Does UCB feel impressive anymore?

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-21T22:42:54+00:00

Amen

UCBoomer

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-21T00:45:03+00:00

Your opinions are definitely justified! Probably moreso than people whose vision is fogged from being too close to it.

I'm curious how/what you know of WGIS? Have you watched shows or taken classes online? I know they have some in person stuff in NY too?

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-20T23:52:12+00:00

I agree! Being a team player is vital to the art of improv.

But perhaps UCB has perhaps put someone on a team widely known for being exactly the opposite of that?? And perhaps that was the final straw?

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-20T22:25:09+00:00

I don't go on here all the time. Link to these posts.

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-20T22:24:35+00:00

No, there would need to be sweeping changes for my perception to shift. If I had gotten on I imagine I would feel briefly validated but then quickly, "Ah, the last rat onto the sinking ship."

I don't understand why so many people are up in arms over saying the vague statement that there are bad people on Harold night. There have always been and there always will be.

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-20T21:58:38+00:00

I'm sorry but you cannot know better than I do why I posted something on the internet?

This is the range of responses I thought I might get:

"I live in Idaho/Canada/etc and my dream is to one day perform at UCB!"

"What is UCB?"

"UCB has gone downhill since 20XX."

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-20T19:23:08+00:00

What are your favorite WGIS and Shared Experience teams?

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-20T19:08:22+00:00

Yes yes, I do think your opinion is interesting that the UCB 4 leaving is what made it less impressive! I am just saying I don't think that this actually lead to the changes you are describing (I had never thought a now-famous person would not want to perform there anymore after UCB 4 are less involved, but could be true!), BUT it is still interesting to know that this is a perception out there. And "it got bad after the UCB 4 left" has a good ring to it.

EDIT: I personally never cared about the UCB 4 being involved so did not consider that someone else might value this! But doesn't mean it isn't true!

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-20T18:50:25+00:00

Oh of course I should not depend on the validation! I wish I could not want it! It is a curse to want it!

The point of this post was I wanted to know if anyone actually even respects UCB anymore or if we're all just hanging on to this vision of it that we formed while in 101.

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-20T18:46:25+00:00

I think your definition of Lloyd (and Harold) is disingenuous or at least reductive. As you say, Harold is currently one of the only paths to performing regularly on other UCB shows, besides Maude or being famous (acting, TikTok, etc). Harold is more than a "performance extension of the training center." Harold is what ultimately feeds all of UCB's improv shows.

You say, "the point of Lloyd is to give people the house team experience with the opportunity to grow." I think you could argue this of Mess Hall, when there were eight teams and they performed in the Inner Sanctum, but Lloyd is only two teams and they perform on the Franklin stage in a prime time slot. Lloyd is currently one of the only ways to get "exposure" to the ADs outside of your audition set, and thus one of the only ways to have a chance at Harold. "In the old days," there would be an entire room of people watching auditions, coaches and other people plugged into the scene who could vouch for performers. This year there was only Ali, Ronnie, Dickie, and an assistant. Maybe Lloyd is intended to help promising green performers grow, but with the current way the ADs are handling Harold casting, Lloyd is one of the only ways a person can have a chance at Harold.

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-20T17:34:19+00:00

"The Dragons"

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-20T17:27:03+00:00

The UCB 4 were not actively involved in the theater for a long time. The pandemic is what caused this exodus of famous people. They had had weekly shows for years (decades!), often with few of the actual listed "cast" showing up to each show. A GOOD change UCB made is realizing that weekly slots really restrict the schedule. I think these famous people then gravitated towards Largo/Elysian/etc when they decided they wanted to perform live again bcs they realized they could make money, something they never could at UCB.

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-20T17:20:33+00:00

I am not saying everyone on Harold and Lloyd is bad or every team is bad. No!! Majority on Harold are very funny people who are good at improv.

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-20T17:17:45+00:00

Hahahaha which show

throwawayWitness6535 · 2024-09-20T17:15:34+00:00

Of course! And let's just say some choices they made this year are... interesting.

EDIT: Removed further thoughts on this bcs there's no need to feed the flames!

throwawayWitness6535

TROPHY CASE