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Sweet Sixteen is over, and this is a Comedic Pursuits bonus episode: hot goss, round three. We’re here for you because round three was intense.
After the Sweet 16 matches, we all went out together, and that was great because we don’t always get to see each other just hanging out. It was really fun to just have a good time with each other. So there are good things happening in FIST besides tearing everyone apart. It’s bringing some people together.
What’s going on in FIST 2019’s Sweet 16?
This episode was a little different because we interviewed some people who are involved in different parts of FIST. We’ve got:
- Jane White, a member of last year’s winning FIST team, Double Date
- Serina, an audience member also known as “The Phantom of Source”
- Anuj Christian, WIT’s video operator
- Elizabeth Fulton, front-of-house queen and improv doctor/psychologist
- Geoff Corey, of Love Language
Jane White, former FIST champion
My FIST experience last year was a little different because that was my first year doing it. FIST was pitched to me as a fun way to get together with people I’d never performed with. Once I got into it, I realized that wasn’t what it was. The joke was on me.
I was really happy to be in the whirlwind last year, but this year I’m very happy not to be in the whirlwind because I don’t like competitions. I think they’re inherently antithetical to improv. But I appreciate the idea that people try to bring their best improv, try to play with people they’ve never played with, and try to do their best. I think competition can cause that to happen.
FIST is kind of the means to the end of having people give a shit. So I appreciate FIST’s “let’s give a shit” factor, and I’ve reshifted my focus about it because now I think more about the fact that these are improvisers who really care.
Have you seen something that you thought was different than anything you’ve seen?
I watched Blockbuster’s Ghost, and it just blew my frickin’ mind. I like the idea of people trying to play each other. I love multicasting because you get to see improvisers making fun of other improvisers or applauding them in that same way.
I think it’s a really kind thing to do for another person, to say, “I see what you were doing, and I’m doing it back as you with my full intelligence and heart. And I’m trying to take this person you created and treat them respectfully and respect the characters.” A lot of what I’ve seen this round that I’ve really liked is someone taking care of something else that someone else created, which is fun.
You like nurturing in your improv.
I do. That’s one of the reasons why you have to give characters names because when you give them names, you’re more likely to attribute them with a soul. It’s not just a ditzy girl who works a Ferris wheel ride, it’s Sandra Jenkins who has intelligence. You’re also more likely to view somebody with intelligence if you give them a name. When somebody’s created that character, you can hop in and be that specific version of that person.
Do you have any other improv tips?
I have this philosophy that if any shit starts going down in your life, you have to choose what genre you’re in, in order to best survive.
So let’s pretend the zombie apocalypse happens, and a zombie breaks in through the door. I’m gonna start cracking jokes right away because I know there’s a woman in the writers’ room, and I’m more likely to survive a movie that allows for funny women. Because if I’m a woman in a zombie apocalypse movie, and I just slept with somebody, I’m the slut, and I’m gonna die first. But if I’m a funny slut—maybe I’m in a Kristen Wiig zombie movie—I’ll win.
You have to make choices that dictate the genre you’re in, banking on the fact that you’re more likely to survive if you choose the genre.
This is a tool I use to stay away from problematic improv, as well. Because sometimes somebody makes a move, and they don’t realize it’s problematic. So you can help them by contextualizing it. You can’t change the narrative, but you can change how we react to it.
So if someone doesn’t know they’re the bad guy, you can very clearly say, “You are the bad guy.” Then the audience is with you, and afterwards you can debrief about it. You’re accepting their choice, but you’re contextualizing it in a way that lets them know they’ve signaled something they’re not aware they’ve signaled. It respects their choice and doesn’t negate them, but it also brings them into a larger perspective and keeps it sane for you.
So if somebody whips out their dick, you can say, “Well, I’m in Saw IV, and I just grabbed a machete out of thin air. Your move, Dick Guy.” If you can’t change the narrative, change the genre. I do that my own life, too. I just start cracking jokes so I survive.
Geoff Corey, Love Language, FIST 2019 competing team
What was great about the scene where I did a backflip was that it was so organic. Ryan Brookshire started playing with a soccer ball, so I started playing with a soccer ball. The only way to heighten it was to keep going nutso. So before I knew it, I was doing a backflip. I’ve done a backflip before, but it was 10 years ago.
Your face when you landed it was really good, too.
I sat down. After the backflip, I kissed Ryan, our teammates wiped the scene, and then I sat down in a chair. I was literally seeing stars. I was just saying to Justine Hipsky and Lauren Woody that I watched the video of the scene before our show tonight. It was the first time I could fully pay attention to how they started their scene. It was full of peas in a pod and listening to each other and making this great thing. But on the back line, I was seeing stars and trying to catch my breath, so I missed it in the moment.
Serina, audience member, “The Phantom of Source”
I think I saw two or three of the first round shows and more shows than I can count of the second round. It’s so exciting to support so many people I love at Source
What are you calling yourself?
The Phantom of Source. I’m like a full-on Phantom of the Opera character. I don’t go up to people afterward and congratulate them, but I email them to tell them they were amazing and that I loved a scene they did. Then they’re like, “You were there? Where were you watching from?”
You never see me, but I know it all.
Who are you obsessed with right now?
That’s really hard. There are so many great teams. I think what’s exciting is, I go to Harold Night all the time. I see people from Harold night that I don’t personally know, and then I see them with their friends in a new format during FIST, and I’m like, “Oh my gosh, you’re just crazy good at everything you do.”
There’s no specific team that I’m in love with. It’s just cool to see friends and familiar faces.
I’ve brought friends to come see FIST shows, and they’ll have no idea what a group is doing, but they have so much fun. They can follow a story or the idea of having your bones broken or being a member of an audience. I think if I took them to Harold Night, they may not understand the format, and it requires slightly more awareness of the technicalities of improv. It can be a little heady sometimes. But FIST is just so much fun. It’s people doing what they love in bite-sized little chunks. You can just go enjoy it.
I want to go back to your humblebrag about having friends.
I do have a friend or two. I feel like I’m slowly infiltrating WIT, and it’s amazing.
What do you mean by that?
I feel like I’m slowly making friends with all the people. It’s like the feeling when you’re a freshman in high school and then all of a sudden juniors and seniors know your name, and you’re just like, “Yay! I’m becoming a person!”
I feel like I see celebrities on the street. I’ll recognize people from Harold Night walking around in Dupont Circle, and I’ll just be like, “I don’t know your name, and I can’t remember what team you’re on, but your show was incredible last week!”
It’s really fun to realize this is becoming a part of my community and a part of my life. I hope I get to keep making more friends here.
If you could construct your fantasy team, who’s on it?
I have a practice team who’s been with me since Level 2, and I love them with all of my heart. I feel like they’re my soulmates. If I could have a fantasy team, they are my fantasy team. They get me. They support me. And I feel like our personalities are all very different, but we mesh together really, really, really well.
Sometimes I’m super insecure about the fact that I don’t get out there as much as I should, and they’re very supportive and understanding and keep pointing out the things I do well. So if I have to keep growing, I’ll definitely keep growing with them.
Anuj Christian, WIT camera operator
FIST is great. I love to see everyone get together. It’s good to see people perform with their regular teams, but some people are amazing together in FIST teams. I get to see so many players who I don’t see often.
Who do you think is going to win?
I don’t know. But I really like Mackenzie Bezos Traps Queen. And Ramen Hood. They’re students, and they’re pretty good. And, of course, Broken Bones. And Cereal Corner.
As the show recorder, you’ve seen a lot of FIST shows. If you were to make a recipe for a great FIST show, what are the parts you need?
The scenes can’t be too long. If a show is quick and high-energy, the audience loves it because a lot of the FIST audience doesn’t regularly watch improv. Some of them are watching for the first time. I think if the scenes are shorter, it’s easier for the audience to crack.
Elizabeth Fulton, WIT front-of-house
I don’t watch the shows, but I hear everything in the lobby through the house speakers. I think the craziest part is watching people come down the stairs after their shows. Especially now, there are only the two teams competing in each show. You can feel the tension, and they can’t help but migrate to the front lobby and chat about the show.
You’re like a therapist.
Sometimes I feel like that. There’s not one night that I haven’t said at front-of-house, “Just lean into your feelings.” Because a lot of people will say, “It’s fine. No matter what happens, I’m fine with it.” But it’s okay to not be fine with it because it’s a weird situation. It’s already hard enough to put yourself out there, but then to put yourself out there for votes… No matter what, win or lose, you should be emotional about it.
I think a lot of times, people try to guess the outcome of the show, and it’s been very interesting watching their arc of emotions when they come off stage and decide if they think they’re going to get through. Then they go and find out and come back out. And I don’t hear the winner, I just see reactions. Seeing their faces is how I know who won.
What’s the difference in faces?
If you lose, it’s a very painted on, “I’m fine.” And if you win, you want to chat with all your friends. Either way, you want to reach out to people. Because if you lost, you still want to hear, “Oh, you were robbed.” Either way, they’re gravitating toward their friends.
It’s just a bummer, especially now. There are so many great teams in the Elite Eight and Sweet 16. Everyone deserves to get some sort of recognition because they’re doing great stuff. I think it’s hard to choose a winner. They’re just different performers, different people, different styles.
One of the shows that hit me was Love Language versus The Strangers. You’ve got physical comedy on one team with The Strangers. Then there’s Love Language, and everyone on that team has been playing together, and they have this sweet dynamic. So to have the audience choose between the two teams was tough. I almost wanted to hide under the desk and not have to deal with it. I didn’t want to talk to either of them because they’re both so great.
Do you have any other things you want to say about FIST?
There are so many different styles and variables coming to the table. I hope everyone comes out of it knowing that what they’ve put on the table was worthy of a win. I think it’s tough for people to feel that way because it’s always about who comes, the word you got that night, the energy you felt on stage.
I hate to perpetuate this millennial issue of giving awards to everyone, but in this case, I’ve seen a lot of people take really brave steps, especially this year with formats or who they chose to play with or using the matchmaker Dan Miller put together. I hope people keep that throughout the year and start playing with people they don’t usually play with. I think I’ve seen everyone come out a little bit stronger.
Sweet 16 is over!
We’ve got the Elite Eight, the Comeback Brackets, the Final Four, the second Comeback Bracket, and the finals all in one weekend. And Comedic Pursuits has you covered because it’s going to be a lot.
Here are the teams in the Elite Eight:
- Blockbuster’s Ghost
- The Broken Bones
- Gush
- Husbands of Wives
- I Don’t Know Her
- Love Language
- Mackenzie Bezos Traps Queen
- Members of the Audience.
See who wins by heading to the shows!
You can follow this podcast on:
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Check out these other podcast episodes from DC comedians
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- Improviser Robin Doody talks about his time on WIT ensemble Commonwealth.
- Comedic Pursuits founder Kelsie Anderson talks about how this whole site got started.
