Unlike many others in Rapid Fire Theatre Noel did not get his start improvising in High School.
Noel found improv in post-secondary, as he was studying drama, and has been improvising since 2009 with Hey Ladies the live infotainment improv show with The Theatre Network in Edmonton, Alberta. Noel has also had the pleasure of being a guest improviser for Die Nasty The Live Improvised Soap Opera at the Varscona Theatre since 2011 and in 2015 played the whole 50 hours of the Soap-A-Thon. When not improvising or acting, Noel works as a Theatre teacher (which includes teaching improv) after having earned his Bachelor of Education, with a Drama major, from the University of Alberta. Noel is so stoked to start playing with all the fabulous RFT ensemble members.
FAVOURITES
TV Shows: Westworld, Parks and Recreation, Bob’s Burgers, The Wire
Movies: Seven Samurai, Transformers (1986 Animated), Akira, Point Break
Actors: Nicolas Cage, Mahershala Ali, Amy Poehler,
Video Games: Metal Gear Solid, Rampage, Metroid, Spider-Man
Books: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, 1984, Fahrenheit 451
Comic Books: The Punisher, Saga, Batman, Preacher
Authors: Garth Ennis, Haruki Murakami, Tanya Davis, Brian Michael Bendis
Music: The Bronx, Dashboard Confessional, Childish Gambino
Websites: www.istaubayopen.ca
Food: Sushi, pizza, Ruffles All Dressed Potato Chips
Words to live by: Don’t Take Any Wooden Nickels
No one knows what they are doing in their day-to-day life. Ever. So you might as well apply the core values of improv to your every day.
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH RAPID FIRE?
I have been coaching junior high and high school improv teams and teaching improv classes for the past nine years as a teacher. I have also been performing improv for over ten years. I love Theatre Sports and all of the opportunities and skills that improv offers to the world. I also wanted to perform with all of the fantastic people in RFT and try my own hand at short form improv. So I started to take the classes with RFT and was asked to audition from there.
WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL IMPROV SCENE?
Listening and yes and-ing the offers from your fellow improvisers. Focusing on your partner and leading your character with emotional choices will usually result in an awesome scene. Also having fun while you are doing it will help.
WHAT ARE SOME TIPS YOU CAN OFFER AUDIENCE MEMBERS ABOUT GIVING SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVISERS?
When we ask for suggestions please yell out whatever you feel inspired to yell out. A tip though is to go with the third, fourth or tenth thing that came to your mind and give us your suggestion with all of your energy. The more energy you give us the more we will give you. Improv needs the audience to work with us.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT SHORT FORM VS LONG FORM VICE VERSA?
I love the energy in short form. It feels like time is speeding up and simultaneously halting. Long form allows for an improviser to dive deep into character and story. As well long form usually includes costumes and dressing up in a costume is always fun.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR IMPROV STYLE?
Controlled chaos.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT ON STAGE?
My most memorable moments on stage so far with RFT has been all of the shows I have had the privilege of sharing the stage with old friends who I have always looked up to and past students of mine who I now perform with. Improv brings people together and it is amazing.
WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF RFT?
During the day I run a high school theatre program as well as I’m the Department Head of Fine Arts and International Languages. I also have been improvising with Hey Ladies at the Roxy Theatre Network in their performance series for over nine seasons.
HOW DOES IMPROV COME IN HANDY IN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE?
No one knows what they are doing in their day-to-day life. Ever. So you might as well apply the core values of improv to your every day. Listen to others. Accepts others. Say yes and to new ideas. Collaborate. Have fun.
DESCRIBE WORKING FOR RAPID FIRE THEATRE IN A SINGLE SENTENCE:
When you are eating an entire bag of chips and you get to the bottom of the bag and you think it is just small crumbs of delicious flavour and then all of a sudden you find a full unbroken chip with all of that sweet chip dust caked onto that thing and you feel an immense wave of joy crash over you, working for Rapid Fire Theatre is kind of like that.
