car pool tunnel syndrome...

I had to laugh - the last episode of Modern Family, Gloria misunderstands American Phrases, like - "it scared the bejesus out of me" as "it scared the baby Jesus out of me", and "carpal tunnel syndrome" as you guess it, "car pool tunnel syndrome". So in typing this, i am aggravating my carpool tunnel syndrome as my fancy pancy blue velcro wrist immobilizer is currently in the wash (gawd. I have shweaty wrists...)

Last update - Action Theater Acting Improv class.

The practice of Action Theater incorporates the disciplined exploration of embodied exercises that lead to increased skills of strong, clear, spontaneous, and artful communication. 

Action Theater addresses and expands the vocabularies of expression including: movement, vocalization, and speech. Action Theater is a tool to examines one's perceptive and responsive process, bringing awareness to and thereby disempowering distracting thoughts of self obsessions, fears, judgments and analysis. 

My Lord, that was a gift from the heavens.

Four hours of mostly physical improv a day, for a week. I swear - four pounds must have been screamed/danced/twirled/laughed/shimmied off in those five days.

incredible experience.

I never realized how difficult improv could be, but having done it myself for the first time many years ago when I was literally, thrown into a movie role (because the director didn't have the foresight to cast an extra character, so in between my loading up film stock into the movie cameras, my part was born!  I won't tell you what part I played but you can see it for yourself - Draghoula - check it out..), one of the main actresses, right off the plane from L.A was floored to hear that it was my first gig. "You're a goddam natural!"

And so it began...

but this improv class was nothing like I had ever experienced.

Ruth Zaporah is a world renowned artist and her "action theater" has pioneered the teaching of Improvisational performance. She gives only a few workshops a year, and this one happened to be in Canada.  I was on a gallery/dance studio's mailing list and one day, the message floated into my inbox.

To tell you the truth, I have no clue how this gallery/dance studio got my email address. Perhaps it was just one of those divine intervention/synchronous/it was meant to be moments. Whatever it was, I am so very thankful for because this class literally changed my life...


I'm quite pooped  - spent the evening with mom in the hospital keeping her company in the emergency, and am still reeling from the toxic curry meltdown I had from the incredible food poisoning from Saturday night's meal @ an Indian restaurant, but will have to revisit this "acting theater workshop" experience in greater detail while it's fresh in my head and in my body.

Odd thing to say, but it really was a whole body transformational experience; it made me realize how deeply connected we are to these bones and casing of flesh - and that how by being aware of this connection, being able to stay present in the moment and allow the body to speak and not let the mind edit/hinder/manipulate while watching helplessly as it moves into the driver's seat, beautiful things can happen.

Check it out 
It's been a week and I'm going through improv withdrawal.
I'm going to miss acting out what it means to be a rock and a pile of mud...

back soon with more details/insights.