Ever had one of those days when nothing seems to go right? We all have. And I’m sure anyone who’s been improvising for a while has had the experience on stage.

Oh, silly improviser, remember: Everything that happens on stage is supposed to happen. If you had a “better” idea you can go home and write a sketch about it later. Now is now, and whatever happens in the set is absolutely right. It is only when you begin seeing your own actions and the actions of your scene partner as perfection that you become truly open to all the possibilities contained therein.

So, I have to tell you a story. This story involves me doing a play and a moment of improv that occurred in the play that I am very proud of. I am bragging a bit, but hey — I think it’s a good story, and it illustrates the point.

I was doing a play called A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare — maybe you have heard of him. I was playing Flute, a character who performs a play called Pyramus and Thisbe with other laborers for the Duke and his guests. You with me? We are talking a play within a play, kinda like Inception. Good? Good. Let’s get down to business.

On the night in question, the night a little bit of theater magic happened; something did not go as planned. The actor playing Pyramus had a Styrofoam sword that he kills himself with. After he kills himself I am supposed to do the same. The Styrofoam sword that I am supposed to kill myself with was broken accidentally by the other actor. Ahhhhhhh.

There were 600 people in attendance at the show that night. When I took the stage to kill myself with the sword everyone was wondering what was going to happen. How is she going to kill herself with a broken sword? Everyone was worried about it, everyone except me.
Continue reading EVERYTHING IS A GIFT with Kristen Schier