The Level III class ends with a performance for family and friends. But first…there some preparations to be done. We went over the logistics of the show…how we would be announced, how we would enter, where we would sit…all of the little details that keep a show going. I can’t speak for the rest of the class, but I thought it was fun to set up the practical parts of the show as well.
As the audience began to come in, we went to the dressing room and did about 25 minutes of warm-ups. The room was full of nerves, excitement and support. One of my favorite parts of the night happened just a minute before the show. Ed brought us all into a huddle and went over some fundamentals from our classes…and ended with “have fun.” It was nice to have one more encouraging group moment before we went on stage.
For the past seven weeks, we had only been performing for each other. It was nice because it was a supportive group that was all there for the same goal of getting better. But…there is something about a large, live crowd that just forces you to bring more energy as a performer.
One nice touch was that ComedySportz did everything it could to turn this into a truly professional show. We had someone running sound, they were serving food and Ed served as host. It really gave it the feel of one of the weekend performances which, again, was good for our energy level.
I can’t realistically give you a play-by-play of the show, but I can tell you it was a ton of fun and very gratifying. It was everything we had been working toward for two months. I don’t really feel that it’s my place to try to tell you how I personally did, but I can tell you that the others were incredible. They were on their game, very funny…and I would not be surprised at all to see any or all of them as regular weekend performers in the future. I can also tell you with confidence that I feel the show we put on would have satisfied a paying ComedySportz audience…and as a performance-level class, that is the goal. 
Looking back on the class, I’m very proud of what I personally, and what we as a group accomplished. It’s a challenging workshop, but it’s a lot of fun and absolutely worth it. It took me out of my performing comfort zone, which is healthy, and it built my confidence, which will be important whether I move forward in ComedySportz or not. I would also like to thank my classmates and my instructor Ed Trout…I am a better and more confident performer because of all of you.
On a personal note…I hope you enjoyed reading about this class and I hope it shed some light on what you could expect if you decide to take it yourself. I don’t know what the next step for me will be as a performer, but I can tell you that you will certainly see me around the theater over the weekends, so please feel free to say hello. I’m always happy to answer any questions about the class as well.
The class I took is one of several that ComedySportz offers, and the troop is looking for more people to write about their experiences. If you are interested in taking any of the workshops and blogging about it, you can contact Troy Hanna at thanna@indycomedysportz.com.
