Brick And Mortar

I can't believe how far we have come in so little time. The Villain Theater stage, box office, green room, bar, classroom, and entrance are all currently being built out for our August 1st Grand Opening Show Saturday Gigantic!

It's really amazing how we've gotten to this point in such a short time. Our growing student body and performers will soon have a place to call home along with shows to watch and learn from. It's amazing all the little things that spring up as we prepare to open.  Expected questions and hurdles like how to position the lighting or the color of the paint for the walls and also unexpected ones like which plants to use for the garden entrance or where the sandwich boards should be placed to maximize visibility.  All have been stressful and fun at the same time.

It takes a lot to get this to be the best it can be including marketing, great performers, lighting design, sound design, staff, payment systems, and all other manner of things I won't bore you with. As a producer I had always done a little of this for my shows but having an actual venue is a much bigger monster to tackle. 

I've loved every minute of it. I get as excited about getting insurance as I do about getting on stage. (I definitely get more excited about the stage) You get excited about everything when you are putting your whole life out there to build a dream. Peter and I take everything in good humor and try to keep things light even with all the pressure to get this place open. Everything is looking good and I'll be happy to welcome all of you in on August 1st.

Get your tickets! You don't want to miss the sight of a large Cuban man (me) shedding tears of joy. 

Jeff Quintana
Artistic Director
Villain Theater

First Week of Classes

Ah Finally! I've been so excited to get back into teaching and coaching. I enjoy it so much and it really brightens my day to see people just enjoying each other. That is an awesome thing about improvisation. It's one of the few times you'll see a group of strangers enjoying and cheering for each other within minutes of the class beginning. 

It's a beautiful positive thing to be a part of. I enjoy the immediate family and friends vibe you build in an improv class.  If you didn't grow up in Miami it can be hard to make new friends but in an improv class you do it almost immediately. You spend time smiling and laughing with some folks once a week. You end up making friends instead of choosing them. It's genuine. It's a real connection because in improv the people you enjoy most to perform with and watch are the the ones who can find a real connection with you on stage.

When we put on the posts that Improv is for Everyone, I truly think that. There is not one person in the world who would not benefit from being better at embracing their fears and trying new things. All day we are calculating things. Calculating what time to get to work. Calculating what to do next at work. Calculating what to make for dinner. Calculating how long it will take to do every thing. So much thinking and that is fine. We need to think and we need to plan to live. That's fact.

We also need to connect in a real way. Enjoy our Co workers and family members more. Smile at strangers more and say hello. Break our own physical barriers down. Break our emotional barriers down. Enjoy working as a team more. Enjoy life more by connecting with the world and people in it.

That kind of open connection to find the joy in other humans and ourselves is what we all live for. We spend years of our lives trying to amass money so we can eventually have free time to spend ENJOYING life. Why wait so long to start enjoying life and the people around us? Do it now. Dance now. Play now. Improvise now because connecting with others will bring joy to your life.

I love this. I love people that love this. I love people that can put their ego aside and really connect with another person.

I truly believe if everyone would improvise the world would change. So let's make Improv for Everyone. Take a class and join our family. The Villain family. We bring the joy and the laughter. One day I hope to perform with you and make a real connection with you on stage and in life.

Jeff Quintana
Artistic Director
Villain Theater

The First Month Back In MIA

It's been about a month now since I arrived back in Miami and got started on the crazy ride of opening my own Theater company with trusted friend Peter Mir.  People kept telling me how stressful all this would be and how you have to do all "not fun" parts of running a business but I just haven't found it to be true.  With every new contact we make, new student that signs up for class, new venue we get for shows, every new problem we solve, and just every new accomplishment we have I get more and more excited.  I love the victories on and off the stage and that is what makes Villain Theater so exciting to be a part of.

On the personal side I arrived here in Miami and was living out of bags on my older brother Willy's couch.  I have no car so that has been a challenge, especially since he lived all the way on North Beach.  There are so many benefits though to being there that really welcomed me back home in a big way.  We watched so many movies together that I am completely caught up on everything ever from American Sniper to Night Crawler.   I started learning and practicing the martial art of Wing Chun (My brother is a huge tactical martial arts enthusiast).  Its cool seeing how different types of disciplines have very similar ideologies and practices to form a different result.  For my brother its to defend himself in combat and for me its to pretend to be a shitty lawyer named Barnes Foklore.

While living on the beach I also got to do something that I missed a lot and that was actually going to the beach.  Getting some sun and being in the water is just part of what makes Miami so great.  As I told everyone in Chicago before I left, just being here I have already lost 7 pounds and feel a lot better.  Lifestyle here is just different and people around you are constantly the most attractive people you've ever seen.  Even ugly things look pretty in Miami from buildings to alligators.  Being on the beach also reminded me of the sweltering heat there is here but I love it.  I always have preferred to be too hot then too cold.  There is something that is great about sweating that just makes you awesome. The most obvious part of it being that its your bodies way of letting out toxins and other shit.  My skin is repairing itself from being so dry up in the Mid West and that is a victory in itself.

My brother was wonderful and cooked breakfast and dinner every night while making sure I didn't go insane as I struggled to get everything going.  Not having a car here leaves you at everyone's whim and I am someone that truly enjoys my activities and freedom.  I have been surviving with very little as I am used to doing.  Money is coming in but it goes right back out for the business.  That is the way start ups are and I knew this going in.  I should be able to afford getting in on a very cheap car soon and that will be great.  At this point I don't care what I am driving as long as I can get around.

I have taken steps towards eating better as I want to get more healthy and lose a bunch of weight.  I am at 315 right now but Im going to work hard to get down to 230 which would be a whopping 85 pounds.  That is like losing a whole other person.  Its a lofty goal but I've got a lot of help from family and Peter to keep me on the path of eating well and exercising more.

I have reconnected with people all over the improv community including Cage Free Humans, Miamah Comedy, Improv South Miami, Just The Funny, Old Impromedy Friends, Sick Puppies, Business Casual, Hailo Kitty, Chasing Tales, 4 X 4 Improv, Mod 27, Uprov, Special In A Bad Way, Comedy School Dropouts, and plenty more.  Its cool to see how many new faces there are and great to see the old school folks still kickin it. The community is bigger now and I think the presence of Micro Theater as a venue for all the groups to get together is awesome.  In Miami there was way too much division before and having an outlet like Micro makes it so everyone meets each other and hangs out more while doing different kinds of work from their own bubbles of comedy.  If you haven't checked out Dynamic Night at Micro Theater Miami you really should. Every Wednesday at 8pm, $5 per show, you can't lose.

Finally I moved to my little brothers (Chris) place recently, he just got into a new house and was kind enough to let me crash in an extra room he has for the next couple of months. Its been nice to have my own space and unpack my bags finally.  Small victories like being able to hang up your clothes, leave your bed in one spot made, connect your computer, and have a door that you can close have been gifts from above.  I live a very minimalist life style so every bit of comfort is huge to me.  I really think its why I love improv so much, I have never needed a lot.  I only need the next moment and living moment to moment makes it so I never get stressed out or have anxiety issues.  I am just focused on now and building to whats next.  So far everything is working out great and I know money will come and a car will happen too.  Its all just about working hard and keeping everything positive which are both my specialty.

Can't wait to start teaching this weekend. Its going to be amazing.  I love doing it and bringing a curriculum that I feel will really make people grow and get better.  Its my favorite thing in the world. I'll bring the tough love and I can't wait to see this group become closer for the next 8 weeks and really rock it out in their class show.  Everything is full steam ahead.    Villain Theater is Making its Mark on Miami and so am I. ;-)

Jeff Quintana
Artistic Director
Villain Theater

Different Techniques for Different Show Moments

I have been improvising for about 12 years now and in that time I've done about 100 shows a year and I'm low balling. Shows can't be the only thing you do but they are really important for putting into practice what we learned in classes, rehearsals, books, and more.

I have really found that the best shows I've played are those that I adjust in the moment my style of play. Every situation throughout a show requires reaction, commitment, and specificity, those are to me required. What is not required is that I use silence every scene, do object work every scene, play a bug character, play close to myself, play fast, play slow, and a whole slew of styles of play that I think people believe to be something they need to do every time to make good scenes.

Good scenes are made up of how we react moment to moment. I may start a scene slow with a sluggish energy but literally seconds later may have to be frantic and screaming. Commiting to your choice doesn't mean " Im sad for this scene" it means I'm sad in this scene until  not because this happened. Or I was sad but then super angry. We have to be constantly in the moment paying attention to what the scene is actually doing and playing it honestly.

We will definitely find patterns and games but even those can't be preplanned or set to be a road map. We have to see when that game is over and a new one begins. It's a difficult thing but it's where the best comedy comes from.

Timing is everything and I believe this mentality of moment to moment is the key to timing. Sometimes that hilarious line you have needs a 5 second silence before to make it really pop but you won't give the scene that unless you are really commited to the moment.

Be in the moment and strong scenes will become more regular.

Jeff Quintana
Artistic Director
Villain Theater

In Your Head? Feel Trapped? GOOD!

I was speaking with Peter last night after a rehearsal and we were saying how sometimes we've been in our heads when in a rehearsal or class. Contrary to popular belief , I really think this is a good thing, no, it's a GREAT thing. 

See the reason we get in our heads most of the time is because we are being challenged to stretch ourselves. We are doing something with our improv that we haven't done before. Because of this our body naturally rejects it, because it means we are going into unknown territory. Our sense of self preservation goes off and holds us back from risk. In this case it's the risk of doing badly in front of our classmates or the teacher or the director.

These moments are exactly what rehearsal is for.  These moments are also what improv fundamentally is: Following The Fear.  We fear the unknown, we fear change, so our body rejects it. It makes excuses as to why this is not needed.  Having a new tool and skill in our improv is never bad. Having a different Point of view or way of approaching the work is always needed.  You never know what situation you may be in on stage and you may need to use a different approach.

Try it all. Really try it.  I pride myself on being able to embrace different techniques and perform with anyone.  I got there by failing hard and often in rehearsals.  I also failed Hard and often in shows trying new things. We all have to be okay with doing so.  Learn all you can. Incorporate all you can. Become a complete improviser by Following the fear and always growing forever in this work.

- Jeff Quintana
Artistic Director
Villain Theater

Make Your Mark! Villain Theater in Miami!

Finally Peter and I can begin our dream of opening a theater dedicated to improvisation in our own back yard of Miami,FL.  This has been something we both have been preparing for since we left this beautiful city in 2010.  We've been through a lot and learned even more. We'll both be alternating writing about our experiences on this blog along with our thoughts on improvisation, theater, comedy, Miami, and art at large.

Check back soon! Exciting things on the way and we can't wait to bring something to Miami that will truly empower anyone who wants to do more with everything in their life.  Make your mark.  Villain Theater is here to do just that. 

- Jeff Quintana

Artistic Director

Villain Theater

Weekender

Originally when asked to join a new Harold Team after Villain I declined. I was not ready to jump on another team right away. I had just been on an amazing team that was as close a team as I've ever been on besides a team with my best friend and my brother that I had been on for years.  I also wanted some time away from Harolds. 

I really felt I wouldn't do any more Harolds beyond Heraldo before I left town. That changed one night after about 3 weeks of being away and declining the team they put me on. I was asked to sit in with a team that was low on numbers.  Their name was Weekender, The given name they had from the Harold Commission and they had not changed it.  At iO you are first given a place holder name when your team is first made and usually what happens is the team changes it before their first show.  Its not the case for all but most teams have their new name by that first show or shortly after.  Most of the time teams change their names but in Weekenders case they were having way too much fun and it just became easier to keep it as they were getting known for it.  

After being away from Harolds a short time and being away from Villain I didn't have high hopes for the show.  That all changed in an instant right from the warm up.  Just some of the kindest and funniest people you will ever meet.  They were so welcoming of me right away and we played a really great show.  Then they had another show a week later and I played that show and it was a blast.  Then it just kept happening. Its been a total blast to play with them and they make such cool moves throughout the show that everyone jumps on real hard.  

They have a great coach in Jon Butts and he really pushes for Weekender to have a good time while also doing good work that is interesting.  When I was asked to become a regular on the team I explained that I was leaving to Miami to open a theater as it was not common knowledge yet.  Jon and the team were so kind to let me keep playing each week until I leave.  In the short time I have been with them Weekender has done some really cool shows and they have a super bright future ahead of them.  

It was nice to have another experience with the Harold beyond Villain and Heraldo.  It truly is always different and changes so much based on who you play with.  Thanks for the great times and friendship Weekender!  Hope to see you all down in Miami soon!

-Jeff Quintana

Artistic Director

Villain Theater