benzado:

So, this happened on Twitter yesterday:

caitorade At the UCB Training center right now, an improviser is interviewing to become part of a practice group. Let’s push back against this, agree?

(…)

I think those of us who are already “plugged in” take for granted how hard it is for someone new to the scene to get a group together. If I want to, I’m spoiled for choice, but it took some time to get here. Most of the people I started practicing with were not classmates. You would likely never have heard of me if I hadn’t been a regular at Improdome. I never would have been a regular if I didn’t used to live so close to the PIT; I had a day job.

If “interviewing” isn’t acceptable, what’s the right way to do it? Sitting in for a practice is great, if you can afford to spend the time and money. What’s wrong with wanting to talk to the person first, to get an idea if you get along or not?

I know it’s just Twitter, where the goal is to fit as much snark as you can in 140 characters or fewer. But it’s unfair pass judgment on interviewing, or any idea, if you don’t have a better idea to offer.

I think the implication is that the way teams generally get together (meeting in class, at jam sessions, around the theaters, etc.) is the better idea, because although it does take effort, it works just fine. There are (depending on personal opinion) plenty of improv teams or way too many improv teams formed in the city every month. Anyhow, I’m skeptical that a formal interview is going to tell you a tenth of what five minutes of watching someone onstage at a mixer will.