This week on Yes But Why, I had the pleasure of chatting with Velvet Duke, Toronto-based entertainer and improv instructor.

Velvet Duke is a world-beloved Black, autistic, queer, velvet voiced, multi-faceted creator, facilitator, and community leader.

As an entertainer, Velvet engages with audiences as a musical improviser, a storyteller, a stand-up, and a host. Velvet studied at and graduated from The Improv Place (Masterclass in Teaching) as well as Second City Toronto Training Centre (Musical Improvisation Conservatory). He has also taken master classes in improvisation with Jill Bernard, Stephen Davison, John Gebretatose, Natasha Boomer, Ken Hall, Mick Napier, Katy Schutte and Chris Mead.

Velvet is also an improv workshop facilitator. Based in Canada with a strong internet connection, Velvet is available to lead workshops virtually to groups around the world. Velvet facilitates virtual classes through international improvisational theatres such as Edinburgh International Improv Festival, The Nursery Theatre, Vintage Improv Festival, and Highwire Improv. He also runs online improv workshops through Guelph Black Heritage Society and Black Improv Alliance. Velvet has facilitated in-person workshops at the Black and Funny Festival, Theatre on the Edge, and with the original Toronto Theatresports.

In our conversation, Velvet and I talk about how much we miss performing in front of an audience and how much we crave big crowds. We are kindred spirits and we talk about a superpower we both have connecting with and comforting strangers. Velvet tells me about his Star Trek fandom improv troupe, “The Dandies,” and about his deeply personal solo show series, “Personal Demon Hunter.” We were excited to chat with each other and we can’t wait for you to listen to it now!

Support Velvet Duke by watching his online improv shows including: “Y’Up”, “Crooner,” and “Crushin It.”

Hire Velvet Duke to facilitate an improv workshop at your theatre! Highly skilled and extremely motivated, Velvet is the improv teacher you have been looking for!

 

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This episode of Yes But Why is also sponsored by PodcastCadet.com. Go to PodcastCadet.com and put in offer code YBY20 to get 20% off your first consultation!

 

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(production notes: recorded zoom meeting on 2/8/2021)

 

 

 

 

TRANSCRIPT by Otter.ai

HOST  00:00

Hello, Yes But Why listeners, this is your host, Amy Jordan.   Welcome to Yes But Why episode 254: my chat with Toronto-based entertainer and improv instructor Velvet Duke  But first, let’s talk about our sponsors.  Today’s episode is sponsored by audible. Get your FREE audiobook download and your 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/YESBUTWHY.   Audible is my main way of consuming books these days. So listen up. Go to audibletrial.com/YESBUTWHY and download that app. You get a free audiobook immediately and there’s so much included content once you sign up.   Our other sponsor for today’s episode is PodcastCadet.com.   My husband, Chris and I run the company, PodcastCadet.com. Let us help you with your podcast. We can give you a little push or we can help you with the production of all of your podcast episodes!   Contact us now at PodcastCadet.com! Use promo code YBY20 to let us know you heard of us through Yes But Why podcast and you’ll get 20% off the first service or workshop you buy!   This week on Yes But Why, listen in as I become besties with Velvet Duke.  Velvet is a musical improviser, a storyteller, a stand-up, and a host. Velvet is also an improv workshop facilitator based in Toronto.  Velvet and I talk about how much we miss performing in front of big crowds. Velvet tells me about his Star Trek fandom improv troupe, “The Dandies,” and about his deeply personal solo show series, “Personal Demon Hunter.” We mostly talked about how much we miss connecting with audiences so listen to it now and tell us what you think!  I now present to you: yes but why episode 254: Velvet Duke on connecting with an audience and doing what you love! Enjoy!     I’m Amy Jordan, and this is Yes But Why Podcast. Yeah.

 

Velvet Duke  02:26

My fandom improv troupe that dandies gets to play at fan conventions, or in the in the before times, we got to, we got to do it every year. And so we would get crowds of hundreds, hundreds of people who had come of all ages, and it depended on the fandom, whether it was a packed house, or just a full house. Every time I get an opportunity to be in the audience at these conventions I am, it’s almost like it’s almost as soon as I finished introducing that we are the dandies that I’m out in the audience playing with them as much as I’m playing with my troop. And it will. We have like 400 people. And it was after that show that I went this, I mean, I always knew I wanted to do improv, because I have been doing it for a while. But this is also the way that I want to do it, I want to do it in the middle of a stadium crowd. I don’t mind doing the bar shows that we do. But this is my goal is to get to the point where there are hundreds, if not 1000s of people there. And I get to do all of the things that I get to do and I give them the permission to do the things that they wouldn’t do, then none of them are signing up for classes or anything. But in this moment, they get to be a little bit of a star and get a little bit of rosy cheat and some pride and their friends and family besides them are just like they’re we’re all in it together. And one of the things I like about that is as devilish as I may be in some of those moments, I’m also doing it with a smile, and I’m making sure that everybody is taken care of in that and they’re also smiling along with like their in on the joke of it. It is not at anyone’s expense. It is just outrageously silly. So I love having those moments. And I’ve also loved those moments where you get to do a turn emotionally, or narratively of some sort. And you you can feel that gasp before it actually comes out to be a gasp of people go. Something has changed Like what? And they’re so invested. So that in those moments, but that one specifically was like, This is what I want to do. I want to be that guy. So, so I’ve been working steadily toward that goal.

 

HOST  04:59

Oh man The world really threw you for a loop for a person to talk to large crowds.

 

Velvet Duke  05:05

Yes, having to, to bring myself on to the online existence, just to see anybody has has humbled me. But I also really liked the internet. So I don’t feel like suddenly I have to learn a whole new environment, we I spent more time convincing other people to do it with me than actually wanted. So I started doing solo stuff. Because I was ready, I had the energy, and I still wanted to push boundaries for myself. I wanted to improve my confidence around doing solo materials for any kind. So I started doing solo improv solo musical improv, because I wanted to do a play, and or I had wanted to do a play. So I’m like, Well, I now have this, this entered, I know what it feels like, I know I can do this. I know that that feeling I felt in the in the convention, I can replicate it. And so doing things online in a solo way is it’s hard, like it is hard. In the void in some ways. But I also have some practice of shouting into the void. So So yeah, it really is I mean, and fortunately, in it, because the world has opened up and, and we’ve there has been this paradigm shift in the way many people look at where you can do improv. So there are pages or groups that you can go to to find a jam tonight, every night of the week, if you want that if you need that adrenaline rush. And I do know people who do stay up to all hours to catch the next jam and, and it’s i get i get chasing that dragon. I do enough that I don’t need to go that way. But I do enjoy the jams I connect with.

 

HOST  06:58

You know, I think about that when with reference to the way that I was when I was like in my 20s. And like I was working two jobs and then going to open mics every single night and staying out until three in the morning. And then I’d get up at seven, go work at the travel agency, leave the travel agency go work at the gap and then leave the gap and head straight to the open mic. And so like I had that boundless energy at one point, so I like get this idea of these people that are doing it 24 hours a day. Do I have that boundless energy now? No, no, I do not. So I do one or two podcast interviews and a little improv during the course of the week. But oh my god, not 24 hours a day for the love of God.

 

Velvet Duke  07:43

I when I when I had a day job, there came a point where I was out at an improv or stand up show or storytelling show or I was out doing something more nights of the week than I was home. So I needed to find that balance for myself because I also have a partner and I love them and they like performing with me, but they don’t love it in this. They don’t have the same bug or passion for it. So I did have to start finding that balance. And initially at the beginning of the pandemic, I was like, I’m going to do one or two things. So I can reconnect. That’s what I said to myself as a lie. Haha, I need this. But to reconnect. And then it also started to expand to I’m online a lot doing different things. And I feel like I just you know, water finds its level. I feel like I have now I now get the things I need to from fewer shows. And I connect with people in other ways online so that it doesn’t always have to be performative. Because the other side of it being performative is it’s shallow. It’s Yes, they have your back for that moment. You’ve created great magic for that moment. And now it’s gone. And where’s that relationship now? So to have other avenues to connect with people, super important. It only took all my life to figure that I

 

HOST  09:13

yeah, I’m still there. I’m working on it. I’m working on it, trying to find my way to making that rainbow connection for sure. For sure. Yeah. You mentioned you were doing solo work. Because you were working towards a play. Are you like writing a solo show? Or was it like, are you developing pieces to do a play that other people will will perform

 

Velvet Duke  09:40

it? It’s so it’s a past tense activity in 2019. I actually toured it around. So in 20 us in 2017, I’m like, I have this desire to do this. And I didn’t get into the fringe festivals. So I’m like, Well, I have other things I’m doing so whatever and then 2018 I I was gifted a stand up show, I took it over for a friend. And, and I would get my friends to try stand up for the first time at my open mic. And because they’d say, Oh, I want to do this, I’m like, well, the improv of me says, hey, let’s make this happen. So here’s your date. There you go. And I got them out of their shell. Amazing. I mean, amazing gift. And I didn’t force anybody, but it was the opportunity was there. The reality was, though, that I hadn’t really done a lot of stand up at that point. Excellent. Done none at that point, except for hosting that show. So I was like, you know, what, if I’m challenging other people, I’d better face this bear too. So I started doing stand up. But I also knew again, that I had this goal of doing a solo production. And, and I got into the fringe, the fringe circuit in 2019. I incorporate improv storytelling, doing music in it, because I wanted to highlight all the things I love to do. And that made it feel safer for me to take on this very vulnerable project. It Yeah, it just crossed a lot of bucket list items. For me the idea of writing something and putting it out in the world, performing it being the only person on stage. So if I switch things around, if I get lost in any way, it’s up to me to recover. And I mean, and the audience is always on your side, unless, until they’re not, but the audience is on your side. So nobody’s looking for you to fail, but at the same time, you still have to do the rest of the show. So it really helped me to challenge all of those things, which are just, I mean, it’s true in everyday life, like life imitates art imitates life. And and I find that improv is the easiest way to extract some of those life lessons in, you know, the least painful way. So that when you see it coming up in life, you go, Okay, I know, okay, choices, make choices, it will be better for everyone if you just make choices. So I so it helped me to solidify some of those choices. And, yeah, it was a great experience, I got to I did it in my hometown, with Toronto. And, and that was lovely. And then I got to take it out to the west coast to Victoria. And what I loved about it was, it was so validating, I took it out there and it was received in the same way as it was at home. So people who had nothing vested in me in any way, also were like, This changed my life. Which I mean, if you’re doing art in any way, and even one person ever in your life says that, like that is I mean, it’s not a million dollars, but it’s real close. It’s just it hits your soul in a way that no plaque or anything else is going to really reach in and let you know that you know you’ve hit something universal. Yeah. So I’m very I’m very fortunate to have had that experience multiple times with that specific show. And as a result of doing that, thank you. As a result of doing that I then when Hey, I had meant to make this a little bit more. I don’t know the words but I want to say like compartmentalised so that I could pull out stories and drop other ones in. And depending on the read, like I wanted to really that was the grand dream of this. So I said I want to do a sequel so that I can touch on some of the other stories that I didn’t do the first time around. First time around was I need all of this validation, I need to like I need to set this as foundational as possible, so that in the future, I can go Oh, I am down in Austin. While they are not going to get story one, but story two is going to just land. So that’s still like the dream goal. In the meantime, I did this sequel. And as I was building it out with that initial idea in mind, I realized that it solidified as its own piece that was centered around black joy, which is I mean it was timely. I don’t pretend that that I wasn’t trying to you know get bums in seats as well. But it also was timely for me in terms of the healing that I was doing both as a performer and as a human being and in the society and and like it just that it touched other people was just a happy byproduct for me. It was it really was like it was so life affirming for me to be able to speak these words to share artistry around it and to be on a badly black and not not question whether I needed to tone it down. But not that my first play tone to anything down. I But this one was like so, so hyper specific to, I am going to talk about some ways that I express and I discovered my black joy. So,

 

HOST  15:12

so name of the show,

 

Velvet Duke  15:14

the first show was called personal demon hunter. I still I still have the Facebook page for it, I still keep it alive, as well as the second which was personal demon hunter divine and conquer. Oh, I love him. I love him. I don’t know, I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to put it all together as one title forever and ever moving forward when I finalize those those interchangeable stories or not. But at this point, I’m very proud to have two pieces that kind of had similar forms, but developed very differently. And were expressed and the second one because it was during the pandemic was purely online. So I ran all of my own tech, in addition to managing the chat and doing my show and having improv and music and all the things I want to do, but also I have a it’s just a good thing. I have ADHD because I needed to put that energy somewhere anyway.

 

HOST  16:16

Sure, sure. That’s great. I’m glad you’re able to find a way to channel it for sure. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, it’s important. I like the way it has the way it’s personal demon hunter and then personal demon hunter divide and conquer. I wonder if maybe like the third one could just be like an additional phrase. Like, it’s just like,

 

Velvet Duke  16:41

personal demon hunter divide and conquer. Judgment.

 

HOST  16:49

You know, I was also gonna say, you mentioned that like, they’re both solo shows, they’re both storytelling with a little improv some music. And, but that you wrote them in two very different ways, right? I feel like that sounds like the makings for like a solo workshop. Like, how do you write a, your own solo show? I mean, because people are always trying to do it. If, if there’s anything going on in improv theaters across the earth, always. It’s like a handful of people trying to write solo shows. Right? Right. Stand up is not for everybody. But that doesn’t mean they don’t want to be on stage alone. Right. I mean, I like direct attention. Just as at me, I enjoy that. I also enjoy the large crowds. When you were talking about the big crowds. I was like, Oh, yeah, give me a stadium and a microphone. And like,

 

Velvet Duke  17:40

yeah, yeah, I honestly even if they don’t give me the microphone, like I will project if I need to. But I will like I’ll, I’ll give everybody high five. I mean, everybody has to get vaccinated, but I will like I will be there. It will be nice if they have all this, the lights and everything and make it really flashy on the stage. But honestly, I will probably spend less time on stage than I will in the audience with them. Unless it’s, you know, being televised or filmed in some way, and they need me to stay on my mark. I’ll be like Mike Birbiglia where it’s like luck, you just better mark the whole stage because I am not going to stop moving. I’m going to be over here for a bit. Now. I’m going to be over here. Now. I’m going to be it just, this is how I do it. And if you don’t do it, then I need a different company. Because

 

HOST  18:29

Totally, yeah, I totally see Mike Birbiglia as a, as an inspiration as well, when it comes to creating storytelling shows, like cuz he, he’s lumped in with stand ups, but I don’t think that’s what he thinks he is. And that’s not really what he’s doing. Like he’s building these shows, and I just really love. And I wonder if he even thinks of it this way. But like, I enjoy that if you listen to his stuff in the order that it was written, it’s like the journey of his life. Like it’s like him and him in college, then it’s him when he first met his wife, and then it’s and then it’s him. You know, it’s like breaking up with this girlfriend met his wife, then he has a kid. Like, I can’t wait for the next one. What’s it gonna be?

 

Velvet Duke  19:11

Right? Yeah,

 

HOST  19:12

guys, you know, it’s super weird to make a movie. Tell me about it. It’s what you did. So I mean, do your journey. Like, but there’s something so fun about that. And you’re right. He’s, he’s so fun. I don’t know if you saw that. The new one, the, the, there’s a Netflix special that he did, which is his newest one, but it actually is called the new one. And it was a stage show. So it’s, you know, just a filming of the stage show. And instead of it being like, stand up with just the microphone, there’s props and insane and so I love it. I love the shirt, stuff on the stage and the things happen and then he has to deal with that stuff around him like so fun to develop a show in that way. Also, I think like if you do a show where like you wander around the theater, it’s It’s not like, it’s not like you need to, you know, you just use a different space, right? Like it doesn’t have to be a proscenium stage. Sure proscenium is for people who like to stand up there in front of the lights, they really enjoy that. But I’ve done like black box shows. And I mean, I’ve even done. I’ve even seen proscenium shows where, like, characters and actors run in and out for sure. So like, you know, it’s really just a matter of like, Hey, guys, you ready for a night of exciting theater? And it’s like, Yeah, I was like, Okay, well, anything could happen.

 

Velvet Duke  20:31

One of the one of the theatrical gigs that I got, was an Eric borgesian play, that was all these men, it’s all men. And, and everyone gets a little bit of a, I’ll give you the name afterwards. But everybody gets their little monologue bed. And I’m like, this, the character that I’m playing doesn’t make sense to be on stage. So I fought, I mean, I didn’t have to fight hard, but I fought to have my character in the middle of the audience. And so you know, I’m breaking, I’m breaking the traditions of theater, whatever. But it’s like, my character actually is it’s like, what is this play about? What are you doing? And like, I’m yelling at somebody on stage. So to me, it made sense to do that from the sideline, the backline, or whatever it is, like, okay, okay, no, let’s, let’s deep ourselves in this reality. And and do that. So I’m much I’d much prefer to have. I’d much prefer to play with that fourth wall than to honor it and pretend that were bought where, you know, on display, and, you know, maybe some of the emotions that impact those that were feeling seeps through. I don’t know, I want to reach the people. Come on, let me let me see. Let me see you cry, I’m going to make you cry, or you’re going to make me cry. I’m like, are you going to make me laugh? Oh, make me laugh. Oh, I, I much prefer that kind of engagement. So yes, improv definitely gives me that far more than theater. And I thought, if I’m going to be doing a theatrical production, it better give me that license, because I’m going to do it anyway. So I might as well, I might as well build it into the reality. The other thing I want to I want to share about it is, as much as I know, that’s true for me. I also am big on consent. So I started off both productions saying, I’m going to be interacting with you to the amount that you want me to. If I come to you, and you say no, you say go away, I’m gone. It’s just so I let people know right from the outset that that I am going to be engaging, I will, I will be direct about that. But I also will back off so that it actually allowed for by the time that we got to the part where things are heavy, and I’m asking them to share something heavy, they felt comfortable enough to do so. And that was the other part of of theatrical production. To me, it’s like it’s not one too many. I’m not interested in one too many so much as one to one to one to one and having people sit beside going Yeah. Like that captures me. And so when I’m doing improv, a lot of it’s comedy, but not all of it is and I’m just as jazz for those moments where we can’t stop laughing as I am for those moments where it’s like, I want to laugh again for a while because I’m feeling so many other things. And, you know, letting those be true. Yeah.

 

HOST  23:39

There is something great about, you know, using the breadth of emotion when it comes to doing improv, and sometimes for the service of comedy and sometimes not, you know, technically I love my theory of comedy is that comedy is contrast. So I really love doing like some serious, serious things and like getting really serious with people. And then just like slicing it with some surd just like right through the middle of it like that. chef’s kiss right there. I just love it. It’s like so just exactly what I want because like, my favorite moment in movies ever of crying and laughing at the same time is Steel Magnolias. Spoiler alert, the daughter’s dead. They’re in the graveyard. And the girls crying she’s so sad. And then the other friend harasses the woman who’s crying about her daughter dying and makes fun of her and then they all start laughing. And I remember watching that for the first time. I’m bawling. I’m so sad. I got this character, it’s died. And then I’m laughing with them in that moment. And that mix of those two emotions in me was definitely one of my like artistic most moments where I was like, I want to do this, like, how do I learn how to make a person feel these things like yeah, Ah, man, I mean, and there’s, I don’t even know if I’ve actually successfully done that. But like, I’ve certainly worked on learning the skills and figuring out how to do that. And like, the more I think about live theater versus improv, versus film, which I’m watching this film, right, it was a play, but they’re performing it like a film. So there’s people there and there’s probably do it a few times. Yeah, many times they did that scene, the crying and the laughing, probably multiple, but it was like, they like blew my mind just just to do it. I too, love the connection with the audience. Because I think that that’s just like, the best way that you can connect with other human beings is to physically be in the room with them. And I sure do miss it. Sure, do listen to one of my tough,

 

26:04

tough, tough things.

 

Velvet Duke  26:05

Yeah, I cannot agree more I am, I am amazed by how much I have. I’ve transformed from being an extrovert who needs to be around throngs of people, even if I don’t know them, to being somebody now, who is so hyper vigilant and cautious about just because there are so many people who aren’t when it comes to situation that’s going on. So I find that to be like, Oh, I mean, that. That just shows how malleable you can be as a human to be able to accept my new reality literally, is this zoom box. That’s all I know, anymore. And I will have to retrain what it’s like to be to trust being in physical spaces with people I don’t know, again, and I will, I mean, I will, but it will take time. And I am looking forward to that anticipation of it, like the first time that I can get together with a group of people I know. And like, who don’t live here and like, just catch up, but just be present with each other. I look forward to that. But I’m also not going to risk it until things are a lot safer.

 

HOST  27:19

Yeah, yeah, I feel the same way. I’m like, I feel like I used to be such an extrovert, like, and even now, like, there are little things that I still do that I’m like, okay, it’s still inside. It’s just dormant right now. Because like, I talk to strangers a lot, like a ton in times, but now quite a bit. Because a, I don’t talk to many other people. And then be God, I the biggest thing that I realized I missed were was like, being a weirdo and making jokes with random people at like, the grocery store. Like, I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed doing that. until it was like super weird to do that. Right? I remember, like, the first time I tried to, like, say something to somebody next to me in like an aisle. And they were just like, you know, like, and I got it. I was like, No, you’re right. Why am I talking to you? Right? You know, but now, now, there’s, there’s sort of where we’re careful. But there’s still a bit of a loser. You know, people can laugh a little bit more now. And so like, I can be like, What are you telling me? They add coffee and coke together? This thing looks disgusting. Am I right? And then they can go Yeah, or like, what? No, it’s totally delicious. And then we can have a conversation for two seconds, and then never talk to each other again. But we both got that little like spark of like, the human being. And then like, every time like, it’s almost like when you quit sugar, and then you come back to sugar. And you’re like, Wow, did you guys know sugar is really intense. Like, it’s like, I get that rush from talking to one person. Yes. In the grocery store. Like I’m like, I love that sweater, sweetheart. And she’s like, Oh, thanks. And then for the rest of the time I’m there. I’m like buzzing. I’m like, Oh, yeah, I just spoke to a human. You know. But I mean, that used to be my job. Like, I used to be the person who was in charge of like getting people to go to this Improv Theater. And so like, I would not only stand in the front of the theater and just sort of welcome people when they came in and like, talk to every stranger that walked in. But like, I’d go out into the world and just randomly see who I thought would like improv, and I’d walk up to them and be like, Hey, what’s up, guys? Listen, I totally know this is weird, but I teach improv. And I think you guys would have a super fun time. So like, me and strangers. Always. It’s like, I love some strangers, right? But it’s super weird now to talk to them. So I don’t know. I mean, I’m ready. I’m ready. Let’s see what Get that stadium. Right? Let’s get it. I’m not gonna lie, I would much rather a stadium in Canada than a stadium in the US to be honest with you. But

 

30:08

why is why is that?

 

HOST  30:11

What is it? Because of the safety?

 

30:13

Oh, yeah, yeah,

 

HOST  30:14

I think just right now,

 

Velvet Duke  30:16

you’re just looking for an excuse to get up to Canada I got

 

HOST  30:19

Oh, my god, no, like legit Toronto was definitely like on my bucket list of like, I’m going there someday, whether it’s like to go there for a long term intenso or to take a long vacation or something like that, but there’s just too much there. That is literally what I want in a city that like and also like it’s a sort of Mecca of the arts and improv in a way. I mean, certainly for me and a lot of the people that I’ve sort of originally met and, and then and then it’s just, it’s like, I am also mildly obsessed with Canadian television. And I didn’t realize it until one after the other the shows that I was watching, I’d get to the end and then they’d have the little like, made in Canada. And I was like, Oh, yeah. Then I was like, wait, nothing I watch is me. Nothing. I love it. and Canada. and Canada. Oh, watch it. So like now I just look up. I just look it up ahead of time. Hold on. Where does it mean? California? Again? No, no, I guess. Maybe I like it. But then I’m all like Toronto. Yeah, whatever. What is it three aliens limited pizza place and they all just eat bugs? Yeah, seems fine.

 

Velvet Duke  31:36

Right. I know the people in their cast. Yeah.

 

HOST  31:41

Exactly. But it’s like just something about it. Yes. Oh, man. So funny. So how did you get into improv? Like, you mentioned that you had we’re doing this fandom improv troupe. I guess we should start there. Hi, oh,

 

31:59

we need to start earlier. Okay.

 

Velvet Duke  32:01

So so even to improv, I’m going to fast I’ll state but then fast forward, the original introduction. I started in in high school, wonderful. I want to fast forward to I took a break from improv, I took a break for a period of time I needed, I needed to find a new community of people to do it with. And when it came back, I came back with Vincent’s to do musical improv. And so I came back to look for other people who were into it. Because that was one of the things I wanted to leave behind this idea that, oh, it’s me, I don’t want to do that. I don’t, it’s improv, give it a try. Do it. And and so I did. I was with a troupe. And we would do sequels of existing movies, as a musical. So we wouldn’t ever do a musical we would do things like, like Rocky. And we would do rocky the musical. So it was a blast. And then, you know, we had different needs, let’s say, I’ll be polite and diplomatic about it. We have different needs, about what it meant to be in a troop and how far to take things. So as a result of feeling, the frustration and the you know, we’re breaking up, we’re breaking up as a true, I needed something else. And my partner and I were watching Star Trek next generation as a binge watch for just for ourselves. And I said, hey, we’ve done a little bit together, we’d if I started this thing, would you start this thing with me? It’ll be the two of us. And, and so we did. It started out as this dual own. And we would have a bunch of people guest with us, who also were like, do you know it even a little bit to join us? And they’re like, yep, great. You’ll be a red shirt. Wonderful. Do you know it? No, not at all. Okay, let’s make you a guest opening for us. Because I wanted to be. I wanted I only wanted to have people who knew the genre. didn’t always work out that way. But that was the intention. And then and then eventually, we started at some of the people who were playing with us regularly. It was like, why don’t we expand the troupe? And, and, you know, membership has changed over the years a little bit. But yeah, we’ve been going for eight years. And and for me, the my, some of the, there were milestones with this, too. It’s like, love doing it. It was a once a month shows that we were doing in live spaces, live bar spaces, theater spaces. And then I said yeah, so this is great, but I want to go where the people are. So I got us signed up for the for the conventions. And and so we got to play the conventions in town and a few a little bit out of town and, and then I got a message from somebody in Winnipeg, which is a province over from me, and they said, We have a convention I said, awesome, and they said we want you to open for William Shatner, what do you think? And I said, I’m pretty sure the answer’s yes. I just need to figure out like how do we do that? Is there any travel money? Like how do we how do we figure all this out? And he said, I can’t do that. All I can say is that if you can get here, the space is yours. And I went well, yes. And so I did a fundraiser, I successfully got a fundraiser to get us travel, and accommodation money. And I said to everybody, it’s like, Look, we will have to pay for our own food, we’ll have to pay for our like, our bus or whatever to get place to place. But everything else is covered. If you say yes, and and the only other thing was, we had a musical director at the time. So it was like we will rent a piano when we’re there, because it’s not fair to try and lug that across. That was the only expense that we had, in addition to, to actually getting there. So that was that wasn’t the the story I told off the top. That was a whole different level of, of getting the audience on the side. For me, that was another moment of I’m walking into this very cold room, people who were there to see somebody else. And why are we here? Why do we think we’re allowed to be here, and within five minutes, I had them eating out of the palm of my hands, we had them so entertained, that by the time it was time for William Shatner, some of them had kind of forgotten others, others definitely had not forgotten, they never forgot. But we had the majority singing William Shatner to the stage, and made of songs that we created. Like it was just it was That was great. And of course, you know, whenever I’ve already talked about that the interaction itself, but for me to be in a room where nobody cares that you are there to everybody. We had people coming up during the convention the rest of the weekend, saying, we love that that was amazing. When are you coming back? how, you know, how can we be in touch with you? It’s like, you know that we’re in Toronto, right? So you’re gonna have to come in, they’re like, oh, Toronto. So what you feel about Toronto isn’t what the rest of Canada feels about Toronto.

 

HOST  37:11

a far away place to travel to a big country, and you’re not all together, and I get Yeah, I get that. That makes sense. I mean, also, like, you know, in Texas, I’m in Texas. If somebody was like, my shows in Oklahoma, I’d be like, it was really nice to me. Yeah. And that’s not even far away. Yeah, like a couple hours as opposed to like, you know, well, Texas, one and two, the others. 24. But I’m not going on the other side. All right, right. Yeah. What was the name of this troupe?

 

37:41

It is the dandies,

 

HOST  37:42

right, the dandies. That’s right, I have that written down. And my second question is, what did William Shatner say?

 

37:51

So

 

Velvet Duke  37:53

we, we sing him to the stage, and he’s coming up the three stairs, and we kind of were on the stage because we’ve done our vows or whatever, and we’re cheering them on and, and then I extend my hand, and I firmly give him a handshake that he was not expecting or desiring and everybody else tried to follow suit, and not everybody got a handshake. And, and we’re also like, hey, do you need any help? moving things around on the stage to charity, things? Like note, you could just go and that was all he said, like that was it? And you’d somebody there were, it was a question and answer period. And, and most people didn’t enjoy the answers they got. That was the tone of that time. So that is also partially why when people come up and go, we loved you. I also infer from that he, well, we saw him we loved your fi.

 

HOST  38:52

Yeah, that can be hard. That can be hard. Yeah, the tough part about being somebody who wants to do theater and film and art is like, you might be good at that and enjoy that. But the other part where you have to talk to people about it, and then be there for them to answer their questions. That’s not everybody’s cup of tea. That’s I really want everybody wants to do

 

Velvet Duke  39:16

he has been doing it for a long time. And I mean, his reputation definitely proceed some regardless. He still gets booked to things so none of

 

HOST  39:25

them tomorrow, and it’s not gonna stop. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, until William Shatner is no longer will be like yeah, what’s the end of watching it? For sure. Yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah,

 

Velvet Duke  39:36

that’s fine. And that was it for me when the original thing came in. He is not my captain, but he’s a captain and also one of the these the original. So of course, I’m saying yes to this opportunity. Plus, it was like an out of town gig. Well now we can put that on the resume too. And like and it is an accomplishment like to have said that we we’ve done that and now Like it was almost an opportunity to go to Vulcan, Alberta. The tourist, the Tourist Board was like, Hey, you do improv and Vulcan is part of Star Trek. So are you interested? And I’m like, I’m really attempted. Yes. And then and then a series of things happened to make it not happen. But I was like, Yeah, that makes sense. We’ll go to all of these places around North America that have any title. Yep, we’ll do it. Because if nothing else will get us a selfie of us on the set of you know, whatever they’ve created. Or, like, however they celebrate, we will celebrate with them.

 

HOST  40:39

Yeah, right. There’s something so fun about connecting with strangers about a show or a TV show, like a movie that you love. You know, you meet somebody, and they’re like, totally a stranger. But you’re both like obsessed with Star Trek, or, or whatever else. And then you guys can be like, what do you think about this thing? What are your thoughts on this? You know, there’s always certain

 

Velvet Duke  41:03

Yeah, it’s definitely it’s a it is a great connector that transcends the other communities that you have in your life. And so I’m very thankful to it, I still watch it, I still go back to old episodes that are on Netflix, and I watched through things and I and my partner and I will watch through things and it’s comfort food in so many ways. And when the new that when, when each of the new franchises come out, whether I love them or not, I’m watching them all the way through, like I just I am there I am. You know, it’s not cult status. I don’t I don’t send ties into it. But But I support it to the level I can and I enjoy it, I legitimately would much rather live in any of those futures than on Earth. So,

 

HOST  41:53

you know, I feel like the newer ones, like, after the people that originally wrote, like, the first ones were really involved in it anymore, and it became more like, the franchise is owned by XYZ. And so now these people are doing it, like on CBS and stuff. I feel like it’s almost the same thing as what you’re doing. Like, it’s like, they loved it, whoever was writing, it was so in love with it, that they were like, and they happen to be in the spot, where some CBS executive was like, yeah, you want to be the writer of this new Star Trek series? And like, um, yeah, I will, like, or there’s people who love it so much that they’ve been pitching this script for everywhere. I don’t know how it got made, like, you know, that there’s definitely the love those people, whoever makes it, is, loves it, and really wants to do it. It’s not like any other television show, you know, when it’s made, you know, maybe they liked making it, who knows, who knows, they, they got this job, it’s happening, right? But with a show like that, where it’s like, further stories of a franchise that exists, it’s because they’re part of that world, like you are like, they’re like, excited, they want their fans as well as creating it. And so like, they’re gonna honor things and like, and also be great at Comic Cons. So like, you can ask them specific questions. And they’re like, Well, actually, and you’re like, tell me everything?

 

Velvet Duke  43:17

Yes. We had an opportunity to see the it was a reunion of the TMG cast. And, and, and then I saw we saw that one. And then we saw another one, which was the captains. So it was except for Shatner. But it was the or was it? Maybe he was there? Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Obviously, he’s not my captain. But it was like it was great to see we’ve seen a few of these. And it is great to see that beside behind the scenes aspect of it the stories that they tell of the Oh, yes, we all saw the episode this way, but also in that moment. But at 12 minutes and 33 seconds, you can see that Jerry Ryan is trying to stifle again, because Billingsley is off the side being a joker again, you know, and it’s like, those kinds of things, which he kind of had a sense, but it’s nice to have that revealed the human side, the human side of making this these passionate, silly. I mean, because honestly, I get it, you know, it is silly and contrived in a lot of ways. But I’m writing, I’m just I. The other thing I like about the newer Star Trek’s is there is a lot more representation happening behind the scenes at every level. It’s no longer just one guess black writer, it’s its own lots of black writers, lots of black directors, lots of love, you know, like representation in every way but my folk my black joy, focus is on black representation. So discovery especially for me, it’s like I get that there are a section of Star Trek fans who because they are not seen in any way in That production, and I’m okay with that. This is my, this is this is where I feel home far more than they would

 

HOST  45:09

wait, are people mad about the I mean, wait and all that Okay,

 

Velvet Duke  45:13

so I’m surprised

 

45:14

I’m sorry. So

 

HOST  45:18

I’m being naive, I clearly, but like there are legitimately people who are like, I’m not gonna watch Star Trek discovery because nobody looks like me, I just don’t understand that

 

Velvet Duke  45:27

some of some of them don’t have the don’t necessarily have the emotional literacy to realize that that’s really what it is. But for them, it’s like it they, you know, there’s also besides money, in addition to racism, there are like there’s a lot of there are a lot of people who are still mad that TMG God made, because for them, it wasn’t theoriginal series like they are diehard, the original series is the only series types, those people still live and, and Fine, whatever, like I get it, you have yours. I have all of these other franchises, which I find to be superior products. Even even enterprise, which I don’t enjoy, I feel like is better representative. Not nice, but production value it is but it

 

HOST  46:21

clearly I’ve mentioned it, I am very naive about stuff. And and I guess my whole life, it was always like we always watched a ton of different things with from all different kinds of groups. And my mom was always trying to show us different kinds of shows and different stuff. And so whenever I see shows, I just, I’m just like, look how great they are, like, Oh, fine. Oh, look, this is happening. Oh, great. And I mean, like, I get it because I get a certain thing, because I definitely do notice when like women, like for instance and discover when there’s like women who are like in charge, I’m always like, yeah, yeah. But I guess I mean, that’s just my group. Right? My ladies, I’m all like checking out the ladies. And I never got, again, so naive. The idea that people would be so dumb, is ridiculous. But I guess you know, the things that I’m I have fandom of, I have certain things where I’m all like, Oh, no, he’s the guy. Now this other guy, he Why? Why did he even? You know? Yeah, those kinds of things.

 

Velvet Duke  47:28

So I get that kind of, I would equate it just back to improv. There are people who are diehard, short form players, that’s what they love. That’s all they love. There are other people who are diehard Herald fans. And that’s, you know, what they live and breathe. And, you know, and and, you know, in long form as well, and in any mid form and whatever, right? So, and then there are people who go, Well, I like this. And I also like this, and I also like this, and it’s, it’s all good, and I’m not fighting you, like it’s good that you are more passionate about your specific stream. Wonderful, you have found an embrace that great. But I’ve also embraced all these other things that can also be true. And it to me, that’s just like a basic level of respect to be able to say, Hey, we have differences on this, but we can still meet somewhere in here. Cool. Oh, we can’t, because I don’t subscribe as hard as you do in one way. Well, that’s a huge thing. And I am going to go back over here with people who are more reasonable. Yeah.

 

HOST  48:30

Yeah, I guess, in my own head, I am clearly deeply egotistical, or at least like self obsessed. By I think I always think that everyone just thinks the way I think, like, you know, I’m like no one does, you know, so I don’t know what I’m thinking about. But it’s like,

 

Velvet Duke  48:49

very attacked right now. This is what I say I speak like this.

 

HOST  48:55

Oh, yeah. No, I just, I just don’t under I’m always like, oh, Don’t you just love everything? Like, for instance, my like, weird obsession. Is that like, I will watch television shows. And I’ll tell you every this Oh, that guy’s from this show. I know everyone in the cast, even the tiniest people are things that they’ve been in. Because that’s what I’m interested in. Right. I’m like, an actor’s and, and creating stuff. And like, and like as soon as you brought up Star Trek, discovery, I was like, isn’t the lead from walking dead like this, the first thing I thought of just because that’s the way I connect ideas, right? But I will say that to somebody. And they’re just like, why? Like in the middle of the show, I’m all like, oh, that guy right there. That guy’s actually the brother of the guy who used to be the lead. And they’re like, all right, like, Oh, I’m sorry. And I thought I was cool. It seems cool. I mean,

 

Velvet Duke  49:55

Amazon Prime does have that option. If you pause it to show you who the stars are. For the various lectures on screen at various moments, so that’s very helpful for me because I have the opposite problem. I, I’ve seen them. I know that I’ve seen them somewhere, but I have no idea like they exist only in this fictional world until the next time I see them there. So if I see them somewhere else, it’s like, oh, I know them. I and in my partners, I like you is very good at going, oh, I’ve seen them in the 16 other things. Let me truck chronologically. I’ll tell you what they were in and what they’re like, Okay, great. I don’t need that much information. Most of the time. I just needed to know is this not this other person? I thought it was. That’s what I make.

 

HOST  50:38

I’m also super crazy about people like, like, random improvisers. Right. So we’ll, we’ll all see each other and our photos and different things. We’ll watch each other’s videos and, and we’ll talk whatever, and that some people I know, you know, I’m talking to you. But I don’t always meet everybody. But I still watch videos, whatever. And I’ll like watch commercials. And I’ll be like, that guy from a troop in Toronto. Or like, he goes to UCB. If he’s bad. And I was like, Oh, well, I mean, he came to this festival I was at. I like, I’ll be like, I picked that guy up at the airport once for the festival, like,

 

Velvet Duke  51:18

Okay, come on, right. Yeah. Okay. When you were talking, you were talking about that your ability to go into the crowd, and you find your people, which I think is amazing. I’m not quite there yet. I did have to do flyering for my friend show. And that was, uh, oh, I have to really test this while I can do it from a performance. I’m out on a street now. And I’m not performing. I mean, I, I can trick myself to say like, I had to work that up a little bit. And then I got the idea of it. But it I am typically the person in my troops, or in my community, where I’ll say hi to people, and other people will say, How do you know them? And I’m like, Well, I just do, like, I just, I’ve come to know, a lot of people. And for me, it’s I you say it’s all it says, For me? It’s like everybody is my universe. So it’s like, oh, of course I know them. I mean, I may not remember their name, but I know them because they’re me. So I’ve just gotten to I’ve got to talk to them. Of course I have. And oh, yeah. And I also saw them in the show or whatever. So I understand I understand a little bit of what you’re talking about. Oh, I see, you know, I know we you don’t know who I am. And I have a mask on. But I see you You should join me in what I’m doing. Like I get bad energy. And I have had people go do you have to know ever so many people like I can’t go to certain regions of the city sometimes because I’ll see everybody on the sidewalk or stop and like catch up. And then I’m trying to get somewhere and I can’t if I go through that area, I’m not getting anywhere. So I think that that is that’s a shared reality thing. I’m glad to know other people are even more than I am. Thank you. I have something to aspire to. But I find I find that like having that willingness to speak to a stranger with respect and with like being amiable. It is definitely a skill, but it’s also there’s an energy that you just have as a person that makes it like easy. Like, it’s not as easy as breathing. But sometimes it is. It’s like, Oh, this is a shared moment. Let’s comment on it together. And let’s, yeah, I mean, yeah, there’s nothing vested in this relationship. So why not? Okay.

 

HOST  53:41

Do you think it’s like a natural ability that’s like part of your personality? Or do you think it’s something that has been highlighted because you do improv? And I literally asked that, because I don’t know for myself.

 

Velvet Duke  53:53

Yeah, for me, I definitely have that. It was a it was a survival mechanism as a kid, and and it was a way of like, ingratiating myself. So I definitely had learned how to do it. But also, I’m adorable, and I’ve always been adorable. And that helps. It just helps. Look at people laugh when I say I’ve pretty privileged but that’s proved to me is that I can walk up to people that other people walk up and they’re like, Hey, get out of here. For me. It’s like oh, okay, let’s let’s see what this is. So So yes, I would say that there are there’s an innate there’s an innate x, you know, ability to it but also you know, learning social skills and learning how to be empathetic or being empathetic and learning how to read people and learning when it’s a good silence and not a good silence. And, and, and

 

HOST  54:44

I think it’s so great that you’re like that you sort of acknowledge it’s your it’s that you’re cute that the audience like that people will will do that. I feel the same way. Like I feel exactly the same way. I’m not gorgeous, but I Just cute enough that people feel comfortable looking and talking to me, right? Also, I’m a larger lady and you can always see my head. But like I’m a larger lady that also somehow makes people feel more comfortable with me. Yeah. Oh no. Why? People will tell me their secrets constantly. always tell me the secret. And I just let them because somebody’s gonna hear it. And they need to say it. And so I’ll just listen. Right? But for what many years, I was like, What is this wire? Please leave me alone. Why are you talking to me? You know? I mean, I’m from Boston. So I don’t know if you know anything about Boston, Massachusetts. But we’re not a kind people. Like we’re more of an angry yelling crowd. Very good in sporting events, but not so great with friendships. Yeah, right. But, like last night, they’re even yelling, go Pats. You’re like, it’s Tampa Bay. But, you know, like, the idea is they’re not a friendly people. So when I grew up, I was not so friendly. I moved to New York City, trying to find some friendliness, surprisingly, or friendly. Yes, in Boston, right. So I got a little closer. But then I was like, wait, I’m getting older. You know, I should probably speak to humans and like, be cool with it. And then also, as opposed to rejecting what it’s like to be me try to lean into what it is, right? So instead of being like, why are you telling me your life story? instead? I’m like, tell me everything. I want to hear it. Yeah, give it to me right now. Because why not? Right? Why not make that connection? If that person needs to tell somebody and you a stranger is the person that they feel like they need to tell? Give it to me? I’ll take it. Don’t you worry. I can be here for you. I am not a therapist. I can not help you in any way. But I can listen, I’m available, you know,

 

Velvet Duke  56:55

is helping i. So we were talking about if we need to edit things out, I need you to edit this out because you’re revealing my superpower. I all the time. And and sometimes it’s sometimes I have helped them to communicate it. But most of the time it is. I just need to say I’m going through it’s like, Okay, here we go. Or I just need a and I haven’t told anybody this. But yeah, that is I. So that’s another shared ability. And so I would love to hear your thoughts on the aside from being cute because that’s obvious. What else do you think like what what is the energy that you think is drawing people to accept you coming into their bubble in the first place and then just opening up?

 

HOST  57:48

Well see, the reason why I asked you about the improv thing is that I feel like I lowered my wall. When I started doing improv. I didn’t start improv until I was 30. I didn’t know improv was really a thing. And I legitimately lived in New York City when like you, CV started. Why, but I never heard of it. It wasn’t my crowd, right? Yeah, I moved to Austin, Texas. And when I turned 30, and happened to find a town that had a ton of improv, and so I was like, Great, let’s do this. What’s this about? And I feel like the the lessons that I’ve learned about being open and about like accepting change, like, hey, whatever happens happens, you can’t like force this particular thing to go the way that you want. You kind of have to go with the flow that has helped me in my personal life, like so much, like intensely to allow that. And I think me just like, being in the moment, I also like have an Etch A Sketch for a brain. So I’m like, always in the moment, because I just don’t keep much of it. And no lie just to harken back to me telling you that I knew about actors. I mean, I do have IMDb open at all times. Like that’s how I know that. I remember because I’m like, that guy’s face looks really familiar. And then I’m like scrolling through, like, oh, did you know and he’s like, I’m watching a movie. I’m like, Okay. But what I mean is I think that improv opened me up. I think improv essential like, Boston, my doors were closed, right? I was like, don’t come in. It’s not for you. Right. Then I went to New York, and it was like, Hey, are you doing these doors are open. They close sometimes, but they’re open occasionally. But now when I’m in Austin, and I’m doing improv, I just took the hinges off the doors, and it’s just an open area, right? I’m just like, what’s up? How’s it going? I’m also too old to have secrets anymore. Like I’m not doing anything crazy. Back in the day. Also, I’m told every insane like, oh scandalous story that I’ve ever done. As a fun on stage story years later. So now it’s like, great. I told you everything about myself. There’s no secrets. I don’t have anything.

 

Velvet Duke  59:58

Tell me a secret. I don’t know. Like I don’t say what

 

HOST  1:00:01

don’t you know? Yeah. Like, around what age are you like, whom? I wonder what she was like? I’ll tell you that. How about that? Yeah, I don’t know. I feel like it’s an improv thing. I feel like I’m more comfortable in my skin. And in the world, you know what I mean? Like, I was always comfortable in a theater. When I walk into a theater, that’s my home, I’m there now. Like, I can do whatever, I can talk to people inside a theater. Easy peasy. But outside in the world, you know, I used to still be a little tight, little held up a little walls up. But now, I just don’t see a reason for it. People seem to want to open up, you know. And also, like I said, I love a good stranger chat. So I just kind of open up and make eye contact with people these days, more often than not, it’s the eye contact, right? I am over 40. So I’ve decided that winking is okay. Now, I thought for a while I wasn’t doing it. Because I didn’t want anyone to think I was being suggestive to them right? Now. I can be like wacky, older gal who’s like winking at you, you know, like, Oh, isn’t this crazy? Yeah. You know,

 

1:01:16

so

 

HOST  1:01:17

I feel like, I play that I try to play the part people give me you know what I mean? And when they look at me, I’m sort of I got a mom, look, you know, like, I’m everybody’s mom. Right? The other thing, which has been very helpful in my acting career, is that I look like everybody’s cousin. Like, somebody knows somebody who’s got this face. And everybody says it to me. They’re like, you look a lot like my aunt Donna, or whatever. So every audition, they’ll go Have we met before? And the two people that I have met before I’ll go yes. But when I haven’t, I’m like, No, I just have that face. Or my favorite is I go you dreamt about me last night when you were thinking about casting this role.

 

1:01:57

Hey, we

 

HOST  1:02:03

see a shoulder Bob. That’s right. I’m 42.

 

Velvet Duke  1:02:08

When you were talking about various doors, or open doors, why I know for me it was an innate talent is because while I was doing improv and loving improv, my doors have been closed through most of my life. And it’s only been in the last Well, it’s only been with this last relationship that I’ve been that I’ve learned to feel true safety. And I’ve learned that it is safe to be vulnerable, and to find the right people to be vulnerable with and, and so what you what you were saying I have been feeling in the last couple of years and loving it. And so when we do go out into these public spaces, that this version of me is what they will see. And I will be comfortable sharing that with more people than I was. Or not caring if they don’t like it. Because being a being a people pleaser was definitely part of my emotional makeup for a long time. Oh, yeah. So now it’s, it’s still there. But now I also check my boundaries first, before I decide, do I give in to what they need, you know, and harm myself a little bit, or do I hold on to you know, or is it completely safe to give them exactly what they need?

 

HOST  1:03:20

Hmm, interesting. I think it’s my Boston upbringing again, but I don’t care about pleasing people at all. Like, if you’re upset, good luck. I hope it works out. Like I even when I went to college, my I had to get my play the final play that I directed, approved. I went in and I was like, I’m gonna do this. And they were like, No, and I was like, Ah, I’m gonna do this. And I like didn’t I fought them until they just gave up. And then I was just like, thank you, I’ll be doing what I want. Like, I’ve just never I don’t know, I don’t know, I get the idea of like, pleasing people in a keep the peace utilitarian kind of way. Like, oh, let’s this guy, just make them smile. And then we can move past this weird situation. But in the interest of like, you know, I want to do this because somebody else wants me to know, now, I want to do it I want to do and if I don’t know what I want to do, I just hang out until I figure it out.

 

Velvet Duke  1:04:21

I am hearing this and I am dreaming of that freedom. I

 

HOST  1:04:27

feel like maybe don’t grab on to it daily. Feel like the reason why is not because I’m like totally confident. But because I’m all like, because I’m like the rest of the world doesn’t have any good ideas.

 

1:04:43

Oh, my

 

HOST  1:04:46

man, you know, it’s been really great chatting with you. You know, one final question I want to ask you is, you know, we’ve been talking a lot about you know, finding our way and you Using our own natural abilities, like, what advice do you have for, you know, performers or students of theater and improv that maybe, you know, don’t feel totally ready or, you know, it’s tough for them to do these kinds of improv things, but but they want to how do they, how do you suggest they sort of grow from the experience and try not to let it keep the doors closed as it were,

 

Velvet Duke  1:05:32

there are two things that come to mind immediately one is partially boring what you said. And that is lean into who you are. If you love fandom, improv, or you if you love a fandom, like lean into doing that kind of performing, and don’t worry about who the audience is so much as to do it from a place of passion. When you lean into who you are, and you’re doing things from a place of passion, it is so much more rewarding than if you’re just doing it for a paycheck. I understand doing things for a paycheck as well. So but but the more that the more that you get known for leaning into who you are, and how you do things, the more people are going to gravitate to you for those things. Once they’ve seen you do that, it is easier for them to imagine you doing the next thing. So people know me now for musical improv, because that’s how I’m promoting myself online to most, but also I do this fandom stuff. And I get asked to do fandom things as well. And the more things that people know you for that you truly have a passion for, well, more doors open. And the more that you you get accepted in that way, the easier it is for you to stay open. And and you know, maintain your boundaries about what you will or won’t do. So that’s the first side of it. The other side is, as much as possible, gravitate toward the people who have the same level of energy, for the things that you like to do, as you do, there will always be a group dynamic of somebody who’s doing a lot more and somebody who’s doing a lot less like that, just since school projects, I have never seen it truly 100% of all 100 people who are in that troop are acting at the same capacity at all times. And people have different goals and results that they’re looking for. And some are only thinking of the end result and not the process. And some are only thinking about the process and some don’t care, they just want to socialize, right? That’s those kinds of dynamics always seem to be true. And I’ve heard others have similar experiences. So the more that you can find the people who have the energy, when you have the energy, just do stuff with them. And don’t worry so much about this has to be a 20 year plan with this person, just accept the energy in that moment, captured, unleashed what you can on the world through it. And then if you have energy again, do more stuff with them again, and also acknowledge that just as true dynamics, change, your personal goals and your personal energies are going to start that’s going to be true and don’t, don’t shame yourself because suddenly you cycle down or suddenly, you know, the partner, you don’t aren’t able to find those partners in this particular moment. Having that patience, I guess is now the third thing and I guess I had to leave it for last because I’m still learning it myself have patience for the fact that not everything happens when you want it to even if you have a personality that makes it happen. I would love to have your personality to be able to just make things happen because you it’s I have in my experience, I have found that the better opportunities come when you stop pushing so hard to make them come. Hmm.

 

HOST  1:09:00

Ah, sorry, I was just shot through the hair with that one. That was an arrow directly into me. Yes. Yes. It’s like the idea of like, you people all of a sudden want to date you after you have somebody. It’s like you have this like confidence this like, calm that you didn’t before. And I think that fostering that in the eye like having patience for things happening in their own in their own way

 

Velvet Duke  1:09:30

that can be really hard. Oh, it’s super, I’m still still even like today, I had a conversation with my partner about acknowledging that. It took time to get to today’s day of opportunities, and it will take time and just trusting it. If I’m looking at the his his at the stats, if I’m looking at the history of Hey, I said I needed or wanted this thing. And then it came true. I mean, I did the work to make it come true. But and then it came to Through, and then something else happened that also came through. And if I just believe that that is happening, that is more it is more likely to happen than not, then I need to stop spending energy being anxious about when is it happening and it has to happen. It doesn’t have to happen. Now. I did a lot this past weekend. So now I need to rest my brain for 24 hours, not thinking about any of those things. And sure enough, I got a nice, nice, nice sleep. And I woke up to a message for another opportunity. So it was a it wasn’t me initiating that that was just me, giving my body what it needed, giving the universe the time it needed. And giving that other person the opportunity to say, Oh, I see a moment where I can catch them, and ask if they’re interested in available. Totally, time was a required component of all of that.

 

HOST  1:10:58

Yeah. Plus, I like to think that I’m at this point, certainly, I mean, later, I’ll be better. But like, now, I’m the best that I’ve ever been. Because I am. I’ve learned all the things that I’ve learned along the way. I’ve had all the experiences that I’ve had. And now I can use that. And that makes me in a good place. But it also makes me know that because I’ve been around enough and had ebbs and flows, and have this scene and that scene in this group and this thing. I know that sometimes there’s just breaks in creativity. So you just got to hang out, and fill yourself up with new ideas, keep taking notes, keep, you know, being interested in things and figuring out what inspires you but like being open that maybe what the thing is, the new thing might not be what it used to be, right. I mean, like, like I mentioned, I didn’t even start improv until I was 30. If I had been like, I can’t learn new things, then well, then I would had none of this Right, right. So much of my creative life that has been changed by doing improv. And that’s only the last 12 years of my life. Oh, sorry, girls that. But like, the idea of that is, but for years, I was on a path, I thought this is what I was going to do. This is how it’s going to work. These are the kinds of things I’m going to work on. And even know there were other things, you know, in the same way that like right now, maybe I don’t know about the thing. That’ll be my next creative excitement. That’ll be the next thing where I’m like, Oh, my God, did you guys know this was a thing. And then I’m out there making this and doing that whenever, whenever it might be. But like being open to the idea that like maybe you haven’t ever heard of it yet?

 

Velvet Duke  1:12:50

Yeah, maybe maybe that new scene doesn’t exist for you to even be in yet. Yeah,

 

HOST  1:12:58

I think about that about like, post COVID life. Like, because I think like, like we mentioned before, like, I think there’s gonna be a little bit more time, you know, for things to not be so awesome for us to be going out. But then when we do and when we can, there’s gonna be like this like Woodstock esque. Like coming together of like, every event will be a million person event. And like, it’ll be like every concert will be the best concert and like, yes, you know. And so I feel like I mean, even just in the town, like I expect, I’ll still be living in Austin in the next couple years. And the landscape of theater and improv has definitely changed. Right. And as for for good and for bad, you know, where it was like this, this place closed. But now. Now all the other theaters that are still around are now bonded together and do projects together, whereas they didn’t before. That kind of stuff. So like there’s a whole new world in, there’s too many improvisers in Austin, for me to know, like a third of them, never mind, all of them. But I think later, in the in the after times, there will be more of an opportunity for me to know all of these different people and the breadth of them all across the city. Just because people will be more open to reconnecting and getting creative collaboration and being like what we’ve never met let’s make something like

 

Velvet Duke  1:14:31

yeah, I I definitely agree that that having a community where the theaters, dropped their walls, open their doors a little bit to each other, that like that models that for the people who are attending those spaces to go right like I don’t need to hold on to this competitive aspect for like improv added space is collaborative, even in the competitive versions of it. It’s still collaborative. So. So yeah, I absolutely believe that. And I think also that because there is online improv more and more universally, it’s more ubiquitous, what you said about the different scenes, like, I think that there’s going to be a global scene as well. continues. And so you’re going to get all of these influences from different places, and opportunities and, and make friends that you may never actually get to see in person

 

HOST  1:15:31

ever,

 

Velvet Duke  1:15:32

ever. That doesn’t, that doesn’t stop how deep you could be with them. So I think having both of those spaces just makes it just makes it easier for the whole community, like the worldwide community to just get over itself in some ways about that. Well, I’m from here, and I do is like, you know, what, Are you a human? I’m a human, let’s be human. Let’s do that.

 

HOST  1:15:59

You know what, though, like, legit, I feel like COVID really did reveal the humanity and all of us to us. Because this wasn’t like, it wasn’t like a war. It wasn’t like a one location situation. It was the whole world. Right? And because it was the whole world at the same time, all of a sudden, I have bonded with people, everywhere. All across the world, people like you said, I would have never met these people. I might never meet these people. Right. But we’ve had serious deep conversations about like how we’re doing and like creative stuff and like, trying new things and like working on new projects. I’ve learned more about different styles of improv than I ever knew existed now that I have all this global improv connection. I’m like, wait, you guys do what what’s it called? You know? And they’re like, yeah, here’s this book. There’s a book. Yeah, I didn’t even know. Right. But I don’t know. It’s just, I feel I feel totally on board with what you’re saying. For sure. I’m going to do and you

 

Velvet Duke  1:17:11

know, I mean, in Australia, in astrology, the a couple of years that it’s like, oh, it’s the it’s the beginning. It’s the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, right. But now, like, as you say, with with the way that COVID has changed things, that idea of like peace and understanding. I mean, we’re not there yet. But we’re like, we’re a lot closer. And in terms of the improv community, I definitely feel a lot more peace and understanding. People are taking that time to actually listen to somebody not wait for their turn to speak. Hmm, yeah.

 

HOST  1:17:46

Plus, I would say overall, the entire performing arts community, all musicians, theatre, improv, everybody is really doing a lot of culture work now, because most of us can’t do the work work. Yeah, so we can’t go out there. So because we can’t go out there, we’re instead trying to connect with other actors or other musicians. And sometimes it’s not even like trying to connect to be friends. Sometimes it’s just like, Hey, how are you? You know, and so I have I have like, like, I have a Facebook group. That’s all theater people that are mothers. And then I have like people who and like, and then then I have groups are like creative people that are trying to like help each other with little, little detail things where it’s like, hey, if you run out of food this week, just call us we’ve got some, like different things where we other’s back, because we can’t have jobs the way we used to have. Yeah, and often very much buoyed a lot of freelance creative careers, such that I haven’t had a regular like day job in many years. And so had had a lot of my friends. And so now, it’s like, we can’t do the work that we’ve been doing that we’ve been training and doing all this stuff. But so because of that the culture of connecting the culture of community is working so much more. And in the mom group, there was even there’s even like a, a group that’s literally working towards helping people who are parents in the arts, so that there are like laws and things to help people who have like, like, so there’s an opera singer, and she’s got a little kid, maybe there’s some childcare we could help her with so that she can be in this opera, that kind of stuff. So it’s like that work, thankfully, is being done in like creative communities, because we have the time now, because we’re not doing the other stuff that used to just take up every minute of our time. Yeah, now it’s like, Hey, you know what, let’s just make sure all of our businesses work well, right. Okay. And, and let’s try to make sure that HR and every buddies like on board so that when we come back, we’re having a good time, given opportunities all around, and making sure every person no matter what’s going on with them feels welcomed and brought into the fold. Like you want to be part of this be part of this, right? You got four kids, you need help taking care of get on air, whatever, we got it, right. Or like, Hey, you haven’t had a job in six months, and you’re real hungry. I got a sandwich in my bag right now. Like for you. It’s lovely. Oh, so so I think that you’re right that the world at large peace and understanding my bees mildly distant the wheat, I feel like they want it. It’s just you know, they can’t touch it yet. not quite there yet. But the theatre community, the performance, our community is definitely

 

1:20:45

definitely solidifying a piece of understanding.

 

Velvet Duke  1:20:49

Yeah, I absolutely agree. Yeah. Beautifully stated. And your examples are like I’m inspired.

 

1:20:57

Oh, man, you’re crazy. You’re too nice to me. Oh my god. Thanks so much for being

 

HOST  1:21:06

such a wangka velvet. Thank you so much for being on the podcast. It has been a total pleasure talking to you. It’s been really great.

 

Velvet Duke  1:21:13

Likewise, I appreciate the opportunity. And and what I’ve been saying often is even more so true here. The opportunity to find like spirited people has been the joy of the pandemic for me, so I look forward to many more conversations.

 

HOST  1:21:32

Yeah, right. Since we’re like twinsies

 

1:21:34

Yes.

 

HOST  1:21:43

Thanks for listening to Yes But Why podcast! Check out all our episodes on YesButWhyPodcast.com or check out all the content on our network HC Universal at HCUniversalNetwork.com