Not MY heartbreak, mind. Just the whole concept in general.
I've been trying to think recently about my favorite experiences from the time I've been a Jester. Every time I try to narrow down which scene I've loved the best, I come back to the same one - a heartbreaking little moment when a man and a woman who had (supposedly) moved on met up at a club one night.
Heck, I wasn't even IN this scene. Still, it's my all-time favorite - has yet to be topped.
So we see a man and a woman, standing on opposite sides of the stage. They glance around the room casually until they catch sight of each other. Immediately, they turn away, shuddering.
The woman gets up the nerve to move in first. She closes the gap and says, with a great big whitewashed smile, "Hi Brady."*
Brady returns the forced grin. "Hi, Keri."
Small talk is exchanged - the usual niceties that people share when they don't REALLY want to talk right now. Finally, Brady asks, somewhat nervously, "How's the love life?"
Another man walks in. He strides confidently up to the talking couple and puts his arm around Keri. Keri laughs nervously and introduces them. "Darian, this is Brady. You've heard me talk about Brady before, right?"
Darian sizes Brady up. "Nope," he says, then excuses himself to get a drink.
Now the emotions really start to muck up what was otherwise a pretty polite exchange.
"I can't believe you moved on so quickly!" Brady says.
Keri throws her hands up. "What else was I supposed to do? We're broken up. It's over!"
Brady shifts uncomfortably. "Look, it's not that easy..."
"Besides," Keri says, "I thought you had a new girlfriend, too."
"She left me!" Brady snaps.
The audience goes nuts with laughter. Cue curtain.
I have to admit - I'm not 100% sure what made the above scene so FUNNY to watch. I mean, the exchange itself is anything BUT humorous. The only thing I can think of is that we all experienced the unadulterated delight that comes from watching a tense, emotional scene literally grow out of nothing.
People I talk to know that improv is a source of frustration for me. But when it works... MAN, is it rewarding!
* - Names have not been changed to protect the innocent, because who cares?
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