By Peggy Walkush

A couple years back I asked fellow improvisers on Facebook “what is the last thing you say to yourself before going on stage?” One improviser responded, “If you’re not having fun, you’re the a**hole” (quoting Susan Messing I learned later). I didn’t understand what she meant but it stuck in my mind.

I’ve always been a perfectionist of sorts, and at that time I was performing on several teams regularly. My expectations for myself and my team were extremely high. After our shows, if I felt I hadn’t performed well or our team failed to recognize game or edit scenes fast enough or stay on the same page, etc., etc., I would be frustrated. I would lie awake in bed rethinking every scene. I wanted to be a crowd-wowing improviser on crowd-wowing teams performing crowd-wowing sets.

About a year later I found myself disappointed with one team’s sets – and it was evident to the team. Suddenly, it dawned on me: I was the a**hole! And my frustration was bringing the team down. So I left the team – for their good and for mine. It was the right decision and also a particularly difficult one because I had grown to know and love my teammates.

These days, I fret less over my improv performances. In Amy Poehler’s book she mentions being happy after a B+ performance on a celebrity roast. I figure if Amy Poehler is happy with a B+ performance, I should learn to be okay with the occasional C-. I try to focus on having fun instead of being the a**hole.

Practice having fun and letting go of your impossible expectations at one of our drop-in classes, which are now every Thursday AND Sunday!