What a weekend. What a day.
This is easily the best Harold Night shakeup I’ve seen in my 3 year involvement with Harold night (as an audience member). I could throw up, I’m so happy. Also, I haven’t had any food. Any anger and anxiety I felt this weekend has melted completely away into pure joy, moreso than I thought.
I seriously, am so happy for all of my friends. Wow, it’s crazy that improv has also taught me how to experience joy through the joy of others. Knowing how hard every single one of these people has worked and seeing them rewarded, it feels as good as being rewarded. I mean, I know myself getting on a Harold team would trump this, but right now I don’t have that experience to compare it to. Right now, seeing my dear talented friends getting this makes me infinitely happy.
But I have to talk about my f’ing teammates, who I am so incredibly proud of.
Dan Black - This is the guy that we all had to talk off a ledge last year after auditions. He was convinced he sucked and wanted to quit improv. Then 2009 happened and Dan Black became a complete superstar. I’ve known this jerk since practice groups in 2007, when we were all little kids. Considering everyone else in the improv community is a huge bespectacled nerd, Dan’s energy was so different and jarring. But now that I see he wears the same Star Wars shirt on stage all the time, I know he’s as big a nerd as me (okay, not as big, but he rates on the nerd scale). This guy is the biggest, boldest decision maker I have seen play. He’s a powerhouse, an entire action movie trilogy in one body. In 2009 Dan Black was in the Macroscene, and in 2009 Dan Black nailed it every week. Unflinching, fearless, he’s probably “fuck your fear” embodied in a person. And he’s exactly what the UCB stage needs.
Paul Welsh - You guys, we all know this should have happened two years ago. Paul Welsh makes genius seem so easy. Every scene he is in, Paul makes work through honest emotional responses, laser accurate specifics and head turning revelation. He could easily steam roll the stage with his potentially overwhelming charisma, but Paul is too much of a class act for that. He knows when to strike, when to let a scene play out, when to do everything. He’s patience. Well, he’s wacky patience. He made what I consider to be the tag out ever, during Daddy’s sleepover show. Zhubin said he lost his desk in the way, which Daddy being the unrelenting onslaught of support it is IMMEDIATELY leapt into tagouts of, which lead to the battle, the medal being brought home…and then Paul tagging out, stepping out, and running his fingers across the air. Those fingers, of course, were running across the desk’s engraved name on the Vietnam memorial. Of. Course. Brilliance.
Frank Hejl - Frank is so utterly committed to comedy in every way, it’s awe-inspiring. He has made it his life and I’ve seen him succeed…and I’ve seen him fail. Not fail, just not get things that he’s qualified for and deserves. And this is just amazing, for him and for UCB. I’m so completely overjoyed that UCB is rewarding unwavering dedication to the art of comedy with this, and they will not be disappointed. Frank joined Iron Ruckus after we had been together a while and when he wasn’t as confident in himself as an improviser. He has said he was nervous with us, which makes sense as our first show with Frank was our first Cage Match. Which killed. And thanks to Frank for that. He should be over confident because he’s killer. His dedication to the craft is staggering, and he brings it to the stage. Honest reactions and big bold moves, while conveying that improv is FUN. Frank has FUN on stage. Nothing makes me laugh more than seeing Frank get silly and have fun on stage, because it’s infectious. He’s the real deal, folks, and I’m so happy to have seen him come this far.
Matt Mayer - And last, and not least…Matt Mayer. Geez, Matt Mayer. I will not lie, I teared up when I found out. We had 101 together, guys, ONE-OH-ONE. October 2006, Sunday afternoon, Ari Voukydis’ class. I had been in New York for TWO MONTHS and I met this guy, and Jess Wyant and Katey HW. Three of my best friends in the city, three of my first friends in the city. And to have one on a Harold Team, I’m so incredibly honored to say I knew him when. I knew him when I did a walk on in one of his scenes in our 101 class show, insisting he make me a sandwich when he was obviously pumping gas. We also had 301 together, 401 together, the Doc 600 together, and then we had a SPO 501 together. And Daddy was formed. Matt Mayer is Daddy’s leader, I would say. He’s the first to dive into scenes heart first. He’s the first to make our wackiness make sense, and he’s the first to initiate wackiness. I am amazed by his versatility every time I play with him, and I’m amazed at his fountain of knowledge. The guy is a machine, constantly evaluating everything on stage and figuring out how to make it AWESOME. He’s great. I remember being in 401 and listening to him talk about the stuff Delaney was teaching and his own theories on improv, and I remember thinking that Matt Mayer has it more figured out than I ever will AND that I would probably pay good money to take a Mayer 101. He also throws THE BEST PARTIES EVER.
There are so many other friends that got on teams, and I’m definitely NOT leaving you guys out. I just have to whittle it down somehow, because other wise my blog would just become me talking about how much I LOVE MY FRIENDS. But all of you, you deserve it and there was not a wrong call in the bunch.
I’m so proud to have you guys up there, representing indie improv on the big stage. You cut your teeth at Parkside, USM, the Creek and various horrible record stores/living rooms/big comedy clubs across NYC…and now you got the big stage.
UCB students who don’t know what you’re in for, get ready.
I love you guys.
