We did two shows
in Berlin. One at our “home” theatre the Ratibor. The other show
we did at our “other home” theatre the English Theatre Berlin.
Let me now tell you about those two shows. But first, let me tell you
about something else.
Now, there comes
a time in everyone's life, assuming that they continue to live their
life, that they get older. I have always believed that your age is
just a number, but sometimes that number... well, sometimes that
number has so much weight attached to it and so much social baggage
that you can't help but contemplate your mortality and the absurdity
of getting old. I turned FORTY in Berlin, I turned old. I don't feel
older, and I certainly don't feel what I always imagined FORTY to be.
Thankfully, I live a much younger life, look much younger and act
much younger. I was even told by shocked strangers that I looked
THIRTY and not FORTY. I would like to say now that my THIRTIES were
great, much better than my TWENTIES. If this trend continues, and I
intend on continuing the trend, my FORTIES are going to be
hyper-amazing. Alright new chapter in my life, start.
Now the shows:
Show number one
was the birthday show and celebration. I had invited Jacob Banigan
(yes, the same one I mentioned before who now lives in Graz) to join
CRUMBS for the set. The plan was to do the first half of the show
with him and then give myself over to the will of Berlin and let then
pull some surprises in the second half. We would all then go to the
Volksbar and Dj Hunnicutt would then make the crowds dance and we
would all just party.
The suggestions
in the first half were “physics” and “camping”. We launched
into stories about a guy who had never camped and his friend from
work who felt sorry for him and decided to bring him camping for the
first time. This of course led to a run in with a hypnotic raccoon
and eventually a new friend. The show also involved a physics
experiment that was taken away from the lead scientist and given to
another scientist with a cooler name, so that the discovery would be
named something better. This is a very important thing in science. If
your theory (or new particle, in this case) doesn't have a cool name,
nobody outside of the science community cares.
The second half
involved a number of scenes with random special surprise guests. The
guests started with members of Die Gorillas (the resident Berlin
improv company which is the reason we ever ended up in Europe in the
first place) and then the first real surprise came. Nadine Antler,
the improviser from Wurzburg stepped out on stage... I was surprised!
Good, no more surprises were possible right? Wrong. I was then in a
scene and out onto the stage stepped Robert Slade! What? Robert Slade
had flown in from London to surprise me on my birthday. I flinched
for a millisecond and then stayed in the scene (the years have taught
me to remain professional). Wow?
The evening
continued and many drinks were consumed, many birthday cake candles
were blown out, and many dance moves were danced. Success.
The second show
was the next day, and I was also wise enough with my years of
experience to not have a hang-over (again, professional). The show
was inspired by someone yelling out “prostitute”. Classy audience
right? Well, after mocking the individual in a classy way, the
audience responded with “philosopher”. So there we were, with an
audience that straddled the whole spectrum between someone who has
sex for a living and someone who thinks for a living. We also
received “potato peeler” but this didn't get as much reaction as
the first interaction with the audience. The show then started.
We followed the
story of a philosophy professor who was disappointed in the latest
batch of students, not finding a suitable protege to replace him in
retirement. When in walks the daughter of the city's patriarch. We
also learn that her father intends on buying the ailing university
and turning it into a sports-plex. The new young student has been in
love with the professor for years, since reading his books, but the
professor is already married and turns her away. How can things get
worse? His wife is tired of his words and thoughts and just wants a
human's touch. She turns to “Rico” a male prostitute (we worked
it in!). The young student, feels embarrassed and jilted and joins
her father in selling the university. But then the young student and
the old professor end up together and they save the university.
Hooray for happy improv endings.
We also followed
the story of a man who peels potatoes for a living. He feels
unsatisfied at his job... for some odd reason. He feels empty inside.
We also see his home life and realize that it is also an unhappy
environment. His life sucks and lacks meaning. He quits his job and
searches for meaning. This of course leads him to the philosophy
department at he university. What a coincidence. The philosophy
professor then tells the man that his empty life is about searching
for the meaning, not finding the meaning. Happiness is created within
this knowledge and the professor hands his position to his young
student and ends up peeling potatoes with the him at the end. Neat
huh?
Still more posts to be posted about the CRUMBS 2012 Fall tour. Keep yourself posted here for all the details.
