Daniel Pavatich just returned to us after a month in Chicago, studying improv at the world-famous iO Theatre. Over the coming days we'll be posting some of Dan's reactions and revelations from his time overseas!

"Wear your character like a thin veil. Find out what's inside you and what's true, as compared to working so hard on the fake." - Del Close

"We're joining these people at this point in their lives. They existed before we joined them, and when we leave, their lives will go on." - TJ Jagodowski

How can we apply this?

1. Be yourself

We want to see your personality, sense of humour and identity shine through your work. If we can't see you in your work, why are we watching you? This is freeing because you retain all your own emotional depth, whether you are the villainous pirate, or the king of the salty kingdom. And doesn't that sound fun?            

Daniel Pavatich just returned to us after a month in Chicago, studying improv at the world-famous iO Theatre. Over the coming days we'll be posting some of Dan's reactions and revelations from his time overseas!

Something you'll read a lot in any Chicagoland Improv Book is this quote from Del Close, it goes: 

“If we treat each other as if we are geniuses, poets and artists, we have a better chance of becoming that on stage."

It sounded stupid once. Now it's obvious. Now it's too obvious. It's annoyingly obvious. I need to "yes, and" the reality of the scene, and stuff... but you know that. Of course you do. 

When I was 16 I joined a band full of guys in their mid twenties - they'd already had some success, with play on triple M and triple J and in my eyes, these guys were music gods. Somehow I lucked into the situation. Right place, right time. Right place being my brother's bedroom (he was the lead singer) right time being the day their bass player quit.

My first show was an EP launch to a sold out Espy Gershwin room. Goodness me, was I terrified… As if this is a logical first show for a 16 year old! I exclaim with textually sarcastic intonation - You might as well have called me Gabriella Cilmi.

I had butterflies in my stomach as my brother drove us there, he was doing vocal warm ups and I was trying to keep my dinner inside myself.

I took all my queues from the guys in the band and from that day and for another couple of years those three guys taught me everything I needed to know to tackle the stage on my own for years to come. 

For years now, I've stepped on stages with only a small trace of the nerves I had that first year. Sure,  some shows are very important and I sweat attendance numbers or whether or not the hero of mine I'm opening for is going to like me. 

But most shows - I show up, we all plug in, we count to 4 and we all have the best time ever. I know all the words, I know who I am, I know what comes next, and I always know what to say. I feel at home on stage. No concerns. No thinking. Just strumming, and singing, and laughing.

Until…  I decided to do improv.

If I ever met me from five years ago I’d probably punch past me right in the mouth. Yep right in the face hole. Why? ‘Cause I was a big old jerk. I was loud and inconsiderate and just largely went around being a jerk. But I know that now and I’m (hopefully) less of a jerk because of it.

Yep, one day I went and got me some personal growth. And you know what? It was good! It meant that I could slowly become less jerky and even start to like the kind of person I was becoming. So in five more years I hope that I look at present me and think that he was kind of a jerk too, so the cycle of jerk - growth - jerk - growth can just continue into whatever the future may hold.

In many ways improv is a lot like life; it just runs on a much faster calendar. How do I know this? ‘Cause six months ago I was a big old face-hole-punch-worthy jerk. And here’s how I know… 

We are surrounded by superheroes.

Let me explain: every Harold Night I'm surprised by the people I get to perform with. I see them walk through walls that I would otherwise bump against, and I see them bound effortlessly over obstacles through which I'd stumble.

I want to tell you about the Elevator DJs. 

This is a post in our "Five Questions" series of interviews with Improv Conspiracy members.  During the 2013 Melbourne International Comedy Festival we'll be posting a new interview just about every day. You can find out more about our show "Our Friend Harold" and buy tickets by clicking here!

What was the first improv show you saw that made you think "wow, I'd like to do that!"?

When I was about 15 I went on a family trip to the states and we spent some time in New York. I didn't know my passion for the arts back then so luckily my parents took us to see a whole bunch of shows. One of the best things they did was take us to an improv gig at a small, dingy theater off broadway.  I don't know the name of the troupe or the theater but still to this day I remember how hard I laughed and the joy I felt watching it.

This is a post in our "Five Questions" series of interviews with Improv Conspiracy members.  During the 2013 Melbourne International Comedy Festival we'll be posting a new interview just about every day. You can find out more about our show "Our Friend Harold" and buy tickets by clicking here!

Kathleen Douglas is a small girl with big dreams who recently left The Improv Conspiracy to spend a year overseas. As a parting gift, she transcribed an incredibly self-indulgent interview with Andrew Strano in a Sydney lounge room, in a grand effort to sass Artistic Director Adam Kangas a few more times before fleeing Australia.

Andrew Strano risks being banned from performing with The Improv Conspiracy during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival if he does not answer five questions as dictated by The Improv Conspiracy’s Artistic Director, Adam Kangas.

So, after discovering via Facebook that we are both in Sydney at the same time and Strano needs a couch for the night, I invite him to my brother’s house (who is also named Andrew. Not that that’s a relevant piece of information. I just thought it was interesting. But now that I’ve written it down it’s not. I’d delete it but Kangas is breathing down my neck for these answers to be jotted down so I better get jotting!).  

It’s after midnight, and we settle into our couches in our pyjamas as I conduct this interview or he’ll never improvise again.

This is a post in our "Five Questions" series of interviews with Improv Conspiracy members.  During the 2013 Melbourne International Comedy Festival we'll be posting a new interview just about every day. You can find out more about our show "Our Friend Harold" and buy tickets by clicking here!

What was the first improv show you saw that made you think "wow, I'd like to do that!"?

Friends of mine at high school were in a local chapter of TheatreSports. Got hooked watching but it was about a year before I got up, too nervous. Even then, it took a friend and fellow team mate to drag me onstage from the bench to actually perform. Of course, after that you couldn't keep me off stage. My entire week was geared towards that 10min shared spot doing short form games. 

This is a post in our "Five Questions" series of interviews with Improv Conspiracy members.  During the 2013 Melbourne International Comedy Festival we'll be posting a new interview on every day that we have a show. You can find out more about our show "Our Friend Harold" and buy tickets by clicking here!

What was the first improv show you saw that made you think "wow, I'd like to do that!"?

The first improv show I ever saw was when I went on exchange to New York and the university had one hell of a bad ass improv team. It was their humor, finesse and generally good vibes that inspired me to hang out with them and try to learn how to do what they did.

This is a post in our "Five Questions" series of interviews with Improv Conspiracy members.  During the 2013 Melbourne International Comedy Festival we'll be posting a new interview on every day that we have a show. You can find out more about our show "Our Friend Harold" and buy tickets by clicking here!

What was the first improv show you saw that made you think "wow, I'd like to do that!"?

There was never a particular show that made me want to improvise. I had seen parts of Thank God You’re Here but my exposure was rather limited. I stumbled upon improv through an elective at university and loved it. It was from there I went to see performances from The Big HOO-HAA and The Improv Conspiracy and they really blew me away.