HELP DESK HELP YOU Through the progression of a Help Desk game’s dialogues, we heighten the participants’ personal games. Two players swapping opinions on a piece of art can be a pretty funny scene. But, with Help Desk game mechanics, we can heighten personal games to make the characters’ emotional perspective more important than the […]
How do we build our two person scenes after the initiating sequences? Practice. Let's review the components of strong two person scene initiations: 1. From the moment you enter the stage, actively engage either your environment or your scene partner with an emotional perspective dialed up to 11. That is all. With that, or those, […]
Pop quiz, hotshot. What do you take as inspiration in initiating subsequent beats of a scene during a long-form show? A. This makes me think of that B. If this then what C. If first beat is "a day in the life," then second beat is "the day when X happens" D. If a character […]
In pursuing improv as improv does best, we seek to establish patterns of emotional behavior, leveraging them in developing sustainable scenes and subsequent beats. To aid in that pursuit, focus on following a character's "How."
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 […]
Emotional Character Development: We don’t need it “all figured out” the moment we step on stage. Make one choice and then build other choices on top of that choice. We can start with emotion and build the details of our character around that. Or, we can start with a detail and build an emotional character […]
Beyond Objects: Environment is about more than objects. What sounds fill the space? Ambient noises? Loud music? A series of unexpected explosions? What about the atmosphere? Is it hot? Raining? Low gravity? Suggested Exercises: SOUNDSCAPE – Sit players in a circle, give them a location and have them build out the noises of that location. […]
Being Affected: There's power in being vulnerable enough to accept another player's perspective. Suggested Exercises: HITCHHIKER – One player starts, driving a bus, expressing an emotional perspective ("I love the South"). A second player enters the scene, boarding the bus with a contrasting emotional perspective to the driver ("The South scares me"). Gradually the driver […]
Losing: The best tool in avoiding conflict? Losing. Losing is such a powerful skill. One, it allows players to disengage from talking-head arguments. Two, the losing player wins in the audience’s eyes – don’t ever underestimate the endearing quality of a player who is willing to be affected Bite your tongue. Swallow your pride. Engage […]
Attract, Don’t Fight: Will your scene partner not agree to your awesome idea? Don’t fight him on it. Show him why what you want is superior. This not only disengages argument but it also engages active scene elements. You want your older brother to build a sandcastle with you. He doesn’t want to. Have so […]