We want to avoid conflict, debate and negotiation in our improv scenes. The audience knows we're making it up - building something from nothing - they don't want to see us arguing over imagined reality; they want to see us react to an accepted reality. What's the best way to avoid arguing? Acceptance! Agreeing to […]
Agreement is a cornerstone of improvisation. We’re on stage creating something out of nothing. If I create one thing out of the ether then we have something. We want to build that something up and out; we don’t debate the validity of something made up. Inquisition, opposition, negotiation and transaction are counterproductive on stage to […]
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 […]
2 Person Scenes Heightening Emotion: Establish an emotional perspective, heighten the emotional perspective through reaction to active details, and edit – That’s scene. We want to avoid negotiation, conflict and the tepid, talked-out “discovery” that stagnates scenes’ growth. Suggested Exercises: ENDOW AND HEIGHTEN LAY-UPS – Player One initiates from stage left. Player Two initiates from […]
Help Desk Games: A pattern can be based around a series of interactions. This game rubric can be especially helpful in making scenes that had been bogged down in transaction, negotiation and/or conflict look good. Suggested Exercises: HELP DESK – Have a player assume a character and introduce a place of business; “The Help Desk […]