Massive , Thursday, May 03, 2007
Massive is a community of improvisers and improv troupes in Houston, Texas. About once a month Massive sends a group of performers up to Austin to show their stuff. The team performing in the May 4th Double Barrel is The Space Cassettes, made up of Michael Garcia (pictured left), Matt Archambault, Guy Schaafs, and Alison Corriel. Michael, Matt, and Guy were kind enough to answer a few questions about Massive and the Houston Improv scene for us.DB: It seems like the purpose, structure and makeup of Massive has changed a lot over the past few years. If we're not mistaken, Massive is now an umbrella organization composed of lots of separate troupes. Explain what Massive is today, and what it was in the past.
Matt: Massive is an improv community, made up of members and teams. We perform, we coach, we teach, and all to build an audience here in Houston. The audience is out there, they just need a scene to come to...
Michael: I'd like to think that the purpose of Massive has always been the same. That purpose was and is to build a longform improv community in Houston and force the rest of the country to take notice. Over the last year we've had quite a few solid improvisers leave Houston and make their way to other parts of the country but luckily we've also had a number of talented individuals end up in our city.
Guy: Yep. Sorta. I mean it is and it is. Massive has turned into an energy in the Houston community. The core of Massive is dedicated, DEDICATED, to growing improv in this city. We don't want to be good for Houston, we want to be one of the best in the nation. What we have now is as hippie as it gets -- a tip of the hat to the compass players and all the kats that kicked it off.
DB: What's the Houston Improv scene like?
Michael: I hate to sound cocky or conceited but we are the scene. There are maybe 2 other longform groups here but as far as ensembles go we're it. That's why we've made an effort over the past few months to include other groups in our shows, even shortform groups. We know that in order for improv to catch on here it needs to be represented well. Each time I go to Austin there is a new theater or ensemble performing and teaching. Ultimately I think that pushes the community to do more. That's what we want in Houston.
Matt: The scene here is tribal. There are a few small groups who don't tend to interact much. That's where we come in. We've taken it upon ourselves to introduce everybody...this way we can work together. Then there's ComedySportz Houston, who are great...we love Dianah over there. At Massive, we're lucky to have members with some serious training. There is talent and passion down here in Houston, that's for sure...
DB: What school/philosophy of improv does Massive primarily focus on? We've noticed quite a few Harolds from the Massive groups that have come lately.
Guy: There is a definite change in the Massive school/philosophy as of late. It revolves around the positive, say yes, attitude we adopted. Over the last six months a team of people, who are in Houston for one reason or the other, have made their way into the Massive family. Some were trained in Chicago (both at IO and SC), others in New York schools and some from the West. We are truly blessed and wholeheartedly feel fate has brought together all of these styles to create something unique.Matt: With all the recent changes in structure and ensemble, we're still figuring out precisely what our artistic unity revolves around... There's a couple teams who are doing Harolds right now, but The Space Cassettes, Deep Fried, and Soviet Bunnies are all playing with some different structures. We're hoping to see a lot more groups and forms here in the next year.
Michael: The last thing we want to do is assign forms to our teams and our shows. When you come check out a Massive show you're probably gonna see something that derives from the Harold but strays from the norm. We work on established forms but at the same time we have a strong interest in creating our own. For instance, I perform a 2 person show with Alison called f*squared where we do a live set and then immediately follow it with an improvised short film inspired by another audience suggestion. The short is then available for the audience online the next day. We take chances at Massive and that's one of the things i like about us.
DB: What are Massive's goals for the upcoming year?
Matt: In February, we plan to have the second annual Houston Improv Festival, and ideally by then have regular performance slots twice a week...and not necessarily the same venue. We want to be able to provide performance time for as many of our members as possible.
Michael: We want to keep putting quality shows out there to let Houston know what a great art longform is.
Guy: We would also like you Austin guys coming to us. We want to start asking the questions.
DB: How many improvisers make up Massive? We've lost count.
Matt: There's about 20 right now. Plus we perform with groups that are in Houston, but technically not under our umbrella right now...
Michael: Our strength is definitely not in numbers. Instead, our strength lies in the passion and dedication that we have for improv. If you've seen the movie "300", that's us except our abs aren't that good.
DB: What is it that keeps you performing improv?
Guy: Oh, it's entirely for the money. You guys too right?
Michael: For me its knowing that I was here at the beginning of the movement. Just knowing that you were actually part of establishing and nurturing an artistic community of any kind is a very powerful thing. That and someday we want to have a giant "Warriors" style gang fight between Houston and Austin. Right now we're greatly outnumbered so we have to keep building or you guys will kill us.
Matt: Wow, this is personal! Everyone in the group has a different answer, I'm sure... Matt Archambault, part of the leadership team and the coach of Scatter! would say: To create a breathing, interactive universe to delight a live audience. ...eesh, I may regret that in the morning...there's just so many reasons! At the base, the laughter, the imagination, and the relationships are what draws me to anything...
Michael: Did Matt just refer to himself in the third person?
DB: Ask yourself a question and answer it here.
Michael:
Q. Why don't you have a girlfriend?
A. Improv is my girlfriend and I make sweet love to her in front of an audience each time I step onstage. I haven't met her parents yet so I'm not sure how serious it is. We might be exclusive but I'll check with her later when I pick her up from the airport. She went to Vegas with some friends for a bachelorette party.
Guy:
Q. What would make Texas blow up nationally?
A. An I-10 that goes both ways with Austin teams and Houston teams sharing the stage and boosting each other's scene.
Massive's The Space Cassettes are performing in The Double Barrel on 5/4/2007.
3 Comments:
A sweet I-10 would be nice. I like Houston.
Thanks to Michael, Guy, and Matt for their thoughts. I'm also a part of Massive and I love being a part of the genesis of a longform scene here in Houston.
I've also got to say some big kudos to Austin for giving us performance opportunities and for being a supportive force.
Todd
Matt thinks I-10 does go both ways, like Michael's girlfriend...
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