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Friends, it's 2018!  Luckily all the bad stuff from 2017 has been tidied up nicely and we have a brand new start! No? Well,... how about updated improv curricula in lieu of world peace and universal sanity? 

I love World Building in improvisation. With World Building in mind we can bring focus to our Organic Formats. The first scene of a show starts in a train; the rest of the show exists in that same train. The first scene of a show starts with Little League players. The next scene focuses on […]

I'm wishy washy about improv class showcases. On the one hand, if the point of going through classes is to learn to do performance-ready-level improv, then it seems sadistic to make 101 students "put it up on its feet." But on the other, nothing informs an improviser like improvising and all it entails - collaborating […]

I coach The Johnsons, so they've been steeped in a rich tea of group games. They know One Person Scenes. They know To The Ether Games.  They know Help Desk Games. And they know Hey Everybody Games. And that knowledge makes them masters of the Organic Game. And that unfortunately means sometimes they perform games […]

The Johnsons hosted a BBQ and everyone came.  But they spaced out their arrival to allow time to heighten the sequence between new entries.  Check it out. [wpvideo jJJTjvrC] To clarify: That last line out of Jonathan is "I brought the hounds of hell." The Johnsons are: Scott Beckett, Shawn Hambright, Townsend Hart, John Hilowitz, […]

As a warm-up exercise or a short-form performance game, Four Corners is a fun way to explore two person scenes and subsequent beats. Check out this wonderful example from The Coalition Theater's class showcase.  I am particularly fond of the players' choice to enthusiastically agree and trust in the power of emotion alone when met […]

Here's an example of a Tag-out from The Johnsons. Notice how they leverage the Help Desk dynamic, repeating/heightening the sequence of dialogue. [wpvideo B5sbwlAF] I'd've preferred they'd've never sat down, instead playing out being high on the job. It's hard to keep a scene active while sitting down.  Chairs are a privilege, not a right. […]

Mikael Johnson, Jason Saenz and I are Best Friends. And our Best Friends format is one of my favorite. This show was the only show we taped. And while it isn't our best, it'll suffice to document our Slideshow Opening and our Three Character Format. Enjoy "Drunk Camping."

Just imagine. I bet this video is cleaner than your imagination.  In fact, this example group game runs on so much enthusiasm and support it's (almost) downright wholesome. [wpvideo tOWnHhPa] Player are: Shahenn Ali, Teddy Armstrong, Amber Hendrix, Jesse Hill, Meredith Hughes, Laura Kelly and Christopher May

I adore this scene. In just over a minute 10 players flood the scene.  They evolve by following and reacting.  Even though a central player emerges, there is no leader. Listen to the audience's reaction.  Yes, it comes at a great place in the pacing of a pattern-heavy show.  Yes, the final line is a […]