What's New - Jon Bolden’s Journal

So, I perform in a lot of  improv shows. In fact, it’s rare for me not to perform twice a week. This makes it progressively more difficult to get friends and people out to see you perform. It’s also usually during a prime fun time for most people (Saturdays at 8pm).

All of that, the show I’m currently involved in is NOT to be missed. It’s called Theatresports and it was created by Keith Johnstone (the man who created Maestro and several other formats). It pairs up two teams to face-off with improv challenges that can literally be anything (the first week, we had a paper airplane-throwing contest). Like most “competition” shows in improv, it’s not really about winning but getting you amped up and raising the stakes.

This upcoming weekend will be the third week of the run, and my second performance (I missed the second week). The inaugural show was phenomenal. The sold-out audience was booing judges (yes, there are judges), demanding a tie for the exhibition act, and screaming their heads off the entire show. The show feels more like a sporting event than anything I’ve been involved with. So come on out!

Every Saturday in May & June at 8pm. More info & tickets.

There are tiny, fleeting moments that I miss being single. But! then I experience a night like last night. Halyn stayed at her Mom’s house up north so she could get up early and run some errands with her. I stayed at my house alone and I remembered what it was like. I don’t sleep well when she’s not around. She relaxes me and I immediately feel comfortable and want to take a nap. We both do this and sometimes it’s annoying because… well.. there are things to do! The things I miss about being single are usually pretty dumb: wanting to backout of a plan I made and just be lazy, decide to impulsively go somewhere  when I should be working, or spending money on dumb things when I shouldn’t.

When she’s gone for even a night, I look at photos at her and smile. Being with her is so easy and yet it yields none of the disadvantages of something easy (at least that I’m aware of, feel free to point out what’s wrong with me). It only keeps getting better. She’s home tonight and I think I’ll sleep much better tonight.

Firstly, some amazing things have just happend to me. One hundred and one extraordinarily nice people people combined monetary powers to pay for over half of my new Canon 5d, mkiii. Above is a photo from the first session taken with the new camera. I’m overwhelmingly touched. I’m in the process of making a cute “Thank You” video. I want to thank everyone personally and show them how much I appreciate this gesture.

Secondly, I have decided to lay out some goals for the new year. 2012 sprinted by but I managed to at least start a lot of projects I’ve had in mind. Here are a few highlights of those:

• My directorial debut of  Manhattan Stories far exceeded my expectations in vision and reception.
• I moved in with my girlfriend, Halyn! (I realize this should be the first thing on my list). Here’s a pretty photo of her!
• I enrolled at new improv institutions (new for me), namely ColdTowne Theater and the experience has been invaluable
• I have seriously begun digging into learning Spanish, mostly vocabulary, in preparation for my March trip to Spain
• Squirrel Buddies, my improv duo with Roy Janik, was accepted to the Alaska Improv Festival and will perform in April, 2013
• Other notable experiences: Process (Hideout Theatre), multiple performances at the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival in Austin, visiting Ohio, teaching new improv classes every other month, swimming lessons, roadtrip to see wildflowers, wrecking my scooter and fracturing my elbow!

It’s time for me to start being more selfish. I’ve said this for years but I’m ready to act on it. I won’t be pushed around or taken advantage of anymore. In 2011, my mantra was to stand up for myself. I was successful for the most part. But after years of letting guilt crush me, I’m ready to transcend it and take what I want from life. This may mean I have to be less nice & understanding. This may mean falling on my face, but I’m ready to find out.