I had a wonderful improv week. Two well-crafted, well-received shows, including a Cagematch win and a new Geegster format. I also learned via Shana's character in the show (who was a Henry Fool-style novelist) that intellectuals have more rights than common people (whew!). Tonight at rehearsal I realized that my improv life and my noveling life are melding together in a really weird way.
My character last night was a sweet, humble Boston Irish Catholic guy who sells chowdah from a caht on Boylston. I think I dropped my Baaston accent for a Brooklyn one a few times (I was mindful of dropping my Rs but a few snuck in anyway) but he was vulnerable and likable and he got the girl in the end (awww...). Today in rehearsal I played a similarly mild-mannered, nerdly older man with a bowtie.
Only I would know this, because no one has gotten to read the shittacular first draft of the hottest novel of 2011, Angel in the Snow, but all weekend I've been playing my male protagonist, Philip. He's a sweet, thin, nerdy, wistful guy who just happens to be in love with (post-traumatically, but love is love) with his dead daughter's 18-year-old school chum. And they are married now (I'm on page 137, which is almost the halfway mark) But everywhere I go, Philip seems to be with me these days.
I have to figure out at least one or two more things to happen to Carol and Philip before Vera shows up. I also realized that the fact that I've made my Texan character unlikeable but my New Englanders sympathetic may be cause for much scrutiny by future critics.
Posted by Zerd at April 13, 2008 10:01 PM