On September 20th, I'm quitting my job. I'm excited and terrified to go over to Green Room full-time. It is a bittersweet time as I really do love my job, the organization I work for, and my coworkers.
I'll begin a new adventure at Green Room helping to run the business. I have never taken business classes. I'm not an accountant. Like pretty much everything else I've done in my life, I'm just planning to wing it.
I turned in my notice at the end of August, with plans to leave September 6th, but I agreed to stay on to finish a project because I was asked to do so. Thus, I live in the in-between with the "last moments" stretching out to a point where I can contemplate this crazy decision and second-guess myself.
I know all the cons - loss of a guaranteed paycheck, loss of employer-provided health insurance, loss of a retirement plan, ending a promising career in nonprofit fundraising, and a wealth of others that I'm sure someone will think to remind me.
The pros are important, too - learning new skills, focusing my energy where it matters most, having an active and relevant role in our family business, staff management, market research, a crash course in economics, accounting, budgeting, marketing, and of course...flipping burgers.
It is hilarious to me that I'm leaving my desk job to literally ask people if they want fries with that. It's basically giving a finger to the old cliche that you should "go to college because you don't want to be stuck flipping burgers the rest of your life".
I am choosing to flip burgers the rest of my life.
I am choosing the harder career path.
And I am scared.
Sep 11, 2013
Jan 24, 2013
Green Room Brews!
My husband's restaurant, Green Room Burgers & Beer, has been open for almost a year. He's celebrating by brewing his first batch of commercial beer, called Papa Louie's. If you're interested in his technique, process, projects, and general musings, follow his blog!
Oct 15, 2012
Holy Cow! It's Over!
I started Holy Cow! when I moved to Kansas City seven years ago, and I ended it last Saturday at the championship round of Improv Thunderdome: Season 10 (We got third place, and our show kicked ass. That tells you the quality of Improv Thunderdome.)
Holy Cow started as a project of mine at Rockhurst University. I transferred in as a junior studying English with a minor in Theater. Rockhurst had a great theater department at that time but there was no improv troupe at the school so I decided to start one of my own.
I was naiive about how much work running a troupe is, but I was also fiercely motivated and improv is super fun, so it was easy at first. We did 2 shows a year - one each semester, and it was free admission. It became quite the hit on campus by the time I graduated in 2007. I thought, "I'm moving on, so should Holy Cow." But there were some younger classmen that really loved it and wanted to keep it going, and I am selfish and it's hard for me to let other people be in charge, so I just decided to keep doing Holy Cow.
There were many, many times when I wanted to quit - many weeks where I desperately wanted to cancel rehearsal and stay at home with nothing to do...But I really loved it and I hated letting other people down (also see above about how I am rather controlling about certain things) so I kept going.
Our membership changed throughout the years, but it was always so much fun to perform. We went from being a short-form college troupe that did free shows to a long-form troupe that got paid to perform (not much, but hey, getting paid to do improv is pretty freaking awesome). I was introduced to a whole community of amazing improvisers in KC. I got to perform in 2 big-time improv festivals, and meet some famous and not-so-famous comedians. I've made great friends.
But it has come time to let Holy Cow finally end. The number one reason is I am tired. It is hard work to run a troupe and plan rehearsals and book shows and keep the momentum going.
Also, I have sort of been married to Holy Cow...spending free time in rehearsals and shows and drinking sessions (there have been lots of drinking sessions). And now it is time to go get married to Michael and spend my free time with him. (It also helps that Mike Ferris and his wife are having a baby in February, and Mark Bruce moved back to St. Louis.)
It's not the end of my comedy "career". You can still see me perform many weekends at ComedyCity, and throughout the year with Pretty.Funny. And starting in two weeks, I'll be at ComedyCity every Sunday cheering on high schoolers participating in the nonprofit program I helped start: Seriously Playful's Operation: Show!
Endings are always weird. I sort of thought I would be more sad, but...mostly, I'm just excited about what's to come. Onward and upward.
Holy Cow started as a project of mine at Rockhurst University. I transferred in as a junior studying English with a minor in Theater. Rockhurst had a great theater department at that time but there was no improv troupe at the school so I decided to start one of my own.
I was naiive about how much work running a troupe is, but I was also fiercely motivated and improv is super fun, so it was easy at first. We did 2 shows a year - one each semester, and it was free admission. It became quite the hit on campus by the time I graduated in 2007. I thought, "I'm moving on, so should Holy Cow." But there were some younger classmen that really loved it and wanted to keep it going, and I am selfish and it's hard for me to let other people be in charge, so I just decided to keep doing Holy Cow.
There were many, many times when I wanted to quit - many weeks where I desperately wanted to cancel rehearsal and stay at home with nothing to do...But I really loved it and I hated letting other people down (also see above about how I am rather controlling about certain things) so I kept going.
Our membership changed throughout the years, but it was always so much fun to perform. We went from being a short-form college troupe that did free shows to a long-form troupe that got paid to perform (not much, but hey, getting paid to do improv is pretty freaking awesome). I was introduced to a whole community of amazing improvisers in KC. I got to perform in 2 big-time improv festivals, and meet some famous and not-so-famous comedians. I've made great friends.
But it has come time to let Holy Cow finally end. The number one reason is I am tired. It is hard work to run a troupe and plan rehearsals and book shows and keep the momentum going.
Also, I have sort of been married to Holy Cow...spending free time in rehearsals and shows and drinking sessions (there have been lots of drinking sessions). And now it is time to go get married to Michael and spend my free time with him. (It also helps that Mike Ferris and his wife are having a baby in February, and Mark Bruce moved back to St. Louis.)
It's not the end of my comedy "career". You can still see me perform many weekends at ComedyCity, and throughout the year with Pretty.Funny. And starting in two weeks, I'll be at ComedyCity every Sunday cheering on high schoolers participating in the nonprofit program I helped start: Seriously Playful's Operation: Show!
Endings are always weird. I sort of thought I would be more sad, but...mostly, I'm just excited about what's to come. Onward and upward.
Mar 29, 2012
Letters.
Dear MyFitnessPal,
Thank you for helping me balance my diet. 17 pounds down!
Dear Sunshiny Spring,
You are making it hard to focus at work.
Dear Max and Diego,
Let's go for a walk tonight.
Dear Ferris's and Salierno's,
I hope you are prepared to lose in Settlers of Catan!
Dear Michael,
I love you and thank you for waking up and eating breakfast with me, even when you are exhausted.
Love,
Cindy
Thank you for helping me balance my diet. 17 pounds down!
Dear Sunshiny Spring,
You are making it hard to focus at work.
Dear Max and Diego,
Let's go for a walk tonight.
Dear Ferris's and Salierno's,
I hope you are prepared to lose in Settlers of Catan!
Dear Michael,
I love you and thank you for waking up and eating breakfast with me, even when you are exhausted.
Love,
Cindy
Jan 8, 2012
We're engaged!!
On December 23, 2011, M asked me to marry him and I said yes! Let the countdown to October 20, 2012 begin! <3
Oct 27, 2011
Milestone. Or Two.
Today I ran two miles, and I didn't stop to walk.
The whole time I was thinking, "What if today I did it? What if today I just ran the whole thing? How would it feel to say, 'today I ran two miles, and I didn't stop to walk'?
It feels GREAT. I think I was just trying to go too fast, too far previously. When I first began this running journey, I would listen to fast-paced music and try to have a good "stride" and keep up the pace with the people around me... and I hated it! It was painful, hard, and humiliating.
I started listening to slow music and to pay attention to the pace my body could maintain. Today, I finally got everything synced up right, and I. Ran. The. Whole. Way.
The whole time I was thinking, "What if today I did it? What if today I just ran the whole thing? How would it feel to say, 'today I ran two miles, and I didn't stop to walk'?
It feels GREAT. I think I was just trying to go too fast, too far previously. When I first began this running journey, I would listen to fast-paced music and try to have a good "stride" and keep up the pace with the people around me... and I hated it! It was painful, hard, and humiliating.
I started listening to slow music and to pay attention to the pace my body could maintain. Today, I finally got everything synced up right, and I. Ran. The. Whole. Way.
Sep 16, 2011
Patience
"And the second thing I wanted to share is, that if you’ve found the right person, and you know you want to get married, the engagement is worth waiting for. It’s worth the anxiety and uncertainty of the pre-engaged state, it’s worth that feeling of bitterness when you hear that kid you babysat is getting married, and it’s worth those aching feelings of powerlessness you feel when you’ve told your partner you’re fed up and he says “be patient.” Because the second it happens, all of that goes away. Instantly."
---from A Practical Wedding
I needed to read this today!
---from A Practical Wedding
I needed to read this today!
Aug 30, 2011
Crest Kid
Aaaaahhhhhhhh... Crest.
Last night at the store I bought Crest Pro-Health Clinical Gum Protection Toothpaste, new toothbrushes, and Listerine. My gums and mouth feel sooooo much better.
While I was using Trader Joe's brand toothpaste - I was flossing - and my gums were incredibly sore. Typically, when I go on a flossing kick, my gums stop bleeding and feeling sore after a few sessions. But for the entirety of the time we were using the Trader Joe's brand, my gums were bleeding, sore, and deteriorating! It was awful.
After brushing and flossing and rinsing with Listerine last night, and brushing and rinsing with Listerine this morning, my gums don't hurt! Seriously, maybe I'm allergic to something in the Trader Joe's brand. Or maybe it's just bad toothpaste.
Last night at the store I bought Crest Pro-Health Clinical Gum Protection Toothpaste, new toothbrushes, and Listerine. My gums and mouth feel sooooo much better.
While I was using Trader Joe's brand toothpaste - I was flossing - and my gums were incredibly sore. Typically, when I go on a flossing kick, my gums stop bleeding and feeling sore after a few sessions. But for the entirety of the time we were using the Trader Joe's brand, my gums were bleeding, sore, and deteriorating! It was awful.
After brushing and flossing and rinsing with Listerine last night, and brushing and rinsing with Listerine this morning, my gums don't hurt! Seriously, maybe I'm allergic to something in the Trader Joe's brand. Or maybe it's just bad toothpaste.
Aug 29, 2011
Trader Joe's Toothpaste...
Trader Joe's opened up shop in my neighborhood, and we've been trying things here and there. The most recent thing we've tried is the toothpaste. We got the"anti-plaque toothpaste with fennel, propolis, and myrrh".
Honestly, I hate it. It tastes weird (I'm not a huge fan of fennel), and my gums have been hurting ever since I started using it. Is it possible that a toothpaste could make your gums worse? Seriously, I think the stuff has given me gingivitis. We've toughed it out for a few weeks now, but I think I'm going back to my chemical-filled Crest.
Anybody else tried this stuff? What did you think?
Honestly, I hate it. It tastes weird (I'm not a huge fan of fennel), and my gums have been hurting ever since I started using it. Is it possible that a toothpaste could make your gums worse? Seriously, I think the stuff has given me gingivitis. We've toughed it out for a few weeks now, but I think I'm going back to my chemical-filled Crest.
Anybody else tried this stuff? What did you think?
Aug 24, 2011
One Week
I have one week left of AmeriCorps.
It has been an awesome experience. I didn't think I was going to be able to do it financially, and while that has been a great struggle, it actually wasn't the hardest part about AmeriCorps.
The hardest part was doing service alongside apathetic people who couldn't be bothered to try, or give more than was asked (and in some cases just give what was asked). And these are the types of people who make you feel bad for caring.
My whole life I've been told that you get what you put in. I've been told that when you cheat, you're only cheating yourself. I've been told that people get what's coming to them. And maybe that's true... but my experience has taught me that life is pretty unfair. And sometimes bad things happen to good people, and sometimes bad people come out on top.
My philosophical friend Harrison posed this question recently: "
It has been an awesome experience. I didn't think I was going to be able to do it financially, and while that has been a great struggle, it actually wasn't the hardest part about AmeriCorps.
The hardest part was doing service alongside apathetic people who couldn't be bothered to try, or give more than was asked (and in some cases just give what was asked). And these are the types of people who make you feel bad for caring.
My whole life I've been told that you get what you put in. I've been told that when you cheat, you're only cheating yourself. I've been told that people get what's coming to them. And maybe that's true... but my experience has taught me that life is pretty unfair. And sometimes bad things happen to good people, and sometimes bad people come out on top.
My philosophical friend Harrison posed this question recently: "
Jul 18, 2011
Summertime blues.
It's been kind of a bummer of a summer. Things have gone wrong in ways I never expected. But there have been nuggets of goodness in there as well, and I'm trying to focus on the positive things.
I'm ready for fall.
I'm ready for fall.
Jun 27, 2011
I am a terrible vegetarian.
Apparently being vegetarian is a lot harder than I was expecting. Also, I've never been good at dieting. Rules, especially food rules, are incredibly hard for me to follow.
I have managed to scale back on my meat intake. I haven't been ordering it at restaurants, for example, and I have gone entire days without eating any sort of meat. But, at home is a different story.
M is making a burger menu, and I want to try them all! So I do! (I know, I'm terrible.)
I have managed to scale back on my meat intake. I haven't been ordering it at restaurants, for example, and I have gone entire days without eating any sort of meat. But, at home is a different story.
M is making a burger menu, and I want to try them all! So I do! (I know, I'm terrible.)
Jun 15, 2011
Jun 13, 2011
Rest in Peace, Chelsey
My friend Chelsey died this morning.
She was one of the kindest people I have ever met, and she blessed those around her with her kindness. She was creative, and fun, and caring, and giving.
She dated my friend Chris for a while and they lived together in San Francisco. She wanted to surprise him for his birthday, so she got in touch with me about coming out to visit for the weekend. I was broke at the time, and she wanted me to come so much that she paid for half of the trip. I don't know many people who would do something like that.
She showed me as much of San Francisco as she could in one day. She took me to the "Full House" houses, we went on a fishing boat tour of the Golden Gate bridge, ate clam chowder at Fisherman's Wharf, looked at the San Francisco skyline in the middle of the night from the roof, and rode on the famous cable cars. She loaned me her copy of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. I never got a chance to give it back. It has her signature "C" stamp on the inside cover.
She was crafty and inspiring. She had to deal with things beyond my imagination. And now that she's gone, I can't help but feel like I didn't thank her enough for her kindness.
So I guess I just want to say thank you, Chelsey. Thanks for showing me San Francisco. Thanks for taking me to In-N-Out for the first time. Thanks for being a great hostess and always knowing what's in style. Thanks for being a listening ear when I was going through tough times (which seem like nothing compared to what you must have been going through that whole time). Thank you for being a really great friend. I miss you and I love you.
I can't believe you're gone. Peace be the journey. Until we meet again...
She was one of the kindest people I have ever met, and she blessed those around her with her kindness. She was creative, and fun, and caring, and giving.
She dated my friend Chris for a while and they lived together in San Francisco. She wanted to surprise him for his birthday, so she got in touch with me about coming out to visit for the weekend. I was broke at the time, and she wanted me to come so much that she paid for half of the trip. I don't know many people who would do something like that.
She showed me as much of San Francisco as she could in one day. She took me to the "Full House" houses, we went on a fishing boat tour of the Golden Gate bridge, ate clam chowder at Fisherman's Wharf, looked at the San Francisco skyline in the middle of the night from the roof, and rode on the famous cable cars. She loaned me her copy of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. I never got a chance to give it back. It has her signature "C" stamp on the inside cover.
She was crafty and inspiring. She had to deal with things beyond my imagination. And now that she's gone, I can't help but feel like I didn't thank her enough for her kindness.
So I guess I just want to say thank you, Chelsey. Thanks for showing me San Francisco. Thanks for taking me to In-N-Out for the first time. Thanks for being a great hostess and always knowing what's in style. Thanks for being a listening ear when I was going through tough times (which seem like nothing compared to what you must have been going through that whole time). Thank you for being a really great friend. I miss you and I love you.
I can't believe you're gone. Peace be the journey. Until we meet again...
May 20, 2011
Improv Show Tomorrow!
I'm so excited for Holy Cow's Improv Funhouse tomorrow.
We are performing with The Trip Fives (with special guests Trish Berrong, Guy Maggio, and Tim Lemke) and Jane Goodall!
There will be some funny video sketches, live sketches, and really great improv.
Here are the deets in case you would like to attend:
Holy Cow! Presents: Improv Funhouse
Westport Coffeehouse Theater
4010 Pennsylvania
Kansas City, MO
8:00pm (doors at 7:30pm)
Tickets are $8 each and can be reserved by calling 816-830-4080 or emailing holycowimprov (at) gmail (dot) com.
Hope to see you there!!
We are performing with The Trip Fives (with special guests Trish Berrong, Guy Maggio, and Tim Lemke) and Jane Goodall!
There will be some funny video sketches, live sketches, and really great improv.
Here are the deets in case you would like to attend:
Holy Cow! Presents: Improv Funhouse
Westport Coffeehouse Theater
4010 Pennsylvania
Kansas City, MO
8:00pm (doors at 7:30pm)
Tickets are $8 each and can be reserved by calling 816-830-4080 or emailing holycowimprov (at) gmail (dot) com.
Hope to see you there!!
May 16, 2011
Break Time!
This month I had a week that looked like this:
Sunday - improv business meeting
Monday - improv class
Tuesday - improv practice
Wednesday - improv practice
Thursday - improv performance
Friday - dinner with friends
Saturday - filming improv stuff
Sunday - improv business meeting
That was last week, Sunday to Sunday. Add into that 46.5 hours of my "day job"...and it leaves little time for anything else (like a personal life).
So I've decided to do the hard thing and scale back on a few of my improv commitments. It wasn't an easy decision (the right ones rarely are, I'm finding).
I don't like the idea of missing out on anything, or anyone questioning whether I take this thing seriously or not. I do, obviously! And I'm still WAY involved in the improv scene here in KC. Still doing everything Holy Cow! Still working with Trish on the festival in September. Still performing with WyCo TriCo (it's our prize performances, after all!) Still loving it. Still doing it. Just not every night...because then it becomes something quite different than a hobby or even a serious hobby. Then it becomes a job, and all the negative connotations that float around the word "work".
Other artists with a day job must have this problem of finding the balance. Lately my life has been very heavily weighted on MY side of things (specifically my improv side of things). But, the thing is, it's not just about me. I'm in a serious relationship which means I have to take his needs into account. We can't just center our social lives around my improv performances and my comedian friends. While that (mostly - I mean, I do other stuff besides improv if you can believe it) works out for me, M* is not an improv comedian. He's a musician, and an entrepreneur, and a homebrewer, and a cook. And he loves me and wants me to be part of his hobbies and his life just as much as he is part of mine.
But the finding of the balance... that is hard! Compromising isn't fun, but it's necessary.
I want it all: a family, a career, and improv. That's what I'm working towards, and I must make time in my life for all 3.
Sunday - improv business meeting
Monday - improv class
Tuesday - improv practice
Wednesday - improv practice
Thursday - improv performance
Friday - dinner with friends
Saturday - filming improv stuff
Sunday - improv business meeting
That was last week, Sunday to Sunday. Add into that 46.5 hours of my "day job"...and it leaves little time for anything else (like a personal life).
So I've decided to do the hard thing and scale back on a few of my improv commitments. It wasn't an easy decision (the right ones rarely are, I'm finding).
I don't like the idea of missing out on anything, or anyone questioning whether I take this thing seriously or not. I do, obviously! And I'm still WAY involved in the improv scene here in KC. Still doing everything Holy Cow! Still working with Trish on the festival in September. Still performing with WyCo TriCo (it's our prize performances, after all!) Still loving it. Still doing it. Just not every night...because then it becomes something quite different than a hobby or even a serious hobby. Then it becomes a job, and all the negative connotations that float around the word "work".
Other artists with a day job must have this problem of finding the balance. Lately my life has been very heavily weighted on MY side of things (specifically my improv side of things). But, the thing is, it's not just about me. I'm in a serious relationship which means I have to take his needs into account. We can't just center our social lives around my improv performances and my comedian friends. While that (mostly - I mean, I do other stuff besides improv if you can believe it) works out for me, M* is not an improv comedian. He's a musician, and an entrepreneur, and a homebrewer, and a cook. And he loves me and wants me to be part of his hobbies and his life just as much as he is part of mine.
But the finding of the balance... that is hard! Compromising isn't fun, but it's necessary.
I want it all: a family, a career, and improv. That's what I'm working towards, and I must make time in my life for all 3.
May 14, 2011
I'm outta shape!
I rode my bike today. It was HORRIBLE!
I bought a Schwinn beach cruiser for myself 2 years ago. It looks really cool, but it is heavy* and impractical**. I still love it...but today was rough!
I rode about a half-mile to Christian's house, and I almost died***. Time to start exercising, seriously!
*It probably weighs 50 lbs, at least!
**It has 7 speeds which don't really do much.
***I had to walk the bike up hills. I'm ashamed.
I bought a Schwinn beach cruiser for myself 2 years ago. It looks really cool, but it is heavy* and impractical**. I still love it...but today was rough!
I rode about a half-mile to Christian's house, and I almost died***. Time to start exercising, seriously!
*It probably weighs 50 lbs, at least!
**It has 7 speeds which don't really do much.
***I had to walk the bike up hills. I'm ashamed.
Apr 25, 2011
Vegging Out
I read a disturbing book this weekend called Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer.
I've heard of the horrors of factory farms for many years now but it has never drastically changed my diet. Why not?
"Just how destructive does a culinary preference have to be before we decide to eat something else? If contributing to the suffering of billions of animals that live miserable lives and (quite often) die in horrific ways isn't motivating, what would be?" --"Eating Animals" (e-location 3301 of 5290)
Honestly, because I've never had to deal with it. I don't have to see the gruesome ways that animals are raised and killed for my dinner plate.
"Having little exposure to animals makes it much easier to push aside questions about how our actions might influence their treatment." --"Eating Animals" (e-location 1375 of 5290)
...Which is so selfish it just makes me sick. I avoid watching the videos of the cruelty of factory farming because it's disgusting, and yet for years and years I still paid people to do it! Just so I could have some bacon! And yes, I still love the taste of bacon. But, after thinking about it, I'm not sure that flavor is worth the cost to the planet, the cost to the workers, and the cost to the animals.
I fear that I have become one of those people who might stand back and do nothing while the world falls apart around me. I care strongly about the environment and try to do "my part" by reusing what I can, recycling what I can't, & composting most of the rest. So why wouldn't I change my diet when the majority of meat that I can find in this country (at most restaurants and most grocery stores) is procured through means that are devastating to the environment?
"Animal agriculture makes a 40% greater contribution to global warming than all transportation in the world combined; it is the number one cause of climate change." --"Eating Animals" (e-location 555 of 5290)
So, I've finally decided to make a change and not eat meat. I'm on day one, and while I don't think it is the easy choice, I do, wholeheartedly, believe it is the right one.
"Our decisions about food are complicated by the fact that we don't eat alone....we are not merely animals that eat, but eating animals." --"Eating Animals" (e-location 2606 of 5290).
I've heard of the horrors of factory farms for many years now but it has never drastically changed my diet. Why not?
"Just how destructive does a culinary preference have to be before we decide to eat something else? If contributing to the suffering of billions of animals that live miserable lives and (quite often) die in horrific ways isn't motivating, what would be?" --"Eating Animals" (e-location 3301 of 5290)
Honestly, because I've never had to deal with it. I don't have to see the gruesome ways that animals are raised and killed for my dinner plate.
"Having little exposure to animals makes it much easier to push aside questions about how our actions might influence their treatment." --"Eating Animals" (e-location 1375 of 5290)
...Which is so selfish it just makes me sick. I avoid watching the videos of the cruelty of factory farming because it's disgusting, and yet for years and years I still paid people to do it! Just so I could have some bacon! And yes, I still love the taste of bacon. But, after thinking about it, I'm not sure that flavor is worth the cost to the planet, the cost to the workers, and the cost to the animals.
I fear that I have become one of those people who might stand back and do nothing while the world falls apart around me. I care strongly about the environment and try to do "my part" by reusing what I can, recycling what I can't, & composting most of the rest. So why wouldn't I change my diet when the majority of meat that I can find in this country (at most restaurants and most grocery stores) is procured through means that are devastating to the environment?
"Animal agriculture makes a 40% greater contribution to global warming than all transportation in the world combined; it is the number one cause of climate change." --"Eating Animals" (e-location 555 of 5290)
So, I've finally decided to make a change and not eat meat. I'm on day one, and while I don't think it is the easy choice, I do, wholeheartedly, believe it is the right one.
"Our decisions about food are complicated by the fact that we don't eat alone....we are not merely animals that eat, but eating animals." --"Eating Animals" (e-location 2606 of 5290).
Apr 11, 2011
My Thoughts on Thunderdome.
On Saturday night, I had the pleasure of performing with Holy Cow! in the championship round of Improv Thunderdome, Season 7. Spoiler alert: we didn't win. Fortunately, winning is the part that doesn't really matter. We got paid (which is always awesome) and we put on our best show so far (most important).
I drew "1" which meant we went on first. This is a very scary place to be in a competition for 2 reasons: (1) the fear that the audience might forget you at the end during voting, and (2) the fear that the audience might not be warmed up.
Well, I'm happy to say that the audience was ON FIRE, and it was one of the closest rounds of Thunderdome, ever! The winning team and the other two teams were separated by less than 4 votes. LESS THAN FOUR VOTES in a packed house of over 100 people. Pretty amazing.
Even more amazing was our set. About a month ago, we had to make the call and say our goodbyes to one of our performers. Doing something like that sucks, always. We've spent the last month working on a new-to-us format, listening, characters, and slowing down. Previously, our sets were full of rapid-fire improv scenes that, while funny, were often hard to follow and lacked consistency.
Saturday night our set was incredible. We had great energy, we listened, and we supported each other in a way we hadn't before. We had memorable characters, excellent lines, and great edits.
It was a solid performance and I'm so proud of Mark, Amanda, Christian, Ferris, and myself. Going into Thunderdome, I was just happy that we had made it that far and I wanted us to put on a great show. Coming out on this side, I'm so glad that we put on a Thunderdome-worthy performance. I really feel that we deserved to be there.
The other two troupes had great sets as well, and in the end, Babel Fish took home the belt. It was an amazing night. Thanks to everyone who came out!
I drew "1" which meant we went on first. This is a very scary place to be in a competition for 2 reasons: (1) the fear that the audience might forget you at the end during voting, and (2) the fear that the audience might not be warmed up.
Well, I'm happy to say that the audience was ON FIRE, and it was one of the closest rounds of Thunderdome, ever! The winning team and the other two teams were separated by less than 4 votes. LESS THAN FOUR VOTES in a packed house of over 100 people. Pretty amazing.
Even more amazing was our set. About a month ago, we had to make the call and say our goodbyes to one of our performers. Doing something like that sucks, always. We've spent the last month working on a new-to-us format, listening, characters, and slowing down. Previously, our sets were full of rapid-fire improv scenes that, while funny, were often hard to follow and lacked consistency.
Saturday night our set was incredible. We had great energy, we listened, and we supported each other in a way we hadn't before. We had memorable characters, excellent lines, and great edits.
It was a solid performance and I'm so proud of Mark, Amanda, Christian, Ferris, and myself. Going into Thunderdome, I was just happy that we had made it that far and I wanted us to put on a great show. Coming out on this side, I'm so glad that we put on a Thunderdome-worthy performance. I really feel that we deserved to be there.
The other two troupes had great sets as well, and in the end, Babel Fish took home the belt. It was an amazing night. Thanks to everyone who came out!
Mar 21, 2011
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