Improv

Okay, today, we're going to learn improv.

Now, this is really going to help us as we

start to explore a scripted or improvised character by imagining

possible given circumstances in the theatrical work.

So, before we can start to improvise and get on

our feet, we're going to have to learn the rules

of improv.

Who knew there could be rules to improv, but they

are and they're very important to learn.

So, on this sheet, I have the 10 rules.

I'm going to give you 30 seconds and I want

you to put a T for true and an F

for false.

Next to these 10 rules.

I'm gonna give you 30 seconds starting now.

All right, about 10 more seconds.

Mhm. All right.

So let's walk through these rules together.

So number one don't deny this is true.

So, when we're presented with an idea or a character

from our scene partner or as an ensemble, we want

to just say yes.

And we're going to talk about that a little bit

later. But it's important to take that idea or that

circumstance and really build upon it number to ask questions.

So this is false.

As much as I love you to ask questions and

improv, we actually don't want to ask questions if we're

giving a beach ball.

We don't want to say, well, how did I get

the beach ball, Why do I have the beach ball?

We just want to take the beach ball and then

build upon why we have it and start creating a

scenario or a character.

Number three dictate action.

So this is also false.

We don't want to dictate action.

We want to be able to create the action as

a team or in our scene, work with with another

partner. We really want to be able to get there

organically and as a team or with a scene partner,

number four don't talk about past or future events.

So this is actually true.

We want to make sure that whatever circumstance we are

given from our audience or that we are giving to

them, it's actually something relevant and something that they can

connect to.

Number five establish who what where.

So this is true.

These improv scenes are meant to be short and when

a character enter as we want to make sure that

we can quickly establish who we are, what is taking

place in the scene and where we are.

Number six don't negotiate, this is true.

This goes back to don't deny, we don't want to

be given the beach ball and then negotiate the terms

of the beach ball we want to accept and then

build upon Number seven Do teaching scenes.

So this is false.

We don't want to spend a lot of time explaining

the rules or educating our audience.

We want to just give them a really short scene

with really big characters, lots and lots of action.

Number eight tell don't show.

So this is false and actually reversed.

We want to show and not tell number nine say

yes and then say no.

Hopefully by now you have heard me say it and

you know, that's false.

We want to say yes.

And then we want to say.

And And number 10 don't talk about what you are

doing. So this is actually true.

This goes back to show.

Don't tell.

We sometimes play games within the scene and if we

go ahead and talk about what we're doing, the audience

won't get to play with us and figure that out

as we go along.

So thinking about these improvised characters.

I'm going to show you a clip from one of

my favorite shows whose line is it?

Anyway, and this one has Robin Williams as the guest.

He's amazing.

And something I want you to watch is the way

that Ryan or Colin or wayne or Robin will come

in as an improvised character and enter the scene to

help the idea or the circumstance propel forward or put

a button and end the scene.

So let's watch that now.

All right, so, you've heard me say it.

Let's talk about yes.

And so improv is not like normal scene work.

This is not a solo performance.

This is a certain style of style of scene work,

but it's with two people sometimes run an ensemble.

There's lots of ideas, lots of creation to emerge.

And it's our job as a good scene partner and

a good ensemble member to say yes and to whatever

ideas presented and to propel that scene forward.

So what I want us to do is partner up

and I want partner a to say in action And

partner to to say yes and then build upon that

action. So if partner one says this is a beach

ball, then partner B can say yes and it's going

to carry us to the moon.

So let's take 15 seconds to just quickly rapid fire

yes. And and go yes, alright, last few bits of

ideas. All right.

So with that exercise, it's really going to just warm

us up and open our brains to really widen and

create and expand and improvise great situations, great characters.

So we're going to wrap up and we're going to

play a game called yes, let's so I'm going to

explain the game.

I'm going to read you a quote and then we'll

play. So what?

Yes, let's is we're going to be in a circle

and I want someone to be bold and to be

brave and you're going to say an action.

So let's say I say let's go skiing then as

a team in an ensemble, you'll say yes, let's and

then we'll all do the action of skiing.

Then someone else whoever feels called can come forward insane

action will respond with yes, let's and then we'll do

that action and we'll keep going.

That's going to get us in the habit of really

saying and at the same time and then we can

build upon that yes, let's with the yes and yeah,

so I'm really excited about this.

I think this is really going to help us With

scene work as well.

One of my favorite quotes, this is from Jack Maguire,

he's on 30 rock, numerous shows.

He says with all my ears and improvisation taught is

that if you're going to grow as a performer, you

have to try new things.

You've got to be willing to take some risks.

So improv, there is no right.

There is no wrong.

But I hope that this gives you guys energy to

really take those risks.

Be bold and be brave.

Let's play.

Yeah.

Improv

Chapters

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