Growing up watching and rewatching Whose Line Is It Anyway, I always admired the quick wit and teamwork improv performers display on stage in front of an audience. No one, not even the performers know what to expect of the outcomes, yet the funniest jokes can last in the audience's minds for months and years to come.
Over a decade since I was introduced to improv comedy, I found myself preparing to move to Tokyo. With new experiences available in the new city, one of the first things I typed into the search engine was “Tokyo + Improv”, and the very first result was “Pirates of Tokyo Bay”.
Looking through the page of this bilingual improv group, I found the link titled “Auditions”.
“Perfect! This is exactly the kind of new challenge I am looking for!”. I had no improv experiences, but I have watched my years worth of improv (although it was the same TV show on repeat), so that must translate to something, right? I thought as I clicked the link.
Due to COVID, we are currently not holding any auditions. Please look forward to our next opportunity!”
“Well, dang it. I guess I will wait. This pandemic will be over soon, right?”
I bookmarked the page and started following their Instagram, and once a month, I would come back to check for updates.
“Due to COVID,....”
“Dang it!”
While waiting, I was doing my homework. Pirates of Tokyo Bay has a youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@piratestokyo/featured), and I must have watched every video at least twice. That helped me know more about the vibes of the group, the games performed, and the high level of skills all of them processed.
It would have been a lie if I say that I was not a bit intimidated, but what is an audition if there was not at least a bit of nervousness involved, so the anxiety was also fueling my excitement as I waited for the auditions to reopen.
I waited and waited for two and a half years.
On that fateful day (possibly a dark and stormy night, I cannot remember), I was going through my routine monthly check on the Pirates of Tokyo Bay Auditions page as usual, and it was finally there.
“Next Auditions: Oct 2nd, 2022 in Shibuya. Click here to register” (need fact checking)
I jumped out of my chair and immediately sat back down to start filling out the form. My excitement overcame me, and the answers I wrote to their questions such as “why did you want to join the Pirates?” added to around 900 words or so. I was not confident about passing or even doing well, but the auditions themselves had transformed into the new experience that I was waiting for.
“Thank you for registering for auditions.
We look forward to seeing you at auditions!
Thanks,
Mike”
With the audition form submitted, the wait to trying-out for the Pirates was almost over, and my chance was near.
To be continued (because I am milking the heck out of this experience and turning it into multiple blog posts).