Don't solve problems in improv. If there's a fire on stage we want to throw gas on it, not water. A lot of group games start with problem statements. "We need to..." "Let's figure out..." "Brainstorm time!" The problem with problems is that when we're focused on working up a solution we too often deprioritize […]
A solid Hey Everybody example. Watch it. What do you notice? [wpvideo HrEK7Y9P] 1. Repetition is heightening. Laura didn't need to do anything more than repeat "I'm a North Carolina State Mom" to get a laugh at the start of the second pass of the game. In fact, the audience also laughs with a sense […]
Check out this Two Person scene performed by Shaheen Ali and Christopher May. In it the performers weave patterns of emotional behavior to link characters, relationships and environment in a sustainable scene. Enjoy! [wpvideo 3EOke0v5]
Do you want to see some Harold's performed? Here are two performed by The Coalition Theater's Fall 2015 Long Form Performance class conducted back to back nights. Player are: Shahenn Ali, Teddy Armstrong, Amber Hendrix, Jesse Hill, Meredith Hughes, Laura Kelly and Christopher May Harold #1 [wpvideo LmNd3vNd] Harold #2 [wpvideo L76Ztupa]
I am immensely proud of this show and the group that created it. It comes from The Coalition Theater's Fall Patterns and Games Class. In a Patterns and Games, success and failure hinged on the collective performance of the group. And…this class succeeded. Watch them all support each other through a performance that runs the gamut of games – rubric […]
When building Group Games, trust simplicity as The Coalition's Big Bosses did in this To The Ether game. Why? When a pattern is this clearly established and heightened you can reach the point where you don't even need to finish the sequence before the audience is laughing uproariously, having completed the pattern in their own […]
To establish sustainable scenes, it is helpful to remember that each player on stage can have at least one Personal and Scenic game at their disposal to heighten. Personal Game – how you react to who you are, where you are or what you’re doing * I love cake; when I eat a piece I’m overcome with […]
The embedded clip is an Organic Opening from a Harold. In it, the group establishes a progression through three vignettes: Frat Boys, Freshman and Senior Sorority Girls They engage the environment and make interesting stage pictures. They leverage verbal patterns of call and response. And they follow each other. Enjoy! [wpvideo kXymzgzB] Want to learn […]
The clip embedded below shows the 1A, 2A and 3A scenes from a Harold in succession. It shows how, instead of just following plot through the beats, one character's emotional behavior - in this case, Matt Newman's reaction to learning that people close to him are sleeping together - can be heightened through scenarios beyond […]
Audiences love Musical Improv. LOVE it. They know you're collaborating in-the-moment to build something out of nothing AND YOU'RE FOLLOWING A TUNE AND YOU'RE RHYMING!!! Musical Improv is hard. It's hard to make up with songs in-the-moment. It's harder still to make those songs a backbone to a compelling story, with rich character and emotion. It's […]