The semester came to an end. I limped over the finish line. Gasping as I submitted grades. Replying to an endless stream of emails. Remaining sane during meetings. Monitoring my blood pressure. I barely made it through my first year at The University of Iowa.
The very next day, after my final commitment of the semester, I got into my 2019 Honda CRV. Drove east through the planes of Iowa. Corn beyond corn. And then I was darting through the traffic south of Chicago. And then I was traveling the empty wastes of Indiana and Ohio. The rolling hills of Pennsylvania. Thirteen hours in a car. Podcasts kept me company. The best of Comedy Bang Bang 2022. Gleeman and the Geek. Lots of Tom Petty on my playlist. John Prine too. And then, just like that, I was back in Central Pennsylvania.
Back in Happy Valley.
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What would compel me to make such a journey? A lonely and ludicrous road trip? Why, the 2023 XL improv fest, of course.
My friends and collaborators, the people I helped found Happy Valley Improv and The Blue Brick Theatre with, invited me to attend the festival as a workshop instructor. I led a session with our youth program. Nothing fancy, but it was fun to do improv with young people again.
I’ll admit I was trepidatious about accepting the invitation. Not because I didn’t want to go. I just knew that May would be a little crazy. End of the semester. End of the year. And what a year. A new life and a new place have worn me out. And the boys are finishing out the year as well. And Katie has her hands full. I always hate leaving my family to travel. Hate being away from my family, really. Professors are jet setters. Always going to conferences. Research projects in different states. Always traveling. I’m not much for traveling, but I wanted to go back to Pennsylvania. Go back to the place that was home for over seven years. Go back to the theatre I helped build. Do some improv.
It was surreal. Everything was the same, but it was also exactly different. Which is the title of a book I’ve written about improv and religion that is coming out later this summer or early next fall. But that’s not what this blog is about.
The theatre was still standing. Thriving, even. James, Nate, and Andrea are doing great without me. I met new company members. Saw old company members. Saw all sorts of improvisers from around the country. Happy Valley Improv has done such a wonderful job building their annual improv festival. It was well attended by all sorts of talented, hilarious, and beautiful people. I left thinking about what a legitimate improv theatre we built. Sad that I wasn’t there to participate and proud of what they’ve continued to build.
Highlights from the trip? It was a delight to work with students in the youth program. The youth program has done great without me. I got to watch some powerfully hilarious improv theatre. Got to perform with so many great people. Some of the company members I miss. I even got to perform with a celebrity. I’ll be name-dropping Dana Powell from here until the end of time. And of course there was Alone in a Church. Doing a set with James, Nate, and Andrea at the end of the festival felt so, so good. Did you see how many times I used the word so in that sentence? I could have used it again. It was that good. I miss doing improv with those three.
I woke up at 4:30am on Sunday morning. Got in my car and headed west. My car came limping into Iowa City on Sunday evening. And I collapsed in bed. What a trip.
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And here I’ll admit that I don’t miss being a co-owner of an improv theatre. Yes, I desperately miss performing every week with the people in the Happy Valley Improv community. And working on creative projects with my friends. But I’m not much of an entrepreneur. Not much for owning a small business. I’m glad that responsibility is gone even as I wish I could be there to participate in Happy Valley Improv. Even as I’m bursting with pride about what we built. It’s complex. Must things in adulthood are complex.
I stopped in Wegmans to pick up a sandwich while I was in Pennsylvania. Wegmans is a luxurious grocery store that I also very much miss. I walked by one of the shopping cart for children. Two tiny steering wheels.I thought about how much time I spent in that store with Solomon and Samson “steering” the cart. Something they’d never do now because they are older. My eyes teared up. Such nostalgia.
My children grew up in State College. And now they are older and now we are in Iowa City. In some ways, State College will always be their home. My home too. I never thought I’d feel that way. But I do now. Again, adulthood is complicated.
Anyway, there and back again. The XL fest. It was good to be in Happy Valley again and do some improv theatre. So good. So, so good.
Samuel Jaye Tanner 