For the past month or two, I was frightened that I might not like performing improv anymore. I wasn’t sure if I would be good at it, or if I would even enjoy it, or if I would ever be as good as seemingly everyone here is. It felt like improv was a dream I used to have, like a washed-up high school quarterback. But then I remembered that the “glory days” aren’t in the past, I’m living them right now.

I just had my first Level One class at iO today and I fell in love with improv all over again. It’s sort of like when you play “Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” and it gets kinda hard and complicated near the end, so you put it down for a while and then when you come back to it, you’ve forgotten which Skulltulas you’ve killed and how to navigate the Water Temple so you just start a new save file where the slate’s been cleared and the entire game is laid out in front of you. That’s what it feels like. My improv wallet can only hold 99 rupees and my new copy of “Truth in Comedy” keeps buzzing around my head telling me to “Listen!”.

University of Florida and Theatre Strike Force alumna Marla Caceres is my wonderful teacher for the next eight weeks and I am very excited to have her. The other nine students in the class are great, too, and I’m looking forward to getting to know them better over time. I’ve also started going to shows again now because they’re free for students (and I have the bright pink ID to prove it).

I’m incredibly glad I started on this adventure and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for me later in life. Until then, I’ll just keep “Z-Targeting” my dreams.