and it’s awesome. Check out my new zoto page!

I’m starting a new catalog today: Improv Actor’s Bios! I have a handful of friends here in the city who improv pretty seriously and I genuinely enjoy their shows—but, I must say, part of the Improv community has always seemed a little cult-ish.  I’m probably just jealous; it must take a tremendous amount of courage to do improv seriously, and yet at the same time it’s hard to respect the ‘hard-cores’ who belive an unprepared performance is a deep philosophical metaphor for life. I imagine Jim Carrey’s new movie is a direct result of improv philosophizers: HE HAS TO SAY YES TO EVERYTHING! OMG! SOOO TRU!!!! So please enjoy the following bios (Only the names have been changed).

XXXX: The Artist Frequently Referred to as “The Girl With The Curly Hair,” is a young and curiously pocket-sized actress/comedienne, originally from Palma de Mallorca, Spain. However, for no particular reason at all, she was raised (and probably fed way too much sugar), right here in Miami. XXXX has had show-biz aspirations of a humorous nature for as long as she can remember, and enjoys being a vehicle for hilarity within any and all situations that trigger her almost clinical compulsion to perform. Although she often plays the “dumb-brunette” when appearing with XXXX, offstage she is a closet-genius and can control otherwise natural weather patterns with her mind. And if that doesn’t do it for you, she can be seen practicing the fine art of self-exploitation whilst wearing only a bikini in the American Idol afterbirth/feature film, From Justin to Kelly. She appeared in Blithe Spirit with the Main Street Players in 2003. She also starred in the short film, The Test, directed by Gerald Owens, and in 2005, she landed the romantic lead in the hit Italian feature, Christmas in Miami. XXXX also appears as her alter ego, Carmencita (aka la Fanatica) on the Univision television series El Gordo y la Flaca. She is currently developing a Spanish-language sketch comedy pilot for television.

XXXX is the girl next door who won’t stop moving. She reps Eastside ’til she dies (or until she betrays us for LA). Originally from Asmara, Eritrea, she has lived on the east coast of Africa, Italy, Connecticut, North Carolina, and now Florida. XXXX splits her time between acting, modeling, comedy and vocal stints. She received her B.A. degree in Performance/Media Studies from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. You can find her at the The Main Street Playhouse on any weekend night, when she performs with XXXX.  Just look for the bright light on stage.

Musician by day and thespian by night, XXXX brought his stand-up comedy alter ego “Freaky Boy” to the North Fork Valley. XXXX enjoys tracking down cereal killers and eating them, bathing in warm honey and balsamic vinegar, and doing needlepoint while listening to Ozzy Osbourne. “It’s a huge breath of fresh air to be working with others in an improv troupe! I love feeling the chemistry and making it happen.”

PS. I do realize that having a blog makes me at least as pathetic as the people in these bios. I too was born with the American ‘LOOK AT ME! I’m SPECIAL’ Gene. Shutting one’s mouth is a constant struggle.

On another note, here’s a link to the Laughter episoide of WNYC’s Radiolab. Making people laugh is an addiction, I’m just not sure if it’s harmless. 

Nina Simone - Ain’t Got No…I’ve Got Life, Harlem 1969

Oil Field, Saratoga, Texas, May 21 1908

Interviews like this were conspicuously missing from the American coverage, I guess underage Chinese girls trump Gay Heroes for headlines.

Olympics Edition (Click for a better pic!):

                Dawn Harper, 2008, USA

 Joanna Hayes, 2004, USA

Olga Shishigina, 2000, KAZ

Ludmila Engquist, 1996, SWE

Voula Patoulidou, 1992, GRE

Yordanka Donkova, 1988, BUL

Benita Fitzgerald-Brown, 1984, USA

Vera Komisova, 1980, URS (No Picture)

Johanna Kiler-Schaller, 1976, GDR (No Picture)

Annelie Ehrhardt, 1972, GDR

Maureen Caird, 1968, AUS

Karin Balzer, 1964, GRE

Irina Press (Center), 1960, URS

Shirley Strickland, 1956, 1952, AUS

Fanny Blankers-Koen, 1948, NED

Ondina Valla, 1936, KIT

Babe Didrikson, 1932, USA

It’s important to gain a wide variety of awesome skills.