ImprovAdvice

Advice, tricks and tips for better improvisation.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

Improv forces you to be present and immersed. The phones are put away. Improv creates fantasy worlds, but draws you into the real world.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

There are so many different reasons to learn improvisation. It's not just for performing (though that's a great perk). It's also a wonderful way to exercise generosity, active listening, and teamwork.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

Theatrical improvisation is so much more robust than just one format, or even the concept of formats. If any piece of the show is improvised, it is within the world of improvisation.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

Any offer can be a good offer so long as it is supported. When your scene partner makes that offer, it's up to you to make it really shine.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

For those of you starting to perform live and in front of audiences again, do not worry about the rust. Everything you learned is still there. Accessing it might just be a little more fatiguing right now.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

Performing improv online is a different experience than performing in person. We all understand this, but it's important to remember that it will feel different. The lack of both performer connection and immediate audience feedback is a challenge. It's ok to feel like it's tough.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

Want to spent the next three Tuesdays learning about how to direct improv? Well good news, we want you to as well! Learn how to structure rehearsals, develop a show’s artistic vision, and provide good performer feedback! The link is below:

https://t.co/vo2xcC1aGH

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

Stay connected to your teams during this time. If you can rehearse via Zoom or Hangouts, rehearse. But if not, stay in touch however you can. Even if your improv skills get a bit rusty during this downtime, you can maintain your camaraderie. And that's just as important.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

Most improv theaters are small businesses, and small businesses are going to have an incredibly difficult time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Be prepared to support your theater however you can.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

Take a moment as part of your pre-show warming up to check in with your fellow performers. How are you all doing emotionally and physically? By getting a clear sense of how to support each other, and who's able to do what, you can be more confident in your on-stage choices.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

A show format should feel like a set of tools instead of a set of handcuffs. If some element of what your team does feels too restrictive, you can change it.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

When you are advertising a show, describe what you do and list who is in it. The audience will be more interested in what the show is than what it is called.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

The format of your team’s show is not the only way to define your team. The Harold or the Spokane or the Armando or the shortform games you play are just a starting point for who your team is.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

You need less plot than you think you do to sustain a scene or even a whole show.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

Think of story as a product of your scene instead of an input. Don’t start a scene and think “I must add plot now.” Start a scene with emotion, and a relationship. Heighten both, and a story will emerge from that.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

Improv is a team sport. The success or failure of a show depends on the group working together and trusting each other. Don’t try to “save” the show all by yourself. Don’t try to win the MVP award. Play the team sport as a team.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

You have the power to tell the audience what is normal and what is not normal in the world you're creating. The audience will believe you if you casually mention that horses talk and then a horse appears and starts talking. But you have to respect those rules once you make them.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

There is room for your comedy.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

An improviser is constantly looking for the “best choice” to make on stage. But thinking terms of “there is a best choice at all times” can put so much pressure on an improviser that any choice, even a good one, doesn’t necessarily feel good.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

In order to build a bridge to your audience, you have to know your audience. A midnight show is going to draw a different crowd than a Sunday matinee. While improv has a home in front of either crowd, be aware of what each of those audiences want, and tailor your show for them.

[ImprovAdvice @ImprovAdvice]

Every action in a scene is additive. We instinctually know this about dialogue, but it is true of everything else. A pause is additive, as is movement, as is the distance from your scene partner, as is object work. Every moment represents addition, and something to discover.