The final Macroscene show is tonight.I talked about the previous…

The final Macroscene show is tonight.

I talked about the previous weeks here:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

I’ve been getting a ton of compliments on the show. That’s great, though I really feel like the performers deserve all the credit. They’d be great doing any form of any kind. I also think by this point I’ve had each member of the cast brought up to me during these compliments. No one hasn’t impressed the audience. And last week had two of the best shows yet.

The first half started at a television studio before everyone became embroiled in a battle between an eccentric producer versus Martha Stewart. All of this part of the producers plan to help his newly promoted producer (former boom operator) get her show off the ground, “A Little Too Real”

The second half took place in a hospital starting with super models visiting make-a-wish children (who wanted to meet baseball players), but then quickly getting sucked into a panic over the spread of a new disease that left drawings of penises on people’s faces. The CDC eventually arrived and shot all the super models.

Here are some of the people responsible for praise this show has received:

Terry Withers - I’ve known Terry quite a while now. I’ve coached him with the group that would become Smirk before getting to enjoy his work with Robber Baron and I feel very lucky to be friends with him. But this guy is a weirdo. And I mean that in the best way possible. His characters are bizarre but fully realized. Terry is always hilarious. But it doesn’t stop there. When someone does a scene with Terry they look better then they have ever looked before. He makes everyone look great and immediately made this show look easy. and he yeses people’s ideas with more joy then anyone. Watching Terry get thrown for a loop by an odd idea only to see him turn around and push that idea even further is wonderful.

Cathryn Mudon - I had never seen Cathryn before this class, and she was another one Gethard raved about to me. After one of the shows Cathryn told me she had been bugging Hunter Nelson about how to impress me so that she could get into this class. She didn’t need to worry as she got in without me every having met her. But she can rest easy, I’m impressed. Cathryn is hilarious. Her ideas are the sort of ones that fall just next to normal. Ideas that would only occur to her. And that is my favorite kind of crazy, the kind that isn’t crazy to the person making the move. Cathryn legitimately doesn’t realize how funny she is. I had to beg her not to leave scenes early. She always wanted to get out of other’s ways, and I kept pushing her back in their way. More Cathryn is a good thing.

Diana Kolsky - Another one that I had never before seen in class, and another one Gethard complimented to me (I’d worry that he likes everyone, but the folks he praised in this class all met his expectations). Diana was a little reserved the first couple of weeks, which didn’t stop her from being awesome. It just kept her from being non-stop awesome. That stopped being a problem as the weeks went on and she stepped up and delivered some killer moves. Patient, smart moves. Diana plays with an intensity that is pretty killer. Whether she is playing it straight or not she anchors a crazy scene, not by dragging into a dull place but by giving the others a center to orbit around.

Shaun Diston - I saved this guy for last. He was in my first 8 week 101 class. He then took my first 8 week 301 class. Now around this time Shaun told me he planned on taking my first 600 class too. I didn’t believe it would happen at the time but it did. I am not sure if Shaun took this class just to honor his promise, but no matter what the reason I am glad he did. Shaun is a force to be reckoned with and brings an energy on stage with him that is exciting to watch. I can easily forget he hasn’t been doing this too long because of the confidence and swiftness he plays with. He pushes things, and himself constantly. His mistakes are mistakes that everyone should be making. The kind that come from trying to get better all the time. Game, characters, support, presence. Shaun’s got the goods and I’m glad he keeps taking my classes.

And that’s the last 1/4 of the class! See this show! This is the last week!

http://newyork.ucbtheatre.com/shows/2238