It's a fine line between a character evoking a plot and a character reacting to their reality. A very fine line. But I believe that attention to that line can mean the difference between a scene where improvisers force a sequence of events dependent on an audience's satisfaction with a resolution and a scene where […]
Looking for a fun improv warm-up with some character-building tools?
Nothing bugs me more than a scene where two improvisers meet stage center, stare only at each other and talk only to and about each other. I get it. Your stage partner is truly the only other active element on stage with you. But, c'mon, show some imagination. The audience likes to see us interact […]
Here's a scene from a Pack show I did with Nick Leveski, a seasoned Chicago improviser. This scene evoked a huge laugh from the audience. Like many stage-to-video improv moments, the laugh gets lost in translation. But I believe I know what the audience liked. We didn't explain the scene; we lived the scene. When […]
Acting. Webster's defines it as: the art or practice of representing a character on a stage or before cameras. Fine. You're acting when you're pretending to be someone else. Then what's "good acting"? Representing that character better. What's "bad acting"? Representing that character worse. How does that relate to improv where the character only exists […]
Objective: To build scenes by exploring and heightening committed perspectives.
Objective: To play with strong emotional perspectives that evoke strong emotional reactions and drive strong emotional scenes.
When we spontaneously emit an emotion toward something imagined on a blank stage, that's crazy - and the audience loves it. Society's path to "maturity" often overlaps with a push to subdue your emotions; the upside is that people like watching other people share their emotions on stage - it's a cathartic surprise. A scripted actor’s […]
Without scripts, improvisers are dependent on what’s in their head – details from their lives and their personal ability to access emotion in-the-moment. The audience loves seeing us on stage. Let the audience see you to give them the ability to connect with you and ultimately root for you. CAFÉ SCENES – Two players sit […]