I was honored to be asked to write a guest blog post for InCommons recently on why I perform. You can read the post as it reads on there site here:
Why I Perform: A short essay by Eric Simons
Otherwise I am posting it here too, which seems redundant, but I just thought it was cool someone wanted me to post something on their site. So there is proof, I am wanted. I can rest easy now.
Why I perform
Hello, my name is Eric Christopher Simons. You probably don’t recognize me as a performer from such famed improv troupes as Vicious Delicious, Meat & Cheese, The Marcus Garvey Experience, or most recently (and relatively) The Theater of Public Policy. I say you don’t recognize me because there is so much great theater to see in Minneapolis/ Saint Paul on any given day of the week, it can be easy to miss some of the smaller shows that pop up (2nd most theater seats per capita behind New York City). And in some of the smaller venues (i.e. Huge Theater). And there are often misconceptions about improv that keep people from checking it out (it is not stand up comedy).
But that’s ok. Don’t get me wrong, I love to get in front of a huge audience and make at least one person if not everyone, laugh, think, or chuckle while pondering deeply. But really my reasons for performing are quite selfish. I like to challenge myself mentally and physically. I like to make connections with people in the microseconds between completely made up dialogue. I love to keep a straight face in the wind of the most ridiculous situation I have ever witnessed. I like to break character when someone says something too low brow for anyone’s own good. I just love improving.
I’m not of a theater background if that helps add any relevance. A theater friend of mine convinced me to try out for an improv troupe back in college and that was that. It was love. 8 years later here I am. I still find it weird when someone calls me an actor. What I do is go on stage and play with my friends. The fact that you are there eavesdropping on my playtime is cool, but if you weren’t there I’d still be acting like an idiot. Or a pirate with a fish for a peg leg. Or an Alien who is allergic to truffles. Or possibly Barack Obama checking tweets from a couple of gay teens from Anoka.
So yeah, that last example was more aptly detailed. That’s because it happened a few weeks ago at The Theater of Public Policy. With this show we interview an expert in a particular field on a hot button issue, then we satirize it through improv. Again, selfish Eric found a show where he gets to play. And selfish Eric found a show that forces him to keep up with social issues that are going on from Minneapolis to the Washington DC to Spokane. It makes selfish Eric feel relevant, or at least have a relevant opinion.
Really it makes sense to have a show like T2P2 bring these issues to the forefront of the community. We do it in a way that keeps it from getting too heavy but still encourages dialogue. I love having a beer after the show and talking about the issues. It’s like a town hall in old Philly, but with less wigs and a cleaner tap system.
Ok, so maybe I lied a bit when I said I don’t care if people show up. I want to discuss these issues with as many people as possible. It’s important to hear all the sides and all the opinions. It’s important for us to keep a healthy dialogue, for we are the future (cue Whitney Houston, RIP) of this great, imperfect country.
So when it comes to both performing and keeping a dialogue on some of these divisive issues, it’s both challenging and difficult. But believe me, its well worth it.
