Push Comedy Theater

Teaching Again with Tears in My Eyes…

Stoically I went back to work yesterday. I taught what I love so much again to fresh eyes in improvisation 101. It was the first time I’ve truly gotten back to work in a month plus. We had a sold out class in 101 with a lot of talent and wonderfully excited people in class.

It was nice to talk comedy, and watch these newbies discover the power of “yes and.” This is a class that I have taught to over 20,000
People in my career to the point and I love it. I love teaching the fundamentals of improvisation that I learned at UCB in New York many moons ago.

Throughout the years I have many lesson plans that can sometimes be similar and I use similes or examples to help facilitate the students to understand. In essence I am saying I have my go to quotes that many people that have TAed with me say they even use when they teach.

One of them is about failure. I believe failure is crucial to anything you strive to be better in. For example: You must lose in basketball to get better. You must lose a gig in business to strive harder. You must miss in comedy or bomb to suceed. The sting of bombing is important to the performer.

It’s truly what makes us better in life. How can we feel the highs of laughter without the lows of failure. Failure makes us stronger and it’s the core of getting better. During this lesson I forgot that I always add humor to the end of it. I have a go to phrase if you will.

Instinctively I said it last night for the first time in 39 days. It was right before break. After giving my thoughts of hitting and missing and succeeding and failing. I said, “y’all I’m a big fan of failing and I’ve done it a lot in life. If you don’t believe me. Just ask my mother.”

I’ve said this quote a zillion times in my life, but this was the first time I said it since she died. The second I said it, I stopped and said to the class, “I am so sorry. That is the first time I’ve said that where you can’t ask my mother about my failures.” I took the beat and finished the lesson. Then we took a break for them to meet one another.

I quietly went out back and to the side of commune in the NEON DISTRICT by Olney and cried my eyes out. I made sure no one say me, but I cried my eyes out thinking about how much I talk about my mother when I teach comedy. She was such a huge influence in my comedy career and now I don’t have that connection the same anymore.

It made me think of all the other classes and teachings that I have coming up in my curriculum where I use my mother in the present tense. Which isn’t the case anymore. I’m crying as I write this honestly.

I will still use her in character class because she was the funniest character I’ve ever known, but it won’t be in the present tense. It’s wrecking me even thinking about this. I guess that’s just life. As Hemingway once said, “the one thing I’ve learned about life, it goes on.” I suppose he’s right.

I composed myself at the break and finished the class and it was beautiful. I told Nate Baaki and my ta Andrew Matas after class and they heard it too. Andy helped me because he had lost his father a while back he understood the pain.

I said goodbye to them and went back to writing a project that is due today (will announce later if we get the contract) and tried to write. Instead I cried for a half an hour. I’m sorry to be so sad yall, I really am.

I’m trying and will one day find myself again. I guess this is just what’s gonna happen for awhile. Thanks for listening to this whiny fool.

Tickets available for The Unusual Suspects show this weekend. I will be the detective. Wish us luck on this project today. I’ve been working hard on it and it’s gonna be very funny.

Seriously thank yall for not judging me for all this sadness. And if you are, I don’t care. Also here is a picture of Ducks in my apartment pool. You’re welcome… Good talk

Come out to Push Comedy Theater this weekend!!!

Friday, June 5th:
~ 8 p.m. ~ GirlProv
~ 10 p.m. ~ Foul Play with The Whistleblowers

Saturday, June 6th:
~ 8 p.m. ~ Date Night at the Push Comedy Theater - Starring Courtney Richard and Bradford McMurran
~ 10 p.m. ~ The Comedy Sketchbook

For more information and tickets visit PushComedyTheater.com !!!

Sean Devereux Bradford McMurran Matt Cole

The stage is set, and the cast is ready for Panties in a Twist! You can still get tickets to both shows!

PANTIES IN A TWIST IS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW

📅 Tonight at 7:30, Tomorrow at 2 PM
📍 Historic Wells Theater
🎟️ Tickets: https://shorturl.at/08ZfP

Panties in a Twist is presented by Dr. Wendy Schofer, MD at Family in Focus

Thank you to our sponsors:
The Collective Tattoo & Body Piercing
FLOW Massage & Bodywork
Yorgo's Bageldashery
The Muse Writers Center