low price of only 3 measily bucks! Somtimes I have to be at work at 6:00 the next morning and yes, I am pretty tired but I can go to bed a little early that night.
I lived in L.A. for a while and to my knowledge there was no place for student troupes to perform, in fact I didn't know of any student troupes period! A friend of mine thought about getting a group together and I agreed that his idea was innovative and a great dream but not very realistic in that environment. Then I moved to Vegas and see all these student troupes of various levels and abilities and I think that it is just plain wonderfully fantastic!
I can understand you being defensive about the SET. You put in alot of work, and it is a good thing.
But DON'T EVER challenge my use of logic.
The original argument is, if you don't like it, leave. Which is the same logic people use when they say, "If you don't like the Patriot Act, move to Canada."
There is a difference between complaining for the sake of complaining and pointing out ways that something can be improved. The second involves caring about the institution to begin with and wanting it to be as successful as possible.
If seventy five percent of your audience gets up and walks out before the end of the show, and the remainder are only there to see if their names will be picked for the wheel (which I know to be true of a few people, and I deduce to be true of more due to the fact that very few people are leaping out of their seats to be in roulette), then the show is not successful. And if it were a matter of ending a half hour earlier (assuming timeliness on the part of all the performers which is not always the case) to prevent those walkouts, why on earth would you equate that with gun use?
One is a situation of two extenuating circumstances being negotiated by an individual, the other is not. The other is a knee jerk attempt to invalidate a good argumant by placing it in a context of forced agreement, without any actual corrolation.
Now, if you want to actually discuss the pros and cons of ending SET earlier, I am happy to participate. One pro to ending the show earlier is that people who need to work could participate fully. One con is that the show would have to be shorter, since the Mainstage people are unable to get there any earlier than they do.
Either way, I don't believe the format is decided by Josh, or that Josh is deliberately controlling SET to benifit himself. You just happen to be the only one who comes to this board, taking upon yourself the task of defending the powers that be and the choice made. That is really very brave of you.
We all agree that SET is a great thing to have, and at the same time, we all have ideas about how it could be better.
I am glad the SET exists. I want it to end earlier so that I don't have to miss anything.
This little head is rolling in the ashes of where you were BURNED! BOOYAH!
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