Leave a Message at Which Beep?

--dramatization of a true story from the IP studio--

I hate leaving voice-mails on the telephone. Something about rambling into dead silence for thirty seconds without pausing or sounding awkward or rambly gets to me. Every time.
But the person whose call I was returning was not on the line, so I had to leave a message for them.
"Blankety-blank is not available. Please leave a message after the beep."
Beep!
"Hello, this is Monkey # 5 from Improv Playhou--"
Beep! Apparently the phone didn't like that introduction, so it gave me take two. Which really threw me off.
"Uh, hello? This is Monkey # 5 from Improv Playhouse. We received a--"
Beep!
I must have stopped talking for a good ten seconds there as I tried to figure out what the heck was going on. "Excuse me, it seems we're having phone difficulty. Anyway--"
Beep!
"Oh, for the love of Pete!" I hung up. That was it. No more for me. I'm done.

As it happens, somebody important was calling in on the other line, and that was the "call waiting" tone I was hearing. It was just the black humor of the telephone company that the "start talking" and "call waiting" tones were the same sound.

I called the telephone company to give them a stern talking-to. I got an answering machine.

--Monkey # 5 & Tony

Thanks from IP!

I mentioned that Improv Playhouse joined in the Libertyville Days parade last weekend, and I'm happy to say it was a hit! Thanks to everyone who walked down Milwaukee with us, and to everyone dancing on the sides!

Our maintenance monkey # 12 tells me we've got some exciting features about to go live in a couple of days, but we've also got a gag order about them for a moment, so you'll just have to hold your breath!

--Monkey #4

All-New Camp DJ from our partners at Music Now!

Hey, this is the Mail-Room Monkey. # 11, they call me (you'd think a bunch of improvisers would have a cleverer naming system). Anyway, I just got a neat letter from IP's DJ division, Music Now DJ Group. The monkeys over there are super excited to share something with you, so I thought I'd pass it on:

"Hey, y'all! What's kickin'? We're all pumped on this end because Music Now is running its first-ever summer camp! Camp DJ is going to give teens and tweens ages 12-19 the opportunity for hands-on mixing experience. We've got professional equipment for each one of them, and real professional DJ's for coaches! Our campers are going to learn some basics of music theory as well as the technical production of sound, so they can mix their own jams with confidence. The last week of July is Camp DJ week, so spread the word!"

There's just tons of cool stuff going on all over the place, and the mail is only just starting to come in. I'll keep an eye out for any other interesting emails, cool comments, or events indirectly related to IP and share them with you. Until then!

--Monkey #11

#12's Maintenance Update

Work, work, work. All I do. And then they make me report about it regularly like some trained monkey.

Wait. I am a trained monkey. Sigh. . . .

On the positive side, all that work, work, work is paying off. We've got the guts of this little site mostly functioning now, and plenty of stuff in the wings waiting for their turn in the limelight as soon as I'm done tinkering.  This thing's got more moving parts than Rube Goldberg's nightmares, so I'm happy with how things are going so far. It's still fetal, yes, but growing.

Which means more work for me as I keep the thing upright. Sigh number two.

Some fancy-schmancy new features should be popping up in the near future, so keep an eye out. Oh, and tell your friends. His royal grumpiness Chief Executive Ape's been getting on all of us to remind you to do that. So do it. Because my daily banana ration depends on it.

Well, enough of my chatter. Time to get back to work. I'll keep you posted on new and crazy fun things going on around the Three-Wall Room. Because CEA says I have to.

--Monkey # 12

Diane Christiansen Visits July 11th!

Hey, movie fans, don't forget! We've got less than a month until our favorite LA star-maker comes to visit us this summer! Diane Christiansen is one of the best acting coaches and casting directors in the business, and if you don't believe us, check her out for yourself at www.dianechristiansen.com. Diane is in demand all over the United States acting scene, but she's been gracious enough to visit us at IP and coach her own special week-long class, Acting for Film, the week of July 11th.  (Monkey #8 would like me to add that he took it last year, and vouches for it being the highlight of his summer.) Don't miss out on one of the best coaches Hollywood has to offer, at the best price you'll ever see!

Closer to today, the little chimps in our High School Musical camp are pumped to perform Disney's sensation for the stage Thursday, June 20th, at 1pm at Highland Middle School. I got to get a sneak peak at one of their rehearsals last week, and they are sounding good! Only $5 to come see them, and it's sure to be a blast.

So don't forget!
Monkey #4

Car Trip Games (Improv for the Sedentary)

Long car trips aren't the only place where you and the little chimps are stuck sitting for long periods without much else to do, but they are certainly the most infamous.  Doctor's offices, long lines, waiting for dinner. . . the world is full of nightmare scenarios for any parent monkey with a restless litter. Rather than tossing your children out the window or bruising everyone's shoulders with punch-buggy madness, try these fun improv games! They're real warm-ups that don't require much physical movement, and they are much more fun than counting cars.

Next on Springer! : One player points or calls another's name and says a word of five letters or less (water, jog, leap). The named player then comes up with a silly sentence using the word as an acronym. (SOAP--silly orangutans ate peaches! or PINK--Polish iguanas need kelp!) Then that player points to a different player and says a new word.

Five Kinds Of : Fill in the blank: "Name five __________!" Next person in line does it, with everyone counting along (everyone should say, "one!" "two!" etc. as they count).  You can use real categories (kinds of fruit! countries in Europe!), or made-up ones (horrible-sounding recipes! things you wouldn't want to find between your toes!).  This is an improv game, so silly is good.

Foooour More Names! : The first person says "I know a guy/girl whose name is _________," and fills in the blank with a one-syllable name (Bill, Frank, Jan).  Everyone then says/sings a line that ends with a rhyme. When three people have done it, repeat the first line with a different name. For instance:
"I know a girl whose name is Jan!"
"She hit me on the head with a pan!"
"But it's okay, I'm her biggest fan!"
"She keeps her money in a big tin can!"

Try these out, and tell us how it goes!
--Monkey #8

Before the Parade Passes By!

Hey folks, I've got exciting news for you! We took a tip from our favorite musical, "Hello, Dolly!" and decided to walk in the Libertyville Days parade this Saturday! If you have one of IP's production T-shirts or a fun costume of your own, grab it and join us at 9:30 at the train station. (It's right next to the Black Box.)  If not, we'll get you one. We all are looking forward to a great time, and we want you to join us. Be sure to pack sunglasses, a water bottle, and sunblock. Give us a call at (847) 968-4529 or email us at info@improvplayhouse.com.  Can't wait to hear from you!
--Monkey #4

We have a Winner!

Improv Playhouse, in conjunction with the Round Lake Beach Cultural and Civic Center, recently wrapped up its production of Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn's 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Of course, that production ended before my simian colleagues and I started working in the Three-Wall Room, but we'll be sure to apprise you of any performances in the future (and Monkey #4, our Chief Scheduling Chimp, tells me that we're looking at a packed summer, so stay tuned!).  In the meantime, though, I got some awesome photos of our star-studded Spelling Bee cast that we just can't wait to share! I've put four of them at the bottom of this post.
Based on the frantic clattering of my colleagues' keyboards, today's going to be a busy one, so look out for more updates heading your way. Later!
--Monkey #9

Give a Monkey Coffee...

...and you'll probably end up with a David Letterman-style Top-10 list of reasons to come to IP!  Not that we tried this or anything; we're just saying, if you were to do such a silly thing, you might get a list like this one:

TOP 10 REASONS YOU OR YOUR CHILD SHOULD JOIN IP:
10. You will both know about and approve of your teenager's evening activities.
9. People won't leave when you approach the water cooler.
8. You'll finally learn a joke you can tell your 6-yr-old.
7. Your daughter will want to be seen with you in public.
6. Your spouse will appreciate you learning how to laugh.
5. You'll appreciate laughing at your spouse.
4. Twenty-somethings will be shocked to discover that you are older than they are.
3. Not only will you be invited to more family functions, you'll know how to turn them down.
2. You'll finally have friends.
1. Compared to us, you'll look sane!

Also, can anyone tell me what a Premium French roast is? I can't taste a difference. On the other hand, I did spit that list out in five minutes while drinking it, so maybe it's better quality after all. . . .
--Monkey #5

Up, Up, and Away

Hey, guys, we have a blog! Of course, if you're viewing this, you already know that, but we were so excited we figured you'd forgive us stating the obvious.  We've got some fun plans for this space, and Monkey #12 ought to be implementing them one-by-one over the next, oh, week or so.  Chief among these are funny stories from our staff (the no-kidding-this-really-happened kind as well as the thank-goodness-this-is-made-up kind) and occasional updates about scheduling, though Monkey #3 has some other fun stuff under his hat that we hope to reveal soon (provided it works). Our Chief Executive Ape has expressly forbidden me discussing anything we aren't sure is going to happen, however, so you'll just have to hold your breath until the next update (No, please don't do that.  Seriously. We aren't liable if you pass out.) So, we're going to all go get pizza to celebrate our new blog, and we'll have some fun new stuff for you tomorrow. Until then!
--Monkey #8