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May 26, 2006
Inside With: David Levin, New Improv House Team Member at The PIT
By: Keith Huang
Last weekend, The PIT auditioned some eager, fresh faced improvisers to fill spots on their two new house teams, "Baby Plus" and "Sammich" (temporary names). The lead-up to Selection Sunday wasn't easy: More than a year ago, these fledgling improvisers were matched up as total strangers. Five levels of improv classes, countless drinks at the Triple Crown, and hundreds of sets later, they're waiting for a Sunday callback. Thanks to equal parts luck and perseverance, rookie David Levin found himself on the other end of a "yes ... and" phone call. The Apiary asked him about getting brought up from the minors.
Explain the chain of events leading up to your joining the PIT for the Wednesday night showcase.
We had our last Level 5 class on Tuesday, May 23, 2006, and most of that class had met almost exactly one year ago in Level 1. After a bad class experience in 2003, I thought I was done with improv forever. Then I saw my friend Yang Miller's Level 1 show at the PIT which, compared to my previous experience, blew me away. I had to wait two months until his instructor Kurt Braunohler's class was open but I'm glad I did because a) Kurt is the greatest teacher in the history of North America; b) our class wound up sticking together and most of us are now on house teams together. It was an amazing year spent together with people that are like famil--in that I could never marry any of them. I also took a couple of classes and performed at mixers at the Magnet which I still really enjoy doing.
Like most -- actually, I'm assuming all NYC improvisers -- you're not getting any money to perform. So what's the draw?
Creating entertaining moments on the fly, without a safety net, in front of a willing audience is its own "I can't buy a house with this" reward. Also the skills that I've learned for the stage have also trickled down into my life-life, and, at the risk of sounding new age-y (which I HATE), have made me a better person. I am a better listener now, and am more supportive of those around me than I was a year ago. Who knew?!
Name your improv influences. And do you have any advice for kids who are coming up through the process?
Almost every improv teacher has influenced me in some way, but foremost in my brain at the moment is Ali Farahnakian who teaches Level 5 at the PIT. Thanks to him, now I can't watch improv without wincing whenever people start problems. Something "kids who are coming up through the process" might find helpful is thinking about why things did or did not work in sets they've watched or better yet performed in. They didn't get laughs because they were "just funny." Someone got a laugh by being detailed or using their environment in a surprising yet relevant way or stating the awkward truth of a scene. Or maybe they were just funny. Also, perform in a non-class environment like Improdome once a week, and before taking the stage think of something you want to work on during your set.
So what now? Do you rest on your laurels and just rock out every other Wednesday at the PIT or do you keep on hustling the same way that got you on a house team?
I'm still working on becoming the improviser I'd like to be, and when auditions roll around again in six months to a year, those "kids who are coming up" that I've seen who are already good, will be really good. So while ham-boning it out is on the table, laurel resting is not.
Finally, this was the first time the PIT held auditions for house teams. How would you describe the process?
Any callback that starts with an impromptu dance party at 10 on a Sunday morning is going to be hard to disparage. We were randomly partnered for one minute scenes and montages. Everyone cheered, supported and had fun with each other in a satisfyingly non-cultish way. Hard to imagine a less competitive, competitive experience. But that's the kind of environment I've come to expect from the PIT.
Posted by The Apiary at May 26, 2006 11:59 AM
Comments
David Levin is damn sexy. Frankly, I wouldn't even care if we were family...
Posted by: aaron at May 29, 2006 3:06 PM
David Levin IS SO SEXY!!!!! AW Mah GAAHHD!!!!!
I love you David.
All the way up here in Maine.
Posted by: joey freak cakes at January 21, 2007 11:07 PM