Sunday blog post

 This week I was able to take my son to the indoor park on Saturday. I also went to the library, where I spent about two hours reading my comedy work. Tomorrow, the library has an audio production, and since there are no cubicles available, I will go in and use the space to study. I also want to plan how to catch up with some old friends this week.

In Improv, some of our scenes were based on “meet cute” moments from When Harry Met Sally. We were at Paradox and talked about how we got to know each other from the start. Later, we were given a national product to sell. For example, I was given a product called an emotional regulation jacket that acts like a hug. (This is somewhat of a real project in production right now, designed to help people who are vision-impaired understand when someone is nearby.) These were very enjoyable scenes.

Later, we were split into groups and given an occupation and a quirk. I gave someone the occupation of taxidermist and someone else the occupation of ventriloquist. It was interesting to see how these two characters interacted. At one point, the ventriloquist visited the taxidermist to help with a deceased puppet. They were initially scared( because that was the quirk they were )given because they didn’t realize it was a puppet, and the taxidermist didn’t want to perform on people

Overall an enjoyable week..

Sunday Blog Post

 This week has been all over the place. My former company was acquired by a new one because of financial issues. We’re all trying to make head of the new company. The aftermath included orientation sessions, online trainings, and the final class improv show.

Wednesday night was the improv final at Northeast Middle School. We did a short-form game where my partner and I ran a scene, then repeated it in a different genre. A candle turned into a sci-fi scene where I became a robot. 

I threw myself on the floor to exaggerate a scene of quiet quitting, and there was a roar of laughter. At the end, my partner “unscrewed” my hardware so I wouldn’t repeat myself, and I declared that I was human again.

Saturday I went to a gathering for my friend’s mom, whose husband had died recently. It was part of the Hmong community to show up. About a hundred people came over the course of the day. There was food laid out. We ate, talked, and commiserated. My son played on the playground at the church where it was held. The elders packed me up three bag fulls of shrimp, chicken and watermelon, so I was as gen Z states: "stacked.":)

Afterward, I took my son and his friend to an indoor park (highly necessary as its still in the 40's in Minnesota). While they played, I jumped into a Zoom improv event.

In addition, there was a death in my building recently. It’s been sitting quietly in the background. Not loud, not overwhelming, just there.

The Hmong gathering was the highlight of my week. It really helped to be around supportive friends in the heat of a job transition. I felt a little lighter.

Sunday Blog post

 

Our improv troupe, Waxy Comedy, had a fantastic outing for our last Improv show at Bryant Lake Bowl: The Residency on Friday. It was especially exciting because my small group of fellow improvisers, whom I invited, got to experience the show alongside us. We performed alongside the amazing group DrBrothaMISTA.

After the show, my son and and I had some relaxing downtime with Super Mario Brothers, which was the perfect way to unwind and celebrate a week full of creative energy.

Saturday brought even more fun with a trip to Eagan Good Times Trampoline Park, which was a hit for my son. Bouncing around, laughing, and enjoying the bright spring-like weather was a fantastic way to close out the week.

Meanwhile, my son’s YouTube channel has been blowing up! His gameplay of 99Nights in a Forest on Roblox has picked up thousands of views, and I even posted a few clips of our troop’s performance from the week on YouTube. You can check out his channel here: https://youtu.be/ytuFaxsEzd8?si=ujnWotqw9R3KSRJR. Seeing our improv and creative projects reach wider audiences has been such a rewarding way to wrap up the week.

All in all, it was a week full of laughter, creativity, and family fun.

Review:Loyce Houlton’s Nutcracker Fantasy, State Theatre, Minneapolis

Re-post from 2021

 

December is perfect for watching a holiday show like The Nutcracker Fantasy. Minnesota Dance Theatre (MDT) is showing it until December 19th at the State Theatre in Minneapolis.