these are not my walls

It appears I may have been a bit premature with my praise of the discerning abilities of the Impromaniacs yesterday.

Not that they don't all seem quite nice, and at least some of them quite good improvisers (I don't mean to imply that the rest aren't, just that I haven't really seen them...)

But "discernment" would suggest that they discerned some difference between Alex & I and the other auditioners, which I learned today was not the case - aside from the two auditioners I've already mentioned, all of the other auditioners were invited to join the troupe.

Yes, there's a very immature part of me that feels disgruntled at this information, that had felt rewarded by somehow being recognised as better than other auditioners. I am clearly not a very nice person.

But I also have what I think are some very legitimate concerns. Being used to improvising with a small group of good friends in Without Annette, I don't know how easy it will be to adjust to a much larger group - apparently, with the new members, there will be 35 impromaniacs, at least on paper.

While the workshops for the troupe will apparently be less structured, there will still necessarily be a limit on the amount of improvising we can do, just because of the sheer number of people who want to be in each scene.

And if the troupe gets a venue for performances, we won't be able to perform until the People in Charge of Making That Decision (tm) decide we're ready, and even then I can't imagine that everyone who wants to will be allowed to perform at each show.

And, finally, there remains the fact that I have reservations about improvising with people who are still at a fairly early stage in their improv development. I know this sounds both condescending and elitist, and maybe it is - but if I wanted to just improvise with people who are trying it out for fun, I would have started a club at UVic. Part of applying for a professional troupe was that I was hoping to work with people who were already strong and confident improvisers, who challenged me and helped me grow and develop my own skills.

There is fun to be had working with people who are trying improv for the first time, helping them to feel confident and find their voice on stage. I've done this, and enjoyed it. But it wasn't what I was hoping for here.

Alex and I are still going to go to the workshop, though, and see how it goes. Obviously if we try it and it doesn't work, we can always drop out. I have to say, though, that I would be severely disappointed.

So, Bryan, I guess the answer to your question is - we'll have to see.