Forever Ago host Joy Dolo is producing the greatest film ever made: her life story! The only problem is her friend and script editor Molly Bloom has a few questions about Joy’s story. When did Joy graduate from college? When did she get glasses? When did she start performing improv? There’s only one real way to get to the answers Molly needs and that’s with a game of First Things First!
Audio Transcript
Download transcript (PDF)
SYNTHESIZED VOICE: Now entering Brains On Headquarters.
JOY: Hey, smarty pal. So glad you're here at the Brains On Headquarters movie set. We've been filming the greatest story ever told, a movie that makes Citizen Kane look like Cars 2, a visual spectacle of the eyes ears and soul, a drama that touches on the very essence of the human experience. That's right, we're filming my life story.
MOLLY: Joy?
JOY: Brains On host, Molly Bloom, have you finished reading my script?
MOLLY: Yeah, I have, and I have a few notes. For starters, you can't name your movie Joymageddon, the Birth of Joy Star Wars, Legos, Ice Cream Cake Deluxe Part 1.
JOY: Why not?
MOLLY: It's too long. And also, your script is full of inaccuracies.
JOY: No, it's not.
MOLLY: On page 40, it says you arm-wrestled a bear named Tony?
JOY: He called me chicken.
MOLLY: OK. Well, on page 52, it says you raced the president of France.
JOY: He called me Paulette.
MOLLY: Oh. And on page 61, it says you married Keanu Reeves.
JOY: He called me cute. Molly, the fact that you don't know about the key moments in my life is really disappointing.
MOLLY: I'm sorry, I didn't know you were so incredible.
JOY: Well, if you're going to edit the greatest story of all time, you're going to need to know a lot more about my life, and there's only one way to truly learn about someone.
MOLLY: Long meaningful conversations?
JOY: Absolutely not. It's with a game of--
SPEAKERS: First things first.
JOY: But this time, instead of boring ordinary topics, we'll play with important moments in my life. So the moments that we are going to play with are-- when did I graduate from college, when did I first start doing improv, and when did I first start wearing glasses. Which do you think happened first, which occurred second, and which happened most recently.
MOLLY: Ooh, OK, this is a tough one. Joy Dolo, I'm going to get where Joy Dolo shoes and really be in her feet.
JOY: Sparkly shoes.
MOLLY: Sparkly shoes and see where she's been. OK, I'm going to go with glasses first. Just--
JOY: OK.
MOLLY: --I'm projecting my own experiences onto you, because I got glasses in third grade, so maybe you did, too. OK, glasses. I'm starting with glasses. Then, I'm going to go improv, because I'm going to guess that maybe you started doing it in high school or something as a young teen. And then I'm going to go with college graduation because that comes after high school and third grade in my mind.
JOY: OK, so first, you have glasses, and then you have improv, and then college. Is that your final answer?
MOLLY: Yes, it's my final answer.
JOY: It's so great because I already know the answer which is really fun. All right, Molly, let's reveal which of our first things first actually happened first firstly. OK, so you were right with the first one.
MOLLY: Yes.
JOY: I did get my glasses first. I actually got my glasses when I was in, I believe, sixth grade.
MOLLY: OK.
JOY: And I got them. And like, my dad-- I had to get them because I was the kid that sat in the back of the room all the time, and I could never see the board. And I I never said anything. But I was so shy and stuff. And then, finally, my teacher was like, I can tell that you're squinting super hard.
And they told my parents they told my parents. And I had to get them. And I was so upset because I was like, oh, I don't want to wear glasses. I'm going to be so different. But fast forward to me now, and I just wear my glasses all the time for super fun stuff.
MOLLY: Did you like-- when you first got them was it like, oh, wow, now I can see?
JOY: Oh my gosh, yeah. I was like, I didn't realize everything was so blurry, and those of you who don't wear glasses, you don't understand. But those of you who do, when things are just a little bit sharper when you're wearing your glasses. I was so amazed by that.
MOLLY: Yeah, I remember when I first got glasses and I was outside for the first time, I was like, wait, trees have individual leaves? It's
JOY: Not just like a drawing, like cloud bush.
MOLLY: I thought it was just a blur of weird cloud-shaped thingsk but they're leaves.
JOY: Yeah. Yeah. So everything just seemed a little bit clearer, which is really cool and helpful, and really helpful when I started driving later as well. All right, so you got that one right. Unfortunately, the second thing that happened was I graduated college.
MOLLY: Oh, interesting.
JOY: I graduated college in 2009.
MOLLY: OK, so if you weren't doing improv in high school, what were you up to in high school?
JOY: Well, in high school, I did everything but improv. We didn't really have like an improv team, so I did theater. And so, I did a lot of theater productions. I did speech team. I did choir. I did all the choirs, like the advanced choir and then like regular choir.
And I was in chamber singers. I did Christmas songs around Fridley, Minnesota, going around to the local establishments and singing carols. It was very cool. And then, I did-- actually, I did have a stint where I played sports. I played volleyball once, and I played hockey once.
MOLLY: Like ice hockey?
JOY: Yeah. Yeah. I actually played hockey. I joined hockey so I could learn how to ice skate.
MOLLY: Nice.
JOY: Which was like a very hard transition. But to this day, I still know how to skate backwards, and I'm very proud of myself for that.
MOLLY: Incredible. That is a really awesome skill to have. Can you stop? Because I can't stop.
JOY: I can stop somewhat. I get anxious about stopping, so I do a kind of burp, burp, if you can picture that. But there was a long time when I was just running into the sides and just hoping that someone would catch me.
MOLLY: That's how I stop.
JOY: And then last, but certainly not least, is I started doing improv in 2014. So I was well out of college by that point. And like most actors, I was terrified of improv. I was so scared. Because I was like, you're going to be on stage without a script.
You've just got to make things up on the spot. How could you possibly do that? So I was very nervous about it. And I had a couple of friends that were like, you should just come rehearse with us. Come hang out with us. And I was like, no, that's OK. I'm always busy.
And then one of my really good friends called me because they were doing an improv show at a local college, and someone was sick. And they're like, we really need someone to just hop in. It's a 20-minute show. It's super easy, yada, yada.
And so I could feel my stomach in my legs. You know what I mean? I was so nervous. And I went, and I did the show. I had a really good time. And they were like, Joy, you did so great. You were so fun. And I was like, thanks. And they're like, would you be interested in joining the team?
And I was like, I have never done improv before. I don't know the rules. I just know how to have fun. And they're like, that's pretty much it. And so. I've been doing improv ever since then. I fell into it.
MOLLY: That's so cool. Yeah. I mean, you're so good at it. You're such a natural, that I just assume you've been doing it forever.
JOY: Oh, thank you. Yeah, so that's my life. That's my life in a nutshell.
MOLLY: Wow, Joy, I never knew you were so fascinating, incredible, and all around the greatest.
JOY: That's because you haven't had a movie like Joymageddon. The Birth of Joy. Star Wars, Legos Ice Cream Cake Deluxe Part 1 to show just how fantastic I am. But no more.
MOLLY: Let's make this movie.
JOY: And, action.
That's it for this Smarty Pass episode. It was made by Aron woldeslassie, Anna Wegel, and Anna Goldfield. Our executive producer is Beth Perlman, and the executives in charge of APM studios are Chandra Kavati, Joan Griffith, and Alex Schaffert. Brains On is a non-profit public radio program. Thanks, Smarty Pass friends.
MOLLY: Bye.
JOY: Hey, smarty pal. So glad you're here at the Brains On Headquarters movie set. We've been filming the greatest story ever told, a movie that makes Citizen Kane look like Cars 2, a visual spectacle of the eyes ears and soul, a drama that touches on the very essence of the human experience. That's right, we're filming my life story.
MOLLY: Joy?
JOY: Brains On host, Molly Bloom, have you finished reading my script?
MOLLY: Yeah, I have, and I have a few notes. For starters, you can't name your movie Joymageddon, the Birth of Joy Star Wars, Legos, Ice Cream Cake Deluxe Part 1.
JOY: Why not?
MOLLY: It's too long. And also, your script is full of inaccuracies.
JOY: No, it's not.
MOLLY: On page 40, it says you arm-wrestled a bear named Tony?
JOY: He called me chicken.
MOLLY: OK. Well, on page 52, it says you raced the president of France.
JOY: He called me Paulette.
MOLLY: Oh. And on page 61, it says you married Keanu Reeves.
JOY: He called me cute. Molly, the fact that you don't know about the key moments in my life is really disappointing.
MOLLY: I'm sorry, I didn't know you were so incredible.
JOY: Well, if you're going to edit the greatest story of all time, you're going to need to know a lot more about my life, and there's only one way to truly learn about someone.
MOLLY: Long meaningful conversations?
JOY: Absolutely not. It's with a game of--
SPEAKERS: First things first.
JOY: But this time, instead of boring ordinary topics, we'll play with important moments in my life. So the moments that we are going to play with are-- when did I graduate from college, when did I first start doing improv, and when did I first start wearing glasses. Which do you think happened first, which occurred second, and which happened most recently.
MOLLY: Ooh, OK, this is a tough one. Joy Dolo, I'm going to get where Joy Dolo shoes and really be in her feet.
JOY: Sparkly shoes.
MOLLY: Sparkly shoes and see where she's been. OK, I'm going to go with glasses first. Just--
JOY: OK.
MOLLY: --I'm projecting my own experiences onto you, because I got glasses in third grade, so maybe you did, too. OK, glasses. I'm starting with glasses. Then, I'm going to go improv, because I'm going to guess that maybe you started doing it in high school or something as a young teen. And then I'm going to go with college graduation because that comes after high school and third grade in my mind.
JOY: OK, so first, you have glasses, and then you have improv, and then college. Is that your final answer?
MOLLY: Yes, it's my final answer.
JOY: It's so great because I already know the answer which is really fun. All right, Molly, let's reveal which of our first things first actually happened first firstly. OK, so you were right with the first one.
MOLLY: Yes.
JOY: I did get my glasses first. I actually got my glasses when I was in, I believe, sixth grade.
MOLLY: OK.
JOY: And I got them. And like, my dad-- I had to get them because I was the kid that sat in the back of the room all the time, and I could never see the board. And I I never said anything. But I was so shy and stuff. And then, finally, my teacher was like, I can tell that you're squinting super hard.
And they told my parents they told my parents. And I had to get them. And I was so upset because I was like, oh, I don't want to wear glasses. I'm going to be so different. But fast forward to me now, and I just wear my glasses all the time for super fun stuff.
MOLLY: Did you like-- when you first got them was it like, oh, wow, now I can see?
JOY: Oh my gosh, yeah. I was like, I didn't realize everything was so blurry, and those of you who don't wear glasses, you don't understand. But those of you who do, when things are just a little bit sharper when you're wearing your glasses. I was so amazed by that.
MOLLY: Yeah, I remember when I first got glasses and I was outside for the first time, I was like, wait, trees have individual leaves? It's
JOY: Not just like a drawing, like cloud bush.
MOLLY: I thought it was just a blur of weird cloud-shaped thingsk but they're leaves.
JOY: Yeah. Yeah. So everything just seemed a little bit clearer, which is really cool and helpful, and really helpful when I started driving later as well. All right, so you got that one right. Unfortunately, the second thing that happened was I graduated college.
MOLLY: Oh, interesting.
JOY: I graduated college in 2009.
MOLLY: OK, so if you weren't doing improv in high school, what were you up to in high school?
JOY: Well, in high school, I did everything but improv. We didn't really have like an improv team, so I did theater. And so, I did a lot of theater productions. I did speech team. I did choir. I did all the choirs, like the advanced choir and then like regular choir.
And I was in chamber singers. I did Christmas songs around Fridley, Minnesota, going around to the local establishments and singing carols. It was very cool. And then, I did-- actually, I did have a stint where I played sports. I played volleyball once, and I played hockey once.
MOLLY: Like ice hockey?
JOY: Yeah. Yeah. I actually played hockey. I joined hockey so I could learn how to ice skate.
MOLLY: Nice.
JOY: Which was like a very hard transition. But to this day, I still know how to skate backwards, and I'm very proud of myself for that.
MOLLY: Incredible. That is a really awesome skill to have. Can you stop? Because I can't stop.
JOY: I can stop somewhat. I get anxious about stopping, so I do a kind of burp, burp, if you can picture that. But there was a long time when I was just running into the sides and just hoping that someone would catch me.
MOLLY: That's how I stop.
JOY: And then last, but certainly not least, is I started doing improv in 2014. So I was well out of college by that point. And like most actors, I was terrified of improv. I was so scared. Because I was like, you're going to be on stage without a script.
You've just got to make things up on the spot. How could you possibly do that? So I was very nervous about it. And I had a couple of friends that were like, you should just come rehearse with us. Come hang out with us. And I was like, no, that's OK. I'm always busy.
And then one of my really good friends called me because they were doing an improv show at a local college, and someone was sick. And they're like, we really need someone to just hop in. It's a 20-minute show. It's super easy, yada, yada.
And so I could feel my stomach in my legs. You know what I mean? I was so nervous. And I went, and I did the show. I had a really good time. And they were like, Joy, you did so great. You were so fun. And I was like, thanks. And they're like, would you be interested in joining the team?
And I was like, I have never done improv before. I don't know the rules. I just know how to have fun. And they're like, that's pretty much it. And so. I've been doing improv ever since then. I fell into it.
MOLLY: That's so cool. Yeah. I mean, you're so good at it. You're such a natural, that I just assume you've been doing it forever.
JOY: Oh, thank you. Yeah, so that's my life. That's my life in a nutshell.
MOLLY: Wow, Joy, I never knew you were so fascinating, incredible, and all around the greatest.
JOY: That's because you haven't had a movie like Joymageddon. The Birth of Joy. Star Wars, Legos Ice Cream Cake Deluxe Part 1 to show just how fantastic I am. But no more.
MOLLY: Let's make this movie.
JOY: And, action.
That's it for this Smarty Pass episode. It was made by Aron woldeslassie, Anna Wegel, and Anna Goldfield. Our executive producer is Beth Perlman, and the executives in charge of APM studios are Chandra Kavati, Joan Griffith, and Alex Schaffert. Brains On is a non-profit public radio program. Thanks, Smarty Pass friends.
MOLLY: Bye.
Transcription services provided by 3Play Media.
