I was quivering on stage in a small theatre filled with people. My trembling body was the result of the generation gap (a seventeen year old among adults most of whom were in their thirties) coupled with my crippling stage fright. It was the end to my first improvisational comedy class and the finale to my debilitating shyness, which can now be called a devastating shyness. The road to recovery is a long one.
I should start from the beginning in order to best recount this tale of terror. The class began with my tardiness, at least for me it did. About ten minutes after the class had started and everyone had gotten situated, I clumsily straggled in and interrupted the lesson. I immediately realized that I was not only ostracized because of my “impeccable punctuality”, but scanning my peers’ wrinkly, in comparison to a teenager’s, faces, I was also separated by my no longer glorious youth. I proceeded to seat myself when my legs notified me they were now too embarrassed to support me. Fortunately, the rest of the class was sitting as well. As the class continued, my sweating palms eroded the surface of the chair until I was called up to perform a scene with another class member. While my scene partner made intelligent and articulate jokes, I poured all my focus into not focusing on the audience in front of me. Such strenuous concentration, or non-concentration, left room only for the laffy taffy jokes I read in elementary school. The audience and my scene partner struggled to decipher my words but there were too many swallows for even a renowned linguist to accomplish such a feat. The spotlight was a nice touch yet in retrospect, unnecessary. I would have much rather been delivering my lines obscured by darkness; however, this might be considered a bit avant-garde for improv comedy.
I have successfully managed to black out the rest of the confidence shattering class, I only know that three hours later I was further humiliated when I hopped into my mom’s car and she waved goodbye to the other students on my behalf. However, throughout the course I gradually became more comfortable going on stage and even more gradually I found myself in the good graces of the class. While the improv course alone did not shape me into the brilliant comedian, and confident young man that I am today (genetics is quite pertinent here); the classes were a major factor. I became a much faster thinker, which helped me tackle problems quickly when making movies as well as in other situations. To say my creativity was exercised would be an understatement. And to say my shyness was exorcized would be another. Eventually I had the entire class, including the teacher, laughing during my scenes, although it is possible they were simply trying to avoid contributing to my self-esteem issues. Regardless, in the eight weeks to follow the timidity slipped away… kind of, and I became more nonchalant in humbling situations… kind of.
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