You may have noticed, dear followers of all things BLANK, that it has been some time since we have given you a show, something to read in this weblog, or something to look forward to. Well, let me assure you that things are changing. All three of the above, in fact.
True, it has been some time since we last BLANKed. And in that time much has changed. The dear Ms Buckley has played a big part in the success and popularity of Beaconsfield: The Musical in its Melbourne an Sydney seasons, and is right now setting the Adelaide punters' hearts aflutter. Ms Lee Kennedy has been busily writing and directing her talented Princesses in a new revue, Dolls Cabaret (more on that soon) and some old-fashioned storytelling shows headed for Melbourne. Mr Yardley will soon be hitting our screens in a reality-show spoof about comedians. Mr Judge has been racking up nametags and hairnets in search of fulfilling employment, and thinking up new ways to inspire his cast of BLANKers. Mr Williams has been planning a school excursion to the improv world capital (Canada), starring in Sydney's favourite regular improv show (FBCNL Tennis), and helping steer Sydney's longest-running improv show (Scared Scriptless) to its new format and home at the Roxbury. Mr Lead eloped, avoided being crushed by a glacier, visited Wellington's finest improvisers, moved offices and moved house. Mr Davis took his cohorts from the The Axis of Awesome touring to Edinburgh and Asia, and is set to take their new show around Australia. The last I heard from Mr Rushton he was headed for the snow-fields of Japan and coordinating fundraisers for Willoughby Rotary Society (two separate projects, I understand).
And what of Ms Daley? It would sadden you to learn that she is dead. Thankfully she isn't dead. Keira performed in a fantastic little cabaret called Speakeasy with the newly-formed Cabaret Merlot, and will perform another couple of shows with them later this year (Wagons Ho and The Roxbury Horror Show). Sadly though she is no longer with us in the BLANKing sense, having hung up her BLANKs at the end of last year.
That takes care of the 'giving you something to read' trio of needs. Now for the 'something to look forward to' section. More BLANKs! Next week we'll be back at the Roxbury Hotel in Glebe, this time on the downstairs stage, supporting Dolls Cabaret for four big nights. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday with BLANK at 8pm and Dolls Cabaret at 9:30pm. You get a discount for seeing both shows, so why not huh?
Go to http://tumbleweed.org.au/blank for more information and to book or reserve tickets.
With all our separate projects, it had been a while since we had all improvised together when we had our first re-rehearsal a few weeks ago. (Yes, we practice improvising. Yes, it's somewhat ironic. But you'd practice for a soccer match, even though that is essentially improvised within a set structure.) After the initial excitement of performing with each other again, the main feeling was self-consciousness. This came as quite a surprise. We have performed as a BLANK cast for two years now, and most of us had performed together for years before then. After acknowledging that and shaking off the alien feeling we got into proper rehearsal mode. What came out then was quite sub-conscious - desires, fears and whatnot. Had I a psych or philosophy background I could possibly identify these as basic Freudian personality/id development building-blocks or somesuch. But I have not, so I'll just say that it was quite a raw reflection of us as humans. It was an interesting experience, and I think it has brought a fresh twist to the BLANK experience - one that I hope will be glimpsed on stage.
Ah yes, the third leg of the tripod of needs: giving you a good old BLANKing. We've got a show. Will you be our audience?
Showing posts with label BLANK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BLANK. Show all posts
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Friday, December 14, 2007
Brydie BLANKS
I'm the only cast member whose name starts with B, so my name will always sound better with the word BLANK than any other cast member's name. I often wonder if that was why I was cast.
I also often wonder why Amanda feels the need to bash me on stage and why Jon uses puppets to feel people up in shows when he could just use his hands.
I occasionally wonder if our musos, Benny and Jason, secretly resent each other and if one of them will become a "rogue muso", just like Faith in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It will probably be Jason, because Benny was there first and Jason has brown hair.
I also occasionally wonder if Pete and Keira were ever secret lovers. I hope they were, because there is not enough sex in the BLANK cast and I'm sick of picking up the slack.
I rarely wonder if Adam works for a fisherman pants company as an unofficial spokesmen- a sort of Cash For Comment scenario. I would wonder this more often, but I don't think there is such a thing as a fisherman pants company. And I don't know if underpaid hippies can afford to pay for publicity.
I have never wondered if Tim is actually a robot who can time travel and therefore goes into the future and returns with the plots of all our BLANKs, which he then performs and nudges us into performing, so that when people say "You're making it up? Really?" we're only sort of telling the truth because, in some pocket of time, every BLANK already exists and if the future can be considered as "solid" as the past and present, surely a time traveller COULD know information from the future and then be sent crazy because they are forced to re-enact the scenario they know to be inevitable, thus negating free will- both in life and in BLANKs. Now I have wondered it, so something I wrote only 20 seconds ago is no longer true. Way to make me question myself Tim.
MY CHRISTMAS TREE JUST ARRIVED!
I also often wonder why Amanda feels the need to bash me on stage and why Jon uses puppets to feel people up in shows when he could just use his hands.
I occasionally wonder if our musos, Benny and Jason, secretly resent each other and if one of them will become a "rogue muso", just like Faith in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It will probably be Jason, because Benny was there first and Jason has brown hair.
I also occasionally wonder if Pete and Keira were ever secret lovers. I hope they were, because there is not enough sex in the BLANK cast and I'm sick of picking up the slack.
I rarely wonder if Adam works for a fisherman pants company as an unofficial spokesmen- a sort of Cash For Comment scenario. I would wonder this more often, but I don't think there is such a thing as a fisherman pants company. And I don't know if underpaid hippies can afford to pay for publicity.
I have never wondered if Tim is actually a robot who can time travel and therefore goes into the future and returns with the plots of all our BLANKs, which he then performs and nudges us into performing, so that when people say "You're making it up? Really?" we're only sort of telling the truth because, in some pocket of time, every BLANK already exists and if the future can be considered as "solid" as the past and present, surely a time traveller COULD know information from the future and then be sent crazy because they are forced to re-enact the scenario they know to be inevitable, thus negating free will- both in life and in BLANKs. Now I have wondered it, so something I wrote only 20 seconds ago is no longer true. Way to make me question myself Tim.
MY CHRISTMAS TREE JUST ARRIVED!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
A day in the life of a BLANKer....
Hi. My name is Amanda and I BLANK.
I am probably best known for inappropriate dance moves and my desperate attempts at "Diva" moments. Anything to get noticed really. I also elbowed Brydie in the face once during a show - but it was not a BLANK so you know, don't hold it against me.
You know a lot of people, well, a few people, well, one person, actually, my Mum asked me when will I settle down and get a real job?
I say, Mum, I have a real job. And that job is keeping a dream alive. Thats a 24/7 affair my friend, and if you have a problem with that then maybe you don't really love me. And if you don't really love me, than what kind of mother does that make you Mum?
That didn't really happen. My Mum is awesome and if I hear of anyone saying anything about her, I will cut you.
I am probably best known for inappropriate dance moves and my desperate attempts at "Diva" moments. Anything to get noticed really. I also elbowed Brydie in the face once during a show - but it was not a BLANK so you know, don't hold it against me.
You know a lot of people, well, a few people, well, one person, actually, my Mum asked me when will I settle down and get a real job?
I say, Mum, I have a real job. And that job is keeping a dream alive. Thats a 24/7 affair my friend, and if you have a problem with that then maybe you don't really love me. And if you don't really love me, than what kind of mother does that make you Mum?
That didn't really happen. My Mum is awesome and if I hear of anyone saying anything about her, I will cut you.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Ready for the BLANK
Hello and welcome to BLANK the Blog!
We always have a lot to say about ourselves, so we figured what better way to be egotistical on a mass scale than via a blog of our own? But we hope that you'll find our musings enjoyable and wholeheartedly invite you to comment as we go.
Last night we had our last show for the year - and our first in a few months. And, I think we all loved being together again and loved what ensemble spirit we've created over the course of the year and loved having a full house and loved mucking around and loved knowing we could trust each other in a beautiful, lovely, lovey, dovey, lovey, love-in kind of a way...
Feeling sick yet? Sorry. You see, my sugary prose come from the fact that, with this show, the ensemble maketh the show. So it helps that our gatherings are lovey love-ins. And stuff.
Don't worry, we still make crass jokes (the closing message of last night's show was "find your inner-Wang"), we still do silly dances, and we still sing bolshy rock/soul numbers. It's not all ballads, braiding and barley sugars.
If you've never seen our show, or have only seen it once, or if you don't know much about improvisation, the main thing to know is this: what we do is made up. Completely. On the spot.
When we step on stage, we honestly don't know anymore about what's going to happen than you do when you sit down in the theatre. This includes our musician and our lighting op.
There are no set characters, no plot, no framework, no score, no set numbers, no set dances, no set harmonies. We go from having nothing, to having one suggestion from you in the audience, to having an opening number, and then stories unfold, songs get sung, and by the end you have a musical - one that you'll see once and never again (unless we've filmed it and put clips online).
Absolutely everything you see is being created as it happens. And then it never happens again.
All of this raises the inevitable question that BLANKers (and improvisers generally) get asked...
"Are you insane?!"
Obviously, the answer is "Yes". But, as the improvisation teachers say, it's a "Yes, and..."
Yes and it's fun. Yes and, more often than not, it works. Yes and people seem to like watching it. Yes and some people think we're lying when we say it's improvised (which is really bizarre considering how, well... bizarre our shows can be). Yes and, above all, it's fun.
You should come check it out next year on 8th January at The Roxbury (182 St John's Rd Glebe), 8pm. You'll have a BLANKing good time.
I also promise we'll stop using BLANK puns at you.
Maybe.
We always have a lot to say about ourselves, so we figured what better way to be egotistical on a mass scale than via a blog of our own? But we hope that you'll find our musings enjoyable and wholeheartedly invite you to comment as we go.
Last night we had our last show for the year - and our first in a few months. And, I think we all loved being together again and loved what ensemble spirit we've created over the course of the year and loved having a full house and loved mucking around and loved knowing we could trust each other in a beautiful, lovely, lovey, dovey, lovey, love-in kind of a way...
Feeling sick yet? Sorry. You see, my sugary prose come from the fact that, with this show, the ensemble maketh the show. So it helps that our gatherings are lovey love-ins. And stuff.
Don't worry, we still make crass jokes (the closing message of last night's show was "find your inner-Wang"), we still do silly dances, and we still sing bolshy rock/soul numbers. It's not all ballads, braiding and barley sugars.
If you've never seen our show, or have only seen it once, or if you don't know much about improvisation, the main thing to know is this: what we do is made up. Completely. On the spot.
When we step on stage, we honestly don't know anymore about what's going to happen than you do when you sit down in the theatre. This includes our musician and our lighting op.
There are no set characters, no plot, no framework, no score, no set numbers, no set dances, no set harmonies. We go from having nothing, to having one suggestion from you in the audience, to having an opening number, and then stories unfold, songs get sung, and by the end you have a musical - one that you'll see once and never again (unless we've filmed it and put clips online).
Absolutely everything you see is being created as it happens. And then it never happens again.
All of this raises the inevitable question that BLANKers (and improvisers generally) get asked...
"Are you insane?!"
Obviously, the answer is "Yes". But, as the improvisation teachers say, it's a "Yes, and..."
Yes and it's fun. Yes and, more often than not, it works. Yes and people seem to like watching it. Yes and some people think we're lying when we say it's improvised (which is really bizarre considering how, well... bizarre our shows can be). Yes and, above all, it's fun.
You should come check it out next year on 8th January at The Roxbury (182 St John's Rd Glebe), 8pm. You'll have a BLANKing good time.
I also promise we'll stop using BLANK puns at you.
Maybe.
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