The Alumni Magazine for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. (WPI)
Issue link: http://wpialumnimag.epubxp.com/i/65892
They call their improv project "JoKyR and Jesster" after their nicknames. The pair are regularly invited to improv festivals and asked to teach, so that what Parent initially took on as an expensive hobby is now a self-supporting part of his life. Parent describes the short-form improv he performs as "safe for all audiences," but his performances at improv festi- vals can be R-rated. "Festivals can be very risqué, very ribald, very honest," says Parent, who points out that improv is not always comedy, especially long-form, which is more theatri- cal and less games-based than short-form. In long-form, sub- ject matter is often drawn from serious personal events and experiences such as illnesses and marital strife. "We bring our whole lives onstage," he says. As to how it works, Parent points to the structure found in improv patterns. "The television sitcom Seinfeld is based on an improvisational structure called the Harald. It has three dis- tinct story lines that eventually blend together. Each story line has a different beat. The stories progress, and either they tie together or they do not," he explains. "There's a lot of math to it. The pattern has beats like music and the form sometimes dictates recurring themes or when to tie stories together." In his workshops, Parent teaches improv techniques that allow performers to break down audience suggestions and be funny under pressure. "Improv is like playing a sport in that sometimes you run plays. You have no idea how that play will come out, but you hope it will be successful. There's a play- book, but like in sports, you don't always know what play the other performers might call." Among the tools a performer might use are puns, synonyms, celebrities, and physical traits. And, of course, anything related to audience sugges- tion. "There are types of deconstructions you can use to train your brain to create good fodder for scene work." Hooked Parent's passion for improv took a dramatic turn when he stumbled upon the Russell Simmons show Def Poetry on cable television. He was inspired, particularly by the group Floetry, who performed poetry to a cappella music. Parent began to experiment, eventually combining a cappella. improvised scene work, and poetry to create a new improv form, which he dubbed "The Hook." Interest in his new form led to more invitations to perform and teach, and Parent was among only a handful of innova- tors to be named an artistic associate of the Chicago Improv Festival in 2006 by its director, Jonathan Pitts. "We asked Jesse to become a CIF artistic associate because of his passion about improv and the arts," Pitts recalls. "He's ƂHUFHO\ LQWHOOLJHQW YHU\ WDOHQWHG DQG DV JRRG D PDQ RII- stage as he is onstage." 54 Spring 2012 Parent considered isolating the improvised poetry pieces of "The Hook" and investigated taking his performances in a dif- ferent direction—the poetry slam. For the uninitiated, slam poets perform their work before an audience in monologue- type dramatic form. Competitors are evaluated and awarded points based on the impact of the poetry and the artfulness of the performance. Judging is done by audience members selected randomly just prior to the competition. A competi- tive poetry slam also has a touch of old-time religion to it, as audience members respond in mid-poem with shouts of DSSURYDO RU UDSLG ƂUH ƂQJHU VQDSV WKH ODWWHU VHUYLQJ DV D VRUW of micro-applause. Likewise, slam poetry competitions bring together an in- teresting mix of American cultures. From hip hoppers to academics to suburban hipsters to rappers, audiences are sig- QLƂFDQWO\ PRUH GLYHUVH WKDQ WKH W\SLFDO SRHWU\ UHDGLQJ 7KH poems, too, are different. The medium is live performance, "Slam poetry is more proletarian, but very honest and more accessible ... when it's done well, it hangs around in your head and makes you think." so the poems rely more on imagery and verbalization. But, when it comes to themes and topics, slam poetry and tradi- tional book-bound poetry have much in common. "Slam poetry is probably more proletarian, but very honest. It's more accessible than traditional poetry," says Parent, "But like any good poem, when it's done well, it hangs around in your head and makes you think." That ability to be thought-provoking while taking the audi- ence on an emotional journey is Parent's real reward. He rec- RJQL]HG WKLV DW WKH ,:36 +H KDG MXVW ƂQLVKHG ZKDW KH considered an imperfect performance, when he was pulled from his self-recriminations by a tap on his shoulder. It was Taylor Mali, a legend in poetry slam circles, and someone Parent hoped to meet one day. Mali was impressed by Parent's performance and told him there was greatness in what he'd just heard and seen. "I'd actually placed second that day," Parent says with a chuckle. "But it felt like I'd won."