COMEDIAN SINBAD! BLACKBEARD'S BLACKSMITH SHOP! NAPOLEON! KIM GORDON of SONIC YOUTH?!

THIS WEEK'S TH evening, SUN afternoon drop-in classes, SUN evening show info! (What a show?!) Comedian Sinbad! and last but not least Blackbeard’s Blacksmith Shop! Ey' Captain!!! plus IMPROV tips and comments!

It’s amazing how many things you can do when you’re just pretending -Kim Gordon 
(bassist with post-punk rockers Sonic Youth) -In IMPROV we strive to play as kids once again, letting go of life and it’s heavy burden’s by blocking out daily surface noise for the few hours we are in class or on stage. Then we can tap into our subconscious and discover the many treasures stored there. 

Sinbad; It’s Just Family aired on the WE television network. It was a short-lived comedy/reality television show focused on Comedian Sinbad’s life. I was cast as a Hollywood studio exec with one day on set and several lines of dialogue. In our scene Sinbad pitches a script idea to me suggesting Halle Berry play the role of his wife. I arrived on set the morning of our taping and after going through hair and makeup we began rehearsal which consisted of running our lines a couple times. After the second or third run through I replied in a droll stoic tone that I actually didn’t see Halle Berry in the role of his wife but felt that Oprah was a better match. Sinbad laughed. It was a comedic moment that broke the ice and added a natural element to the shoot. It was also an action taken after I'd read the room! Because time is money in film and television my comment could have backfired causing tension with the Director and/or the star or even could have been cause for my firing. The results however helped the scene, allowing us to shoot the scene quickly with a relaxed air, saving both time and money.

In television as in IMPROV it is important to read the room and get a feel for the mood of those around you before taking any action. In IMPROV we check in with our scene partner (or should) at the top of the scene before speaking.

THURSDAYS
TH (Nov 12th) and every TH GUL Improv Comedy drop-in workshop 7-9pm at 5 Star 
Premier Residence 8500 Sunrise Blvd. Plantation FL 33322 Only $10 ($5 first time attendees)  TH game play is in full swing covering some of the games in our next couple of shows as well as light skill work. Even if you’re not in the upcoming show this workshop is gonna be fun and full of laughter! TH is an evening of games & light skill work.  ALL LEVELS!

The English Channel is a mere ditch - Napoleon In IMPROV Have confidence in yourself and support your scene partner!  The audience will be invested in the scene and in your succeeding. The task at hand will seem much smaller. 

SUNDAYS
4x4 Improv SUN (Nov 8th) and every SUN Improv drop-in workshop! 2-4pm at Circle of Friends 4603 University Dr. Lauderhill FL 33351 Only $10 This week we’ll do object and space work, solidify scene partner connections, dig deeper into the Invocation exploring what drives it and play a game if time allows. If you truly want to grow your Improv come to this workshop! SUN is skill work, exercises and a game. Recommended for Improvisers with some experience. 

NEXT SUNDAY EVENING PERFORMANCE
SUN Nov 15th show is at 6pm at Circle of Friends 4603 N. University Dr. Lauderhill FL 33351 FREE!!! Performer call-time is 5:15pm. Dress is black button down top (dark blue if you do not own black) and dark jeans or slacks or a dark skirt.  Be comfortable in clothing that allows you to move. This is our first performance in awhile and it’s designed to knock the cobwebs off and make us shiny.

Since this is an early show, you can eat before or after. The show will last an hour and there will be a short open jam at the end in which I’ll invite audience members to join us for games and/or scene tag at the end if there is enough interest. I counted at least 40 chairs so we should have plenty of seating. The show is FREE. Please invite friends, fans, family and even other Improvisers. Kids are welcome at this show! The address is Circle of Friends and Stars 4603 N. University Blvd. Lauderhill FL 33351 Think of this show as a big pre-Thanksgiving party! Let’s have fun!!!

NOTE: There will be regular class Sunday 2-4pm and I might add those attending will be warmed up and ready to rock!  If you did not yet sign up for the December 5th shows and still want to play you will be able to sign up this week.

Look for the SUN show roster to arrive in a separate email coming tonight. If you have any questions or if I’ve put you in a game you don’t want to play or have a question about please see me privately and I’ll do my best to address your concerns.

Standing in at the edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans I stepped glanced up to see Louis Armstrong park in the distance, marked by its name arching over the entrance, all lit up with small bulbs and reaching out of the jet black night. I could feel the park’s past and it’s present having been where slaves were brought on Sunday’s and allowed to mingle with those from other Plantations. Just down the street from Louis Armstrong Park sits Blackbeard’s original blacksmith shop where he purportedly traded in stolen goods. Today the original blacksmith shop is an open air bar serving drinks by candle light.

As an IMPROVISER you should be able to take an audience to a location through your object work, dialogue and interaction with your scene partner. How would you convey this location?

See you in the movies!
Best
Greg
Greg Philippi
Director
GotULaughing/4x4 Improv
323-829-1117
ianclearspot@gmail.com 

IMPROV! OINGO BOINGO! YOKO ONO! & THE WHISKY-AU-GO-GO! DANNY ELFMAN!

This week we start to prep for several upcoming GotULaughing/4x4 shows! Everyone is welcome to play (details below)! TH we’ll play games and explore the truth of the scene. SUN we’ll continue to build your IMPROV skill level! Plus Oingo Boingo!!!

A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is a reality -Yoko Ono  -In IMPROV the group mind is when scene partners or an entire Harold team are all on one accord, in sync, understanding and/or even foretelling one another’s thoughts and actions as the narrative unfolds on stage. 

THURSDAYS

TH (Nov 5th) & every TH GUL Improv Comedy drop-in workshop 7-9pm at 5 Star 

Premier Residence 8500 Sunrise Blvd. Plantation FL 33322 Only $10 ($5 first time attendees)  This week we’ll squeeze in several games plus light skill work and lots of laughs!!!  TH is an evening of games & light skill work.  ALL LEVELS!

Behind a wooden door off the second floor balcony and up a second set of stairs is the Whisky-au-go-go green room where new wave rockers Oingo Boingo were preparing to take the stage. The entire A&M records upper echelon who had just signed the band were nestled along the balcony at small tables patiently waiting for a taste of their investment. I’d been meeting with members of Oingo Boingo for several weeks preparing an in depth feature on their climb from street performers utilizing poetry, jugglers, unicyclists and fire breathers and a sound molding elements of french cabaret with quirky rock. Eventually Danny Elfman, lead vocalist and main writer would leave to compose motion picture scores after coming to the attention of film Director Tim Burton. Elfman’s composing credits to date include TV shows from The Simpsons theme to films like Spiderman and Batman. I still have a mental picture of Elfman doing sit-ups and deep knee bends in the green room that night which was a far cry from the band’s tough quirky street image. Eventually my article would come out in several music publications though Elfman called me initially nervous that my revealing the band’s behind the scenes changes might alienate members of their fan base. It had no affect. There music was their truth. 

In IMPROV we the audience believe in what we see on stage when you the performer believe in the world you have created on that stage. Your truth becomes our truth. 

What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes - Harry Houdini (illusionist) 

In IMPROV the reality of the scene becomes the audiences reality when justified! If those on stage believe then the audience will…

SUNDAYS

4x4 Improv SUN (Nov 8th) & every SUN Improv drop-in workshop! 2-4pm at Circle of Friends 4603 University Dr. Lauderhill FL 33351 Only $10 This week we’ll continue focusing on short form scene work, we’ll also work on long form opens and introduce Harold “first beats”. I also hope to play Grandpa’s Attic time allowing. SUN is skill work, exercises and a game. Recommended for Improvisers with some experience.

PERFORMANCES

We have several upcoming performances at the SUNDAY 4x4 rehearsal space. Shows will be an hour long with a jam at the end and free to the public. The short open jam at the end will allow audience members interested in playing to join us on stage. I’m hoping these shows will get the group prepared for several larger rooms. 

Tentative show dates and times are Sunday November 15th 6pm-7:30pm and Saturday December 5th with two shows back to back. First show will be 8-9pm followed by a second show 9:30-10:30. There will be a sign up sheet TH and SUN. Once you have signed up to be in a show you are required to attend at least one TH or SUN workshop each week leading up to the show unless you have special permission by the instructor stating otherwise. 

HAROLD TEAM

I will be putting a long form team together that will rehearse once a week for the purpose of performing The Harold and possibly competing or appearing in shows with other long form teams throughout south Florida and possibly beyond. Rehearsals are tentatively going to be held before SUN 4x4 workshop though this may change. There is no charge to be on the Harold team though it is at the Director’s discretion. I may hold auditions and I may just choose performers depending on interest. We need 7-8 dedicated performers to do a Harold. If there is not enough interest within the GotULaughing/4x4 family I will reach out to others in the Improv community.  

See you in the movies!

Greg

Greg Philippi

Director

GotULaughing/4x4 Improv

323-829-1117

ianclearspot@gmail.com 

CREEPY CRAWLIES? (UN)MEMORABLE HALLOWEEN HAUNTS?! GUL/4x4 IMPROV TH (Oct 29th) & SUN (Nov 1st)

It's Halloween week my pretties... below are our TH and SUN treats (Improv workshops) but read further and there's much much more. From (Un)Memorable Halloween Haunts, a truly haunting trip down memory lane followed by it's relation to Improv and then there are the hauntings described in Creepy Crawlies which are followed by it's relation to Improv plus some awesome quotes. Quotes and writings change weekly.

The only cats worth anything are the cats that take chances that take chances - Thelonious Monk (jazz musician/composer) - In IMPROV the saying is DARE TO FAIL! Make bold moves! Have an opinion!

THURSDAYS (Oct 29th) every TH GotULaughing Improv Comedy drop-in workshop 7-9pm at 5 Star Premier Residence 8500 Sunrise Blvd. Plantation FL 33322 Only $10 ($5 first time attendees) This week prepare for a haunting as we celebrate in costume if you find the need to hide your identity! Join us if you dare and we'll scare up some funny together!!! TH is an evening of games and light skill work. ALL LEVELS!

CREEPY CRAWLIES and (UN)MEMORABLE HALLOWEEN HAUNTS?! 
It's nearly Halloween. Being an Improviser I love characters! However, upon scanning the Ouija board in my brain for memorable Halloweens to write about has proven to be a worthless endeavor. There was this one time I had been invited to a Halloween party at an estate in the Hollywood Hills. I parked on a main street at the bottom of the hill where a van service picked up waiting guests, snaking up into the hills and arriving at an estate where ghostly festivities awaited. I disembarked with my date who wandered elsewhere to hit on other guys. I was relegated to chatting about music trivia near the punch bowl. I wanted and hoped for one thing but the night turned out to be something else. Cest la vie. Another unmemorable Halloween. Naw, I don't think I'll write about it...

In IMPROV stop writing in your head! The scene will never turn out the way you planned...

Creepy Crawlies perhaps?! Sound echoed in our sparsely furnished 1921 Craftsman four-plex like heels on marble pacing inside a tomb. Our apartment had a dark wood foyer with oversized wooden steps and a polished dark walnut banister leading up to our door. The living area featured built in cabinets and leaded glass, wood floors, chandelier lighting, dark wood door jams, heavy moulding and an oversized front door that creaked. Vincent Price would have felt at home. 

Several nights I awoke to other worldly sounds including a cat (that wasn't there) pacing up and down just outside my door. The sound echoed in our sparsely furnished tomb. Once I awoke to see a cat curled up on top of my dresser which of course wasn't really there either. Another time our heating system mysteriously stuck in the on position which turned our place into a sauna. The final straw was an alarm I didn't set going off at 4am in the morning. Then my clock radio began playing a song and the only words I heard were GET OUT! Needless to say I moved a week later. This all happened no where near Halloween therefore I won't write about my haunted apartment building. 

In IMPROV play to the reality of the scene even if it's a reality not accepted by the outside world! However, you must justify that which happens in the world you created on stage. Then think; If this is true then what else is true?

There are no wrong notes; some are just more right than others -Thelonious Monk
In IMPROV the same philosophy applies. It gives credence to why we study the craft!

SUNDAYS 
4x4 Improv SUN (Nov 1st) and every SUN drop-in IMPROV workshop! 2-4pm at Circle of Friends and Stars 4603 University Dr. Lauderhill FL 33351 Only $10  SUN we simplify starting with scenes, continue with connections, delve further into object work and dust off the Halloween webbing! We'll also play a scary game near the end! SUN is skill work exercises and a game. Recommended for Improvisers with some experience.

See you on stage or in the movies!!!
Best
Greg
Greg Philippi
Director
GotULaughing/4x4 Improv
323-829-1117
Ianclearspot@gmail.com 

Tina Fey was once just Elizabeth Statmatina Fey from PA. You Could Be Next!

Calling All Writers, Directors, Actors, Improvisers & comedic storytellers! 

Ever listen to the news only to have the headlines playback with a comical twist in your mind? Ever stand in the grocery check out line listening to the cashier and find yourself fighting the urge to answer her mundane chatter as a silly character? Ever wondered how restaurant wait staff might react if you ordered an exotic item not on the menu and then gave the waitress detailed prep instructions?

If like me, youʼve had similar thoughts, then you have a unique perspective on life that the most successful comedy television writers, producers, directors and actors also possess and if thatʼs the case then Sketch Comedy for the Web and Stage, a six week, hands-on course, beginning Saturday October 12th, and running six consecutive Saturdays from 3-5pm, must be calling your name!

Sketch Comedy for the Web and Stage will be held at 9 Muses Art Center 7139 Oakland Park Blvd Lauderhill Florida. This course will provide the tools and insight for artists interested in creating and promoting Sketch Comedy in a professional manner. Sketch Comedy for the Web and Stage will also explore the effective use of comedic timing, character development, choosing topics that can be grown into multiple episodes easily, playing to niche audiences, the elements of story and how they relate to hitting the beats and the promotion and marketing of material created in class. ill be given a hand- out supporting the curriculum.

Sketch Comedy for the Web and Stage will be taught by Greg Philippi, a SAG/AFTRA actor from Los Angeles who has created several web series and has written and appeared in numerous sketch comedy pieces that have had extensive web hits. Aside from sketch comedy, Greg has extensive experience in improv, a comedic form that is an essential component in writing solid comedic scenes. As an improviser, Greg has trained with The Upright Citizens Brigade, The Second City, The ImprovTrick, Monkey Butler Comedy, Comedy Theater Sportz, and iOWest. Greg also has experience on the other side of the camera as a network TV executive, music business executive, and reality show producer. His varied background allows him to give insight into the business side of the industry.

Sketch Comedy for the Web and Stage cost is $120 entire course or $25 per class walk-in fee (payable at the beginning of each class). Following the 6 week course, students will have the opportunity for continued participation in an ongoing sketch group. For advance registration go to www.GotULaughing.Weebly.com and look for the paypal link. Contact Greg at soflorida.comedy@gmail.com

Fires Of August Entertainment

soflorida.comedy@gmail.com

323-829-1117Calling All Writers, Directors, Actors, Improvisers, Comedians & Storytellers!

Riddle Me this and Riddle me That?!

It was a pleasantly warm, dry southern California evening when I slipped into the City Wok for healthy Chinese cuisine (only in southern California right?!). The eatery was buzzing with activity. I spied actor/comedian Frank Gorshen across the room. I’d seen celebrities before but Frank was a legend in my book. He’d had a career spanning several decades as a comedian, often appearing on the Ed Sullivan show and he’d left an indeliable impression on my brain after all those evenings as a kid curled up in front of the set watching Adam West as Batman with Frank as The Riddler. He was the definitive Riddler, a character that Jim Carrey undoubtably borrowed from in his portrayal of the Riddler years later.

As I finished my meal and stepped out into the parking lot Frank was standing on the curb lighting a cigarette. It was just he and I and the stars on a clear night. Not wanting to disturb him I simply stopped and expressed how much I appreciated what he’d brought to the screen in his work. In legendary form he took a puff on his cigarette leaned over and said thanks kid, thanks a lot in a gritty character voice unmistakenly Frank, like a wine with a long east coast finish. A week and a half later he was dead. He seemed so vibrant, but looking back I think he knew he was on his way out and was at peace with that fact. As he stood on the curb that night outside the restaurant he was digesting a memory. I unwittingly provided the icing...

Thinking back on that evening I’m not sure why it made such an impression on me but it did and is in fact a moment in time burned into my brain. I guess cause life is like that, here today and gone tomorrow. Take it all in like a big full course dinner only not so much as to make you sick but just enough to be satisfied. Enjoy every minute, the ups and the downs. It’s always been about the journey. I know that much. For some it’s world travel and sumptuous cuisine and for others the comfort of their favorite chair and a good book. For still others there’s that space somewhere in between.

Life is an amalgam of rhythm and art. There’s art in the stars and the cracks in the sidewalk behind a lost diner. There’s art in everything. There’s rhythm in everything too from the sound of a voice to the wind to the movement of the waves on a beach. It’s all about patterns and numbers. The patterns of our life and discovery of what was and is now present.

Sure there is a dark side to life but that has a pattern as well and an erie art to it but the balance of dark and light in my life keeps the patterns alive as I discover the days unfolding before me... In the days ahead I’m going to strike out on a journey in words that I’m hoping to share on these pages. For those that join me I salute you and welcome your presence for no two eyes see the same thing exactly the same way and that’s what makes life interesting. That’s what makes it a pleasure to wake up in the morning and take in the morning air, well that and a good cup of strong black coffee from a well seasoned Barista...LOL

BLOOD, BODIES and RACISM in the HEART of HOLLYWOOD!

It’s blood, bodies and racism in the heart of Hollywood Tuesday evenings for the month of September, delivered in a sweaty black box theater setting, the way urban theater should be experienced. Family values be damned ta’ hell! The Boondock Sisters is a violent, fast paced stage romp that takes audiences from the green hills of Ireland, where a phone call sets the stage for the blood-letting rampage of two lasses, to the back alleys of Boston’s North End, in a shoot first, ask questions later story that includes hitmen, priests, police the FBI and one scary badass female assasin.

Bodies begin piling up as Niela and Cassidy embark on a quest to rid the city of two legged pests while Italian king pin Joseppi Yakavetta (Papa Joe) battles russian crime lords for turf and Boston’s finest launch an investigation under the tutleage of a smug, affected FBI Investigator.

The girls, both one step ahead of the police and one step ahead of the syndicate, practice their penchant for fightin’ as they paint the city red literally, while reciting ominous latin verbage, unleashing their own brand of justice on the underworld. Unwittingly the king pin calls forth the murderous iL Duce who soon reigns more violence down upon a city already awash in red sauce and lead.

TheTuesday evening cast features Jack Starr as Agent Paul Smecker, Rebecca Crews and Ruth Allyn Anderson as sisters Niela and Cassidy, Devon Coull as the inculpable Rocco and guesting as the Chief, Ian Willoughby as Officer Greenly, Russian Mobster Checkov, the Priest and Italian mobster Geno, a man of many faces, Natalie Nastulczykova as Officer Dollapoppaskalious aka Dolly, The Dutchess (iL Duce) and Doc, Tim Stafford as Officer Duffy and mobsters Vincenzo and Hojo and Greg Philippi as Joseppi Yakavetta (Papa Joe) and Da’.

Together the cast deliver this one act black comedy to the steps of the confessional with vigor and a dash of brain splatter, culminating at the moment of iL Duce’s dance of death bringing another lawless legend to justice. The Boondock Sisters; Irish angels or societal menace? Perhaps the reality is something in between. Either way, if you’re headin’ for Boston, better strap on your kevlar vest.

The Boondock Sisters stage play is influenced by and adapted from The Boondock Saints by the show’s Director Jesse Kennedy and will be running Tuesday nights in September at 8pm at the Tre Stage 1523 N. LaBrea Ave, Hollywood 90028. Tickets are $20 at the door with discounts available. Entertainment industry professionals with business card admitted FREE. Refreshments served (maybe). For more information contact the Tre Stage theater 323-850-7827.

Grown-ups in Sandbox of Life! (as Actors in Music+Music in Actors)

In 1970 the UK art rock band “The Pretty Things” (then on the Warners label with previous releases on Fontana, EMI and Motown offshoot Rare Earth) became Rolling Stone Magazine’s only pick for album of the year that didn’t show platinum or even gold sales numbers. Hey it happens...

Nine years later (1979) a young inquisitive NYU grad (namely me), called Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song headquarters in Manhattan looking for a job and ended up booking an audition appointment to sing for Swan Song execs and with “The Pretty Things” on a Union City NJ soundstage. Still a haze after all these years as to whether they were replacing their lead vocalist who just quit, or attempting to put a frontman on “The Pretty Things” offshoot “Metropolis” (also signed to Swan Song) is not clear but there was deeper meaning afoot which I'll get to in a paragraph or two...

I do recall that many of those awaiting their audition slot that day were quite nervous. I hadn’t a clue so wasn’t nervous till I took the stage immersed in how large it was as I stood in front of several Marshall Stacks. A few were only offered one song or worse were cut off mid-song and immediately escorted off stage. I made it through one tune and was asked to do a second, confident in my command of the material and enjoying the experience. However, at the end that day, I was Pistachio and they were buying chocolate. Oh well…The best part is that I wasn’t even a lead vocalist but a guitarist!

Years later I became an actor today see clearly many acting parallels to the events above. As an actor you might arrive at an audition as one flavor say Pistachio but the folks hiring have a taste for another say Vanilla or Chocolate. Then there are those performances where you’re delivering Pistachio but it may be a little melted. In other words it’s not your best performance or maybe you misinterpreted the sides. At least you made a choice or did you? Choice of course is another discussion all together but one thing is for certain that with out it your audition, hell your life, is gonna be pretty damn boring. There are those who make choices but just don’t do the work and you certainly can’t deliver any flavor whatsoever if you haven’t done the work.

Last week I was prepping for an audition as the lead in a new web series. The script appeared to be well written. The sides consisted of 2 ½ pages of straight dialogue which in and of itself is quite a challenge. I was excited and worked hours on it. The dialogue began w “a greeting”. I believed that greeting put me in my scene partners’ office. I made a choice. Nowhere in the script did it say nor imply other wise. That led me to make other choices as well that would affect my approach and ultimately my performance. The day of the audition I walked in the room and was informed I was to appear on the phone not in person in someone’s office. Once again I made adjustments to my approach utilizing the new information and made a choice. Next I was told to ‘have fun’ with an emphasis on the word fun which allowed me the freedom to add further adjustments. Therefore I made even more choices which might impact an animated conversation with someone on the other end of the phone. Nowhere in the script did it say otherwise. After getting through the massive amounts of dialogue and returning home I learned my dialogue was supposed to be a long message. I was supposed to be leaving a freakin’ message!

I’ve always been taught right or wrong make a choice. No choice translates to “boring” and I’d made a definite choice only this time it was evidently the wrong choice. I received no adjustment, no light bulbs going off that I’d brought a new dimension to the project just that I’d made the wrong choice. Sometimes you eat the Bear and sometimes the Bear eats you…

I say you have two choices. Build a better mousetrap, take each challenge as a karmic lesson to overcome and meet every failure with a possible solution or you can find a dark corner and huddle in a mass of depressed flesh. It’s your choice. I’m back in the saddle. Life is an adventure and it is the journey I live for and learn from. Success is but a byproduct of an exciting journey. This boy ain’t waitin on the bench or standin’ on the sidelines. I’ll see you in the game.
Greg
To connect and say hello:
www.GregPhilippi.com
www.twitter.com/GregPhilippi
www.IMDB.me/gregphilippi
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