Paul Sills

Paul was a tremendous teacher. He was at once incredibly warm and cantankerous. He seemed to always have a bit of a blood sugar problem that would grow worse with bad improv. He seemed to just really believe in what he was doing. And he inspired me.

I loved doing improv with Paul. For some reason, I was able to both be in my head and out of it at the same time. Paul was all about focus. Find your focus. And feeling your feet. I am sure he has influenced my work a great deal - though I am not sure how exactly.

Perhaps it is simply that desire for things to be better, to be right. A certain exasperated perfectionism that resides in the process rather than the product.

He was also a big Dylan fan so we had that in common. Of course, I was a 23 year old kid when I studied with him - so I was happy to find a formidable figure like him.

When I got back from my hiatus in 2000-2001, I bumped into him - at an opera. At ps 122 I think. I don't remember the details precisely (though I think it was the daughter of someone I was tutoring who was the composer). I asked if I could observe his class. And i did. what a trip: to see him teach again ten years later. I realized just how big an impression he made - I felt I could complete every word he would say. I knew the critique he'd be making before he did so. It was joyous to watch him work.

He will be missed - but truly, his work lives on.