Archive - Oct 19, 2008

Date

This is kind of a follow up to my post yesterdaySort of.  What popped into my head after I wrote that blog post was this.  If you blog for long enough, one of the things blogging may reveal about a person is how much of a social butterfly they are (or are not).  I tend to be less of a social kind of guy and, as I am sure many who know me can attest, it is like pulling teeth to get me to go out.  But I also have an incredibly social streak in me.  The streak just requires the right triggers to set it off.  What are those streaks?  It normally involves a stage, lights, and a few other cool people who are as insane as I am.  What gets me "hot and bothered" is improv comedy.

Let me first go into a list of my improv comedy credentials:

  • 1990 - Discovered improvisational comedy.
  • 1991-1996 - Join Impromaniacs and perform a few months later.
  • 1996-2000 - Join and perform with ACT! Improv in Victoria.
  • 2002 - Attempt to get Ian Loves Bob off the ground.  Dies a quick death.

You see, there is a great difference between my life in Victoria and my life in Vancouver.  In Victoria, I was doing a regular improv show at least once a week.  It got my blood revving and was a central part of my life.  I did this for just over ten years and, from time to time, I was doing about four shows a week.  Then, I moved to Vancouver and my improvsational life died.  I tried out for a few groups but I kept running into the "doing improv to improve my acting skills" crowd.  And I loathe the "doing anything and not have any fun while doing it" kind of people.  They just turn me off in a huge way and it just sucks my energy away and I end up leaving early or just never returning to the organized groups.  Hell, I even helped out starting a group but it never went anywhere.  Too many things were going on in each of the people's lives and the energy wasn't there to make a go of it.

I then find myself here - locked in a cycle.  Every year or so, I bitch, whine, and moan about how I don't do improv any more.  I have been struggling the last couple of years with a lack of performing.  The people are great but the chemistry never seems to "ping" with the right, uh, "pingingness".

This is my annual bitching about a lack of venue for me to act like a goof.  If you have any leads, let me know.

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about me

Shane Birley is a blogger, huge geeky nerd, web developer, poet, and creative writer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is a partner at Left Right Minds, a web development, arts management, business blogging and on line marketing company.

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Just in case you didn't know, I co-wrote Blogging For Dummies! Before you send me any congratulations, questions, flowers, or blow me any number of kisses  - why don't you go buy ten copies and make me rich and famous.  

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podcasting

What else do I do? I talk out loud, record it, and post it on line. I chatter about all kinds of things. Some of the things are nerdy, some professional, and some of them are very much NSFW. Why? Because do them for myself and my non-work life. You can be the judge.