A glimpse of the maelstrom to come

Thursday, June 19, 2008 by John Robison.

People may not believe this, but I’m actually not someone that seeks out the spotlight, especially in large groups of people. My ideal environment is a smallish gathering of about 5-15 people. The huge gatherings in Chicago were many times bigger, which put me in my usual “big party” role - that of observer and listener.

I met a lot of people. I hung out in clumps. I listened a lot. Every now and then I’d ask a question. Not everything we talked about was improv, but of course, that was a topic that was discussed a lot, as everyone in the room had the same passion… and there’s nothing like talking to people who are passionate about something, especially when it’s something you’re passionate about as well.

I talked to some folks from Washington, D.C. who perform at the Washington Improv Theater. I had seen them in shows earlier in the day, and was really impressed with both groups that came from WIT. So, I talked a little, and listened a lot, and one conversation has altered the way that I will run the Roving Imp from now on. The folks at WIT have several ensembles, each separate from one another, performing at separate times, yet all call the same place home. This is a really simple concept, and I had of course thought of doing this before… but Washington is much, much bigger than Bonner Springs, so my “let’s get a whole bunch of groups together” idea was on the back burner. There’s a shortage of players, coaches, and time with my family, after all.

I don’t remember exactly what it was in this conversation that sparked my new idea, but I remember exactly when it happened. It was one of those perfect moments of clarity, where you’re mystically at one with the universe, and you can see the whole of existence spread out before you, and the fibers that connect it all. Those moments last only a second at most… but in that second, it became clear. The time had come to branch out.

We’ve been slowly growing toward multiple Roving Imp groups. We’ve begun Trivial Prov-suit. We’ve had the High School Showdown. But now, I was ready to  formalize and expand. I came home from Chicago and started brainstorming. I then coalesced my ideas into concrete goals. I laid out a plan to expand into eight different Roving Imp productions by the time April 2009 rolls around. Huge step, eh? In April 2008, we had two groups - the Imps and the high schoolers. What makes me think I can get six more in one year? Maybe I’m just a megalomaniac. Maybe I’m crazy like a fox. Only time will tell.

The Imps will continue as we have been. They’ll perform twice a month, half short form and half rotating long forms. Trivial Prov-suit will continue. We started in May, and it’s one of our most promising shows. The high school program will continue, and hopefully expand (that’s another topic altogether). We’ve added Movie Prov, which we start this Saturday (perhaps another topic as well). I’m also in the process of casting a new elite longform group called Omega Directive, which will take television episode synopses as suggestions for the show. Ideally, the show will not resemble said television episode at all. I’ve just started talking with another improviser about reviving our two-person longform show, Dictionary Soup. So far, two weeks after Chicago, I have six of my eight groups in the works, and things are not progressing too quickly to handle. I have ideas for two more groups, but we’re going to just sit on those for awhile… we’ll let these other groups have a few shows first.

I’ve recently cast a whole bunch of new talented folks, and they’re all terribly excited about all the opportunities to do some shows. It’s my hope that they will get to perform a lot, and will also be driven to go see the shows of the other ensembles as well. I’ve arranged rehearsal schedules to overlap somewhat, so that when we go over longform technique and good improv tips, the groups are able to share their strengths and weaknesses, performing together. I also am looking forward to creating ensembles that develop critical eyes. As they work together and watch each other, they will eventually be able to give good feedback as they watch from the audience. Performing all this quality improv week after week will cause people to take notice. We’ll attract additional talented improvisers, more students, and more audience. Of course, that’s more long-range. I don’t expect miracles by April 2009… but maybe some of the groundwork will be laid.

There you go. Pie in the sky dreaming. Two months from now, everything might self destruct. But you never know if you don’t try. If we’re going to make Bonner Springs into an oasis of improvisational art, we’re going to have to try a lot of ideas.

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