From everything that I’ve read, been taught, learned and experienced when it comes to improv, they are concepts and ideas that come back time and time again.: And if you were to take those concepts, put them in a pot, and stir, you’d have an “ideal improviser” soup.
The ideal improviser doesn’t think about these things, he just does them.: (Of course until you reach that stage, you’ll probably have to think about them from time to time, even if it means getting in your head.: That’s what rehearsals are for).
The Ideal Improviser…
Doesn’t Think – The motto of the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater is “Don’t Think.”: It’s true, the ideal improviser doesn’t think about The Rules, or even this list of things; he listens, builds on what’s been established, and plays.
Listens – No man is an island and no improviser can survive without his scene partners.: Listening is the key to building a completely improvised world.: After all, as Truth in Comedy tells us, “The only star in improv is the ensemble itself.”
Ignores the Rules – The entire premise of Mick Napier’s book Improvise is that you don’t need to even know the rules to have a great improv scene.: Asking questions, or saying no can work as long as you have commitment and agreement from your scene partners.: As Charna Halpern says in Truth in Comedy, “The only rule that can never be broken is the rule of agreement.”
Is Specific – Specificity is what adds spice to an improv scene and helps bridge the gap between what is real and what the audience sees as “real.”: As Tim Kazurinsky said, “The trick is to pretend that none of it is pretend.”: This comes in the form of being specific–in dialogue, references, character choices, object work, and stage picture.
Changes Things Up – Too much of the same can get boring, even if it started out great.: No one wants to do (or see) anything that is the same for 50 straight minutes, even laughing–they need a break.: The ideal improviser shows variety in character, emotion, status–everything.
Acts – In Improvise, Mick Napier said “Do something.”: In Impro, Keith Johnstone said “More than laughter they [the audience] want action.”: The ideal improviser does something and takes action.: There is no hesitation and there is no talking about what might make for an interesting scene.: The ideal improviser shows, not tells.
Has Fun – Mick Napier is quoted in The Second City Almanac of Improvisation as saying “At the heart of improvisation is play.”: That’s why the ideal improviser gets onstage: to have fun.
The ideal improviser is just that, an ideal.: He doesn’t actually exist.: But following the guidelines above, distilled from the rules, non-rules, and generalities of various methodologies, you can get closer to that ideal improvisers.: And just like the chicken dance, my friends, that’s what it’s all about.
Sources
Experience:
Courses:
- UCB Improv 101
- UCB Improv 201
- UCB Improv 301
- Clocked!
Books:
- Improvise by Mick Napier (Buy It at Amazon.com)
- Second City Almanac of Improvisation by Anne Libera (Buy It at Amazon.com)
- Impro by Keith Johnstone (Buy It at Amazon.com)
- Truth in Comedy by Charna Halpern (Buy It at Amazon.com)
