Yes, and: the basic philosophy of the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB).

UCB is an improv and sketch comedy group that eventually morphed into a theatre and training center. I learned about UCB when I lived in NYC and went to a bunch of their shows in Chelsea and the East Village. I was bummed when they shuttered their NY presence in 2020 but happy to know they still have a home in Los Angeles. Although I moved to NYC in 1995 I didn't learn about UCB until 2013 which is when I met Elle who was taking a series of classes at UCB and subsequently became a member of an NYC improv troupe called, "Ski Legend." I went to all of their gigs and started to delight in the art of improv. 

Yes, and. An improv scene usually starts with someone in the group making a statement about something to another person in the group. The other person agrees with what they heard (yes) and then adds another detail (and). 

When Elle and I took a trip to London in 2015 we treated ourselves to an improv show called "Austentatious" which is an improvised Jane Austen novel. London is brilliant. We spent five days based out of the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch and packed in as much as we could: the London Eye, a spot of tea, the Tate Modern, the National Portrait Gallery, fish and chips, the Soho Theatre. We walked everywhere and thought London would be wicked if we knew somebody that lived there, an artist perhaps, someone that showed us London on the cheap, nothing too fancy, maybe a trip beyond the perimeter, a tad more intimate.

These are the dreams of adventure.

In the meantime, Baltimore is as good as anywhere to embrace intimacy, which is basically what improv is all about. Yes, and—positively support your partner, keep the scene moving forward, and don’t think too much, just go with the flow. Trust. Improv partners are everywhere; we just have to recognize when a scene begins.

I received a message from an Instagram friend the other day inviting me to submit one of my photos for a collective photography exhibition called “I Don’t Know What You See” hosted by the artist IMPREINT and featuring 28 artists from around the world. This was the beginning of the scene. I said yes, and sent them Diesel. 

The exhibition will be on Saturday, 15 October from 15:00-23:00 BST at the IMPREINT Space—in London. 

It’s smashing to be back. 

⌘