Since coaching USS Rock N Roll, Lloyd Ahlquist has seen his career explode.  Lloyd or Epic Lloyd as his friends know him, is part of the infamous YouTube rap duo that make “Epic Rap Battles of History.”  Lloyd has never gone on record to say this, but he has told me personally that he owes everything to USS Rock N Roll for making him the success that he is today and wants to start paying us 50% of all his proceeds from YouTube.  Pretty generous if you ask me!  Here is my favorite Epic Rap Battle thus far.  I hope you enjoy!

This great interview with Richard Lewis takes an indepth look at his relationship with childhood amigo and improv mate Larry David.  Grab some coffee, a biscuit and enjoy!  (article by Ali Lerman at OC Weekly, http://blogs.ocweekly.com/heardmentality/2012/07/richard_lewis_the_neurotic_man.php)

Richard Lewis is a very touchy-feely kinda guy.

Richard Lewis shouldn’t be interviewed, he should be listened to. With a career that has spanned decades, his stories and experiences read like a novel. It would seem like this self-deprecating comic has no reason to be blue when it comes to his career and yet, he’s been hugely successful by doing just that.These days, most people probably recognize Lewis as an actor who plays himself on HBO’s, “Curb Your Enthusiasm.“ We got Lewis on the phone recently before his stop at the Irvine Improv this weekend to talk about hanging with comic royalty, occasionally playing himself on TV and his childhood rivalry with Larry David.

OC Weekly (Ali Lerman): Jewish parents pretty much know what they want you to be when you grow up. My grandma still wants me to become a pharmacist. I am guessing you dealt with that?

Richard Lewis: I would have loved for you to be a pharmacist twenty-five years ago! I’d still be in the drugstore now! [Laughs.] I popped out a Jew, I could have popped out anything so once I studied the history of the Jews, it impacted me in many ways. I’m really proud of our heritage and I understand why the parents wanted us to make it the best life we could. It should be important for every religion and race for that matter. Making people laugh is important as a humorist. It’s as important to me as being a doctor. You know, I’m a recovering alcoholic and drug addict for over 18 years now and I didn’t have the greatest upbringing. Comedy was always my escape and I was hell-bent of making a career out of it. Then it became an escape from reality for me.

You hang with the best of the best which must mean that you are one of the best. Have you come to grips in seeing that?

Well I had dinner the other night with one of the most famous comedians that ever lived who’ll be 90-years-old soon, Sid Caesar. I used to watch him at home when I was a little boy. He was like the Marlon Brando of variety comedy. Jeffrey Ross, Carl Reiner, and Mel Brooks were there too. I said to Jeffery, there are four generations of comedians here and I really appreciate the fact that you can come over just to sit around. It’s just basically saying that Sid was the king. It was real important for me to see Jeffery Ross there. I’m glad that he understands how important [Caesar] is. The journey that I’ve been on means more to me now than it did when I was starting. Who would ever think? I saw myself sitting there with this linage and I’ve accepted it. It also shows how fucking old I am. 

I love seeing you on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Is the relationship that you have with Larry David on the show pretty similar in real life?

Larry came to my house in 2000 and said, “Would you mind playing yourself?” I mean, no one knew the show would be so great. People love it, and I love Larry. I didn’t always love him though. We went to the same sports camp when we were twelve and we were archrivals. I despised the guy and he hated me. I thought the last person I’d ever want to see again after that summer was him. He just got me so annoyed. It was like “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” but at twelve. Although now I don’t find him annoying, I find him as a real ethical guy. At any rate, I never saw him again until I was doing comedy for a year and he became a fan of my work. Then he became a stand-up and he was brilliant. We became inseparable best friends, we were about 25. I didn’t have a better friend at that point in my life other than him. It was great, he was just the greatest friend you could ever have. I thought I was a pretty great friend too. The deal is, we then traced our childhoods and then it hit me like a ton of bricks! I was like, “Ohhhh you’re Larry David from that camp!” The odds that we would become best friends was so unique and so crazy, it bonded us forever. You can see that on “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. Ninety-nine percent is me fighting with him because we do it in real life anyways. I mean, we love each other but I annoy him and he annoys me. Whether the show comes back or not, I don’t know. My feeling is that if he has the ideas, and he has a bottomless pit of brilliance, it will come back because it’s so much fun to do the show. I got a whole new audience because of Curb.

I think we are all hoping it’ll come back! So do you think your show in Irvine will appeal to both young and old crowds?

I’m excited to play the Irvine Improv. It’s not so much the venue but the people who are going to shower hours before, show up, and put money down to be entertained. The audience is the single most important thing. I really appreciated what you said about Irvine being glad to see me and blah blah…Irvine is as important to me as anywhere. It’s all about the people in the seats and I hope they come. There are a lot of people who don’t get me but for those who do and who are fans of mine, they’ll really get it. I yammer a lot as you can tell. I don’t really have an act, I am the act. I’ll be as funny as I can be.

Follow Richard Lewis on Twitter @TheRichardLewis and check out future tour dates or buy his book and DVD’s at www.richardlewisonline.com. Get tickets to see Richard in Irvine this Thursday through Sunday (7/26-7/29) at www.Improv.com or by calling 949-854-5455. The Improv is located at 71 Fortune Drive Irvine, CA 92618.

Follow us on Twitter @OCWeeklyMusic and like us on Facebook at Heard Mentality.

About a year ago, we had a team meeting to discuss what new projects we wanted to try and pursue.  We started talking about a documentary about Improv.   We partnered with a wonderful director and producer and now we enter the stage where we raise funds for the project.  We have started a Kickstarter project page and are shooting for $5,000 to get started.

Here is the pitch video we have created.

We would really appreciate any support you could give us.  Here is the link to the page.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stephaniehubbard/the-improv-movie-a-documentary

Do you love HBO’s “The Wire”?  Yes? Then you’ll loooooove this.

Ever wonder what the first post of this blog was? Me too. Well, here it is. The very first post (there was one before this but it just gave our show times so I didn’t think it was official) of the USS Rock N’ Roll blog from The Plague (Molly Hale) on 4/18/09. It was entitled “USS philosophy” Enjoy!

Picture from The New Yorker

I LOVE news bloopers!  Can’t get enough of them.  So, to increase your enjoyment of Friday here is a news blooper video to enjoy.

Today’s question comes from Vic Kettle from Carlisle, OK.

Vic writes: Tuck, I am auditioning at a local improv theater for the first time.  I really want to get on a good team!  What traits do you think people should have to make a great improve team.

Great question Vic! My advice is to think of your team as a group of superheroes who all have different super powers. If all of your superheroes have the same super powers, then you really don’t get much done. Also, if they all have the same weaknesses then everyone can be taken out with the same thing. So, you have to make sure that everyone can do different things really, really well.

If an average improv team has 10 members, here is what you should look for in each of them, in no particular order

1. The Great Scenework Person – This person is great to be in scenes with. They can create an immediate relationship and have fun playing within the scene that they are in. This person would be the Superman of the team. They are fun to watch and to be in a scene with. They do have a weakness though. When something comes up something that is abstract or arty, they tend to lose their way. You might notice the panicked look on their faces when someone starts something with just a weird sound or a quiet movement. The Superman will not know what to do and they can tend to freeze on the spot or slowly walk off stage.

2. Specific Time Period Person – This person has a wealth of knowledge about a couple of specific time periods. It is great when 18th century France or 1950’s rural Alabama become part of the show. This person knows everything about these time periods and can bring realism and information for both the audience and the rest of the team. Problem is, that is really the only thing they are good at. Everything else is tough for them. This person would be the Aquaman of the team. Great underwater. Can do nothing on land. Nothing!

 3. The Off Stage Voices and Sounds Person – Calling for a crying baby, a thunderstorm, PA system from an Australian airport? This person is who you call on. They create such a real world of sound; people in the audience are looking around to see if there really IS a gas leak. But this person must stay in the shadows, for their super power is both a blessing and a curse. As soon as you see the person making the sound of the dirt bike hitting the flaming car and crashing, the veil has been lifted and no one ever believes them again.

4. The Physically Strong Person – Think Andre the Giant. This person can lift at least two people on the team at a time. They play furniture most of the time, but when needed, they stun the audience. Their curse is that they are only needed once every other year. But when they are needed, they are really needed.

 5. The Woman

6. The Accountant Person – This person is usually one of the weaker players (see above). But they serve a valuable purpose. They book the room for rehearsal, make sure the coach gets payment, keeps track of who is going to be at rehearsal and who is on vacation. They are the ones you call or text that you are going to be late. They never miss a rehearsal, or unfortunately a show. They need help on stage, they flounder, they leave you shaking your head, but then they send out an email letting everyone know that you don’t have enough people for rehearsal so they have taken the liberty of canceling the room, notifying the coach, and giving the team the night off. Then you love them.

 7. The Good, But Not Great Person – These players do a decent job when on stage. They are not going to wow anyone, or become the best improviser ever, but you need people on stage to do a decent job and make sure the show goes well. They will stick around for at least 3 years and always be solid, not spectacular. You need this player, but if you have too many of them, you become that improv team that people always see the poster of, but have never seen one of their shows.

8. The Great, and Knows It Person – This person is a stud. They walk on stage and everything becomes better. Scenes are clear and fun. Games make sense, characters are brilliantly conveyed. But, you get the drama with them. They always flirt with quitting the team, of going on their own. They are super cool, like Batman, a loner, a rock star. Everyone wants to be them, and they have slept with half the team and everyone knows it. They scream during rehearsal, threaten to punch the coach, and can be tiring to be around. But for 22-25 minutes a week, they are a God!

9. The Straight Man Person – They never get a laugh. Ever. But they set everyone else up. Everyone in a scene with them comes off as the best improviser in the world. Their brilliance is often over-looked by everyone other than the people on the team. They never get noticed, but might be the most valuable person on the team. Don’t. Be. That. Person.

10. The Blame Taker Person – Immediately after stepping off of the stage, this person apologizes for the show. They are sorry that they did this thing, and should have done that thing. They will work harder, they should have gotten out of your way, they ruined the show. This person makes you feel better about the show and your own performance in it. Every team needs this person, but sadly, they usually disappear after 6 months, needing to take a break from the team. They send a cryptic apology email, and you never hear from them again.

There you have it Vic.  Hope you get on a team with a few of these people.

Tuck

I was looking back at some old posts and I thought this was a good one from Molly “The Plague” Hale. 

Enjoy

Today I want to talk about coaching young, green improvisers.

Getting a new team is exciting, especially if they are excited. Your young players are a blank canvas. They aren’t jaded. They haven’t nailed down any bad habits yet. They’re probably still way in their heads and willing to try anything.

Coaching a young team can seem like a cake walk, especially if you’re a new coach, because you know more than them. You’re put in a position of teacher/friend/hero/ and example. My advice to the coach of a team of young players is, be emotionally empathetic.

Listen with your whole body to your team. What are they telling you they need? Sometimes you’re going to need to run drills. They’re still young. They need practice on basics. But when are they fading out? Change it up with something fun from left field. Don’t let your players get away with bananas on bananas. You’re the only one who can help them realize when they are making unbelievable choices. But learn to feel when your side coaching is putting them too far in their heads. You don’t want them to second guess their own imagination.

Young players might become emotional during a rehearsal that is particularly hard. I’ve seen it DOZENS OF TIMES. It’s happened to me in a rehearsal too. If you’re a good coach, then you will be challenging your players to push their own boundaries. But pushing our boundaries is hard. Sometimes it means taking a good hard look at ourselves. Showing a young improviser that they are emotionally unavailable in scene work might mean showing them that they are emotionally unavailable in life. We play what we know. So be easy with players who seem raw after or during a practice. Reinforce ALL constructive criticism with positive reinforcement and accolades of good choices. Some players may need more hand holding than others. Be keen to this possibility. Remind your players that improv IS hard work, and that feeling stuck is part of the process.

I know you are a great coach. If you are able to be flexible by teaching strong lessons that take time and build character AND by having an emotional sensitivity to your greener players… your reputation as a coach will only continue to grow and grow. Soon we’ll all be able to pay our health insurance with the salaries we make from helping to build strong, unified teams.

Tomorrow, Saturday July 7^th, Levin O’Connor and Annie Kouris are getting married.

I could not be happier for both of them.  They are my teammates, my friends and my family.

To commemorate this special occasion, I would like to share a few memories of each of them.

I met Levin in Chicago sometime around March or April of 2002.  We were both in Level 2 at iO in Chicago along with Dave Taylor and Molly Hale of USS Rock n Roll.  I don’t remember my first meeting with him or what are first words were to each other, I just remember him always being my friend.  We went through classes together and were placed on different teams upon graduation.  Even though we didn’t perform together we hung out from time to time.  I went to his place to watch the Super Bowl and think he was the first person so say, “Did we just see a nipple?” after the Janet Jackson half-time celebration.  He came to my going away party when I moved to Los Angeles.

I do remember when our friendship was cemented forever.  I had been in Los Angeles for about 8 months and I came back to Chicago to perform in Sketchfest with Molly Hale.  It was one of those Chicago nights when the temperature was well below zero and instead of allowing me to walk to the train, Levin drove me to where I was staying even thought it was out of his way.

In the car he told me he was thinking about moving to Los Angeles and maybe we could do something together, improv, sketch, whatever.  I said that was a great idea.  Dave Taylor was also moving out around the same time and that was the beginning of the 25^th Century Heroes comedy team.

Levin is kind, generous, smart, funny, and just a great person to be around.  He is the type of guy that you can get a beer with and talk about anything and before you know it hours have passed and you are disappointed that you have to go home.

I am proud to call him my friend and no matter where are paths take us in life, I know that will always be so.

I nicknamed Annie “Whisper” almost immediately when I met her.  If you know Annie, you know how funny that is.  If you don’t know Annie it’s because she is LOUD.  Not in a bad way, she just has a voice that operates on a level that can be measured from space.

I first met Annie through Levin when they were on The Jungle at iO West.  I always thought she was funny and the few brief times we hung out she was a one time fun gal.

I really got to know Annie when I joined USS Rock n Roll.  I was excited to perform with her but what I was not expecting was her enthusiasm and love of improv and everything that has to do with it.  She opened my eyes to a lot of stuff that I didn’t even realize was important even though I had been doing improv for about 5 years when I met her.  That is something I will never forget.

Annie and I argue a lot about the little things in life.  I remember vividly a long argument we had when we were driving to San Luis Obispo for an improv workshop and show.  It was about her habit of taking a bite of something, a piece of pizza, a cookie, whatever and putting it back for other people to finish because she can’t eat the whole thing.  She thought it was okay, I did not, and around we went.  For a long time.  We never came to the “let’s agree to disagree” part to end the argument.  Each of us believes we are right and we still argue about it from time to time although I am convinced that Annie leaves pieces of food where she knows I will find it just to rile me up.  It’s one of the things I love about her.

Some of the other things I love about her is our mutual love of bad movies, our mutual love of certain fantasy books/movies and the fact that we can all go to the Renaissance Fair and have a blast.

She is fun to be around, great to sit and have a chat with, she cares about people and will do anything for her friends.

They make a great pair.

Life is made up of important events.  We cherish them and look back on them with joy in our hearts.

My heart will be very full tomorrow.

Share your favorite Annie and Levin moments in the comments section, or just wish them well.

On this day of celebration, I thought it might be fun to provide some trivia about the 4th of July holiday and the birth of our nation.  This one goes out to Dave “The ‘brary” Taylor whose love of trivia knows no bounds.

• The major objection to being ruled by Britain was taxation without representation. The colonists had no say in the decisions of English Parliament.

• In May, 1776, after nearly a year of trying to resolve their differences with England, the colonies sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress. Finally, in June, admitting that their efforts were hopeless; a committee was formed to compose the formal Declaration of Independence. Headed by Thomas Jefferson, the committee also included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston and Roger Sherman. On June 28, 1776, Thomas Jefferson presented the first draft of the declaration to Congress.

• Betsy Ross, according to legend, sewed the first American flag in May or June 1776, as commissioned by the Congressional Committee.

• Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.

• The Liberty Bell sounded from the tower of Independence Hall on July 8, 1776, summoning citizens to gather for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon.

• June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress, looking to promote national pride and unity, adopted the national flag. “Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

• The word ‘patriotism’ comes from the Latin patria, which means ‘homeland’ or ‘fatherland.’

• The first public Fourth of July event at the White House occurred in 1804.

• Before cars ruled the roadway, the Fourth of July was traditionally the most miserable day of the year for horses, tormented by all the noise and by the boys and girls who threw firecrackers at them.

• The first Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi occurred at Independence Creek and was celebrated by Lewis and Clark in 1805.

• On June 24, 1826, Thomas Jefferson sent a letter to Roger C. Weightman, declining an invitation to come to Washington, D.C., to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It was the last letter that Jefferson, who was gravely ill, ever wrote.

• Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on Independence Day, July 4, 1826.

• The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence did not sign at the same time, nor did they sign on July 4, 1776. The official event occurred on August 2, 1776, when 50 men signed it.

• The names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were withheld from the public for more than six months to protect the signers. If independence had not been achieved, the treasonable act of the signers would have, by law, resulted in their deaths.

• Thomas McKean was the last to sign in January, 1777.

• The origin of Uncle Sam probably began in 1812, when Samuel Wilson was a meat packer who provided meat to the US Army. The meat shipments were stamped with the initials, U.S. Someone joked that the initials stood for “Uncle Sam”. This joke eventually led to the idea of Uncle Sam symbolizing the United States government.

• In 1941, Congress declared 4th of July a federal legal holiday. It is one of the few federal holidays that have not been moved to the nearest Friday or Monday.

Have a fun and safe 4th of July!