Starting My Acting Career Through Improv Scenes

I think I decided to pursue this dive a few years ago when I more deeply considered how well-acted roles help shape so much of what we experience in life - for the better. I officially decided to pursue this dive in earnest after reconnecting with an old friend by the name of Monroe. Our conversation sparked something in me and I was like, yeah, what am I waiting for? Let's go!

It was within a couple weeks after Monroe and I reconnected that I was able to accomplish this dive. It took me that long because I first had to find an nearby improvisational acting workshop to attend, which I did. Once I RSVP'd it was only a matter of waiting until the date rolled around to attend my first improv class.

Surprisingly, I quickly I was able to do something I had imagined I would love doing – acting. This improv acting workshop was incredible. And we got started right away with the acting, from the jump. Just getting there was the hardest part. Took me years to build up the courage.

Letting the workshop leader lead and following right along one step at a time. The help was tremendous.

Begin before you are ready and do not wait for the perfect time to arrive to begin doing something you are passionate about experiencing in life.

The site and community that is "Break Diving"!

I was feeling a little down because I wasn't really pursuing one of my goals enough. And then I looked in the direction of an old friend.  When I did, I saw how he was going for a goal of his own with YouTube.  This reminded me of his Break Diving community and my experience with it. 

A positive friend, I wanted more of what I had experienced with him.  And so I just began watching more of Monroe's YouTube videos and he really inspired me to go for a goal of mine.  This dive. 

Life can just go on and it is easy to fall out of touch with friends.  And this was the case with Monroe and I, both busy living our lives and doing our own separate things.  Hey look, he has a lot of friends.  And as one of those friends I have really enjoyed his camaraderie over the years.  He has really inspired me.  And I have tried to return the favor with accounts and ideas from my own life.  We are both lawyers.  And we have other things in common.  For example, acting.  I just like him as a person and think he is a great performer, in just about anything he decides to do.  I know he struggles like the rest of us.  It just seems like he has figured out a way to shorten the periods of indecision in his life.  And so he gets more done.  I want more of Monroe and what he is involved with in my life.

So after we spoke one afternoon, he had an idea.  Why don't you jump back in and do another break dive and get busy living with me and the other break divers again?  I didn't have to think about it much.  Monroe is that inspirational to me and I trust him.  So I was like, yeah, why not?  I really like his Break Diving community, the idea behind, and the back story in his life that inspired him to create it in the first place as an outgrowth of his doctoral studies. 

I have been a member of the community for a while but not enjoyed it as much as I could have.  I had a blast with my first dive.  The way he organizes the group and the community space online really fosters high camaraderie and action toward inspired goals.  I like how he recently updated the mantra/motto of Break Diving to make it even more group centric.  It really used to cater to mostly the individual in us.  This mentoring-often aspect of the Break Diving community I really like, the rest of the updated motto.

So I thought more about what I am wanting to accomplish with this current dive of mine and considered what the next few steps toward that goal would be.  The first step was to get some instruction from someone else who has already done what I am wanting to do.  That's when I went looking for options.  At that time I remembered the Meetup app.  The impression it made on me was that it really worked!  And not surprisingly, when I went on it looking for acting classes, I found one!  A local improv group giving workshops in downtown Montreal.  All I had to do was sign up and attend.  I had downloaded the Meetup app a while ago, and rediscovered it a few months ago.  So it was this prompting to us it that made me actually use it correctly.  I am so glad I did.  The name of the workshop is EMPOWERMENT THROUGH IMPROV - "How to Stay in the Moment".  It was held at the M Bar in Montreal, Quebec on July 3rd, 2024.

When I got there I was so excited.  After spending more to park my car than I did for the event, I walked into the M Bar, where I was greeted and directed to go downstairs where the improv group was meeting for the class.  There were a few others there already for the class.  One couple, a guy, a gal and then me.  So five of us, six including the instructor who soon joined us. It was a fun environment with a small stage, nearby bar, sofas and music. Perfect for an improv workshop. The instructor jumped right in, introduced the workshop's focus - generally, being present in the moment - and away we went! One set after the next, two of us at a time, four altogether for each of us. I did a set with all 4 of the other participants. It was so fun. Acting with others! I like that we were treated like experienced actors who were ready to go and did not need to have our hands held. We began with a warm-up exercise (Zip-Zap-Zop) to make sure that we all had our minds in the game and weren't thinking about other things. And then the instructor (Ian Andre) explained how we would proceed to do one set after the next, two of us at a time.

The first set I did was as a friend of one of the other fellas. We imagined we were at a coffee shop talking about our kids.We joked about how our kids were drinking alcohol, as only two irresponsible dads would. I thought it was pretty funny, the others laughed. The second was me at an airport with the girl. We imagined we were a couple at an airport with our kids. Our kids were in the bathroom as we waited to board the flight. It was getting a little too close to the time to board the plane and my wife was getting nervous, so I reassured her. The instructor said we had good rapport and it seemed real. The third was as a business owner with the other guy. We imagined we ran a club together. I imagine setting up the back of the theatre so the standing room only crowd would have a place as I discussed this with the other owner. I had fun acting the set with him. A nice guy, he let me take the lead in the convo. It taught me to be aware of that and to maybe let the other initiate as much. I will next time. The fourth was as a dance instructor of the other girl. We imagined that I was giving her a dance lesson. I said it was the cha cha, but I did not know what I was doing and so it was a little awkward because the other actor kind of bristled at my instruction. Taught me to be ready to laugh and roll with it. No need to be just dramatic. They don't call it improvisational comedy for nothing. I got some other great instruction and feedback. Using my energy judiciously and doing ordinary things that would come naturally in the different sets. I really felt like I had a great Acting 101 intro experience. And I am already RSVP'd to attend more.

The second improv workshop I attended gave me more experience with improv. The name of the workshop was EMPOWERMENT THROUGH IMPROV - "How to Challenge Others". It was held at the M Bar in Montreal, Quebec on July 17th, 2024.This time I did two different sets/skits. This group of attendees was a little raunchy/adult-themed with their humor and a little over the top, so I went with the flow and had a really fun time. The theme of this class had to do with how to riff when adding intentional conflict into an improv moment with another. One of the lessons being that when you're in character keep pressing that button and be who you are suppose to be as the creating the conflict. In one of the sketches I was on a cruise ship and acted out a scene in that environment. In the other sketch I acted out a scene in a court room. Both were interesting. It took some work to learn to play off of the other improv student, but they were easy to work with and I think it went pretty well. The other attendees and the instructor seemed to like them.

The third improv workshop I attended gave me a third fun experience with improv. The name of the workshop was EMPOWERMENT THROUGH IMPROV - "How to Take Risks". It was held at the M Bar in Montreal, Quebec on July 24th, 2024. This workshop was highly attended and so it was more difficult to get on stage, but I was able to get on for one set/skit/sketch. The theme of this class had to take risks with improv. We were directed to begin each line with either I, you or us. In my sketch another attendee and I were directed to assume an emotional state and act out the purchase of a large estate in Hollywood. My part was to improv the buyer, a timid one at that. My realtor was a take charge type and so we went with it and got a laugh or two from the other attendees and director. I took the risk of being as timid as I could be, something I don't have a lot of practice with, and so it was a risky assignment. I took it to another level risk wise by being hilariously timid.

So that's three (3) improvisational comedy acting classes/workshops that I attended. The instructor is an experienced improv actor himself, having been at it for about 10 years in the Montreal area. And he and I had a nice talk about the improv scene in Montreal and the opportunities available to someone like myself who is new to acting and improv and committed to growing slowly and steadily. Time wise my dive now reflects about 6-7 hours of instruction time, including time to drive to and from the meeting place. Financially I have invested $75+ in this dive so far. Each class was $10 and I paid $15 for parking each time. So I am putting my time and money where my mouth is, so to speak. In summary, I have now acted out seven (7) scenes while attending three (3 )improvisational comedy training courses. Seeking certification of my dive for level one at this time.

Yes. My first audition is nearing, to be scheduled. In the meanwhile, I am going to continue to attend more improv workshops in August, at least two this month. I will be in Ohio in September and will be looking for opportunities to keep moving forward there as well next level wise for this dive. Why? Because I am really enjoying the experience of learning how to act this way and am committed to progressing one step at a time. While there is so much to be learned and experienced, I am enjoying actually doing the acting and so time is effortlessly passing by from one training moment to the next. I can't wait to go on my first audition, to eventually have an agent, and get better at finding interesting paid work as an actor. 

The break diver's creed? No Rules. No Excuses. No Regrets. I also love our new community motto! Dream Big. Mentor Often. Achieve Together.