Page 11 - Summer 2015 FF

You’ve performed for benefts and fundraisers,
taught workshops and classes, all giving back to the
community through comedy. Why not just perform
for the “hahas,” take the money, and run?

Dan Ryder: Well, afer our frst million, we got together on
our private yacht in Dubai and said, “Y’know, maybe we
should give something back.”
“When we use comedy to give back, it’s one of the best feelings in the world.” Natalie Simmons: My favorite type of shows are the

benefts. I mean, of course it’s nice to get paid, but when we
- Natalie Simmons ’07
use comedy to give back, it’s one of the best feelings in the
world.

Jef Bailey: Even though we are not all teachers, we all work
in jobs that seek to beneft and uplif others around us. A
lot of what we teach can be directly applied to any real life
situaton involving other people. Trustng, acceptng and
communicatng are all issues people have difculty with in
their personal and work lives.

Dan Ryder: I want folks to feel like they are getng
something in exchange for their fnancial support. Comedy is
something I know how to make. It has very low overhead. It
is ridiculous amounts of fun. And people seem to enjoy our
partcular brand of it.

Speaking of community, how did your tme as
students at UMF prepare you for the work you do
today?
How does one “rehearse” for improv?
Dan Ryder: I spent four years making things up as I went as
a DJ at WUMF and three years making up news as editor
Dan Ryder: We practce the structures of the games so of the UMF student newspaper. I learned a tremendous
that we can beter learn to communicate with one another amount about myself, and about being comfortable in
in the moment. We practce developing characters and unfamiliar situatons.
relatonships between those characters so audiences see
stories play out in front of them. It’s also how we workshop Jef Bailey: UMF helped me come out of my shell. I was
new games and fgure out how to give audiences the best persuaded by Dan to join the newspaper staf. I went to
experience possible.
England for a semester with a faculty advisor, David Scribner.
We could do a dozen characters based on his stories. I even
Kyla Wheeler: When a scene isn’t going well, we try to te it did a couple of stnts as Dan’s sidekick at WUMF.
back to the fundamentals. Were all actors listening to each
other? Was everyone communicatng clearly? These are the Natalie Simmons: I remember my friends trying to convince
things we fnd make improv interestng to watch, and when me to try out for Lawn Chair Pirates (UMF’s improv troupe)
you do them fairly well, it can be funny too.
and I was like, “Guys, I’m not funny. You just think I’m funny
because you love me.” But I did and it changed me. UMF’s
Dan Ryder: We are practcing what I call the three pillars of love for all types of arts opened my eyes to improv. I gained
improv: acceptance, communicaton and trust. That’s what some of my closest friends and brought improv to my own
we teach in our workshops. If you can build capacity for students — all because of UMF.
those three skills: accept the status quo so you can work to
change it, communicate your intentons and ideas, and trust
yourself and those around you to solve whatever problem is
at hand. Boom. Success face. For more informaton about where to see the
Teachers Lounge Mafa, or how to book them for
an upcoming event, go to teachersloungemafa.com

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