13 hours of improv...

Around hour 28 of a 30 hour longform set. I'm playing a sea crab.

So, from the last post (or here), you could see what I was up to this weekend. My friend Jeff Swearingen set out to raise money for a charity called Orphans Outreach. I believe the fund-raising goal was less than successful, since during the entire time I was there the audience never really passed 8 people (there might have been 12-15 the first hour). Much of the time it was a teenager or two texting in the front row and a gaggle of kids who would run in and out.

The event lasted just under 30 hours straight from Friday night to Saturday morning. I started with the group at 8:30 PM on Friday and stayed until around 3:30 AM and then returned Saturday night about 8 PM and stayed until the event wrapped up at 2 AM that night. So, 7 hours of continuous improv one night and six the next.

Though the audience attendance was spotty and at times non-existent, the whole experience was fun. I haven't played with a large group of improvisers - especially of such wide ranging experience levels - in a while and it was both enjoyable and frustrating. With hours and hours to play with we certainly developed rounded characters most of the time and had some wonderful interactions. Of course, there were also a few individuals who kept bringing in their own agendas, trying to steer the plot.

If Swearigne sets it up again in the future, I will probably go in again. Maybe I'll clear the rest of the weekend and stay the whole time next time.