UCB Improv 401 Class Notes

Instructor: Zach Woods
Date Taken: February 2009

I’m naturally a problem-solver which doesn’t necessarily bode well in improv scenes (I get caught up in solving the problem, not experiencing it as a character).  This class helped me realize there were more important things in improv scenes than fixing things.  Here are some of the improv gems from class.

Find out more about UCB’s training program here.

Class #1 – Scene Work & Harolds

Class #2 – Group Ownership & Using Monologues

Guest Instructor: Gil Ozeri

• It’s everyone’s Harold, therefore every game/scene is everyone’s
• You are all responsible for the entire Harold
• Your job is to endow your fellow player (they are gifts)
• Once you have a game/character, every time you speak is a chance to play your game.
• Play the first interesting thing and work to immediately justify it in some manner.
• You have to answer WHY. Why is your game what it is?
• We have to say yes to the action so the scene can move forward
• If it’s against your character, do the action but talk about why it’s against your philosophy
• You have to say yes so you can say no again
• When you find that funny thing, you can lead your initiation with it so everyone’s on board
• When someone is unusual, you want to see more of that person

Class #3 – Group Games

• Group games: it’s even more important to make sure you yes and (not just yes)
• Group games are the slot in the harold where you can take some creative liberties
• Expand your sense of the possibilities
• Once you’re all on the same page with the simple pattern, you can build and heighten.
• You can treat the audience as a character in a group game
• Avoid judging the games in a scene, just play it to the best of your ability
• The master weaver incorporates the mistakes of everyone into the master design
• You should treat every other from players as “We meant to do that, here’s why”
• If you treat your fellow players like poet and geniuses, they will be poets and geniuses (everything said was exactly what should have been said and done)
• If you play the first unusual thing, you make it easier because you don’t have to make a decision, you just play that game.
• You can do anything as long as it heightens the game (aka does it make the fun of the scene more fun) 

Class 4 – Listening, Scene Work, & Harold

• one of most common mistakes in 401 is trying to shoe-horn the funny at the top of the scene. either initiate with a strong game or yes and to find a game.
• if you’re realistic and committed in your scenes, people will be patient for you to get to your game.
• scenes that focus on objects aren’t realistic; we generally talk about things have more meaning
• be real human beings in your harolds
• monoscenes heighten the stakes (not necessarily games)
• be more brave than impressive
• don’t solve the problem, live in it
• using your environment will give you choice
• you always need who what where, you’re not gonna get away with not having it
• as the backline, assume your services are going to be needed in the second beats, even if that means making a strong choice and establishing their game if they’ve missed it
• second beats should start in the middle of the action of the game. don’t just talk about what happened in the first beat.
• third beats—don’t just rehash “remember when we were funny”
• your job is to make order of scenes, not call out the disorder (aka don’t give notes within the scene by going meta)
• second beats should be simplified versions of the first beat
• when in doubt, keep things simple and grounded. be brave enough to be boring.

Class Improv Show #1

• monologues should be specific stories as it will be easier (even if it takes you time to get to it)
• remember, endowing is a gift
• ironic disposition should be avoided (meta)
• pick one game and pick one justification for that game
• the most interesting idea should generally prevail
• after you heighten, don’t deconstruct or criticize what you did; either tag out to additional heighten, or edit.
• longform = unusual thing + justification -> play it in an active way.
• interesting doesn’t have to be crazy
• brainstorming scenes are hard—you’re hoping the audience laughs just at the clever idea (its not active). if you are doing a brainstorming, make it super active
• use the content of what the improviser is saying, not of the behavior of the improviser.
• edit harder!
• we don’t have the liberty to be judgmental about our ideas while in a scene. every idea is the best idea.

Class 5 – Individual Feedback & Scene Painting

• exercises/class/practice is the time to be more a little more in your head. a show is when you want be more in the moment.
• try to work on only one thing at a time.
• good things improvisers do/have: sense of play, takes risks, makes strong choices, be willing to go anywhere, listen well, play at the top of your intelligence, confident, relaxed play, enormously supportive, play committed
• give your character a pov towards the game
• be willing to participate in the unusual thing
• play confidently, don’t second guess your impulses
• be patient up top, wait for the unusual thing
• heighten and explore, don’t just heighten
• don’t comment on the scene, you should be a participant of the scene, not an observer
• find game via your scene partners choices
• with your game and emotion, give yourself room to heighten in the scene
• capitalize on the fun you’ve created

Class 6 – Harolds & Documentary Opening

• the best improv scenes are based on behaviors and patterns
• gibberish scenes:establish your environment, play a strong emotion
• as proved by gibberish, you just have to be imaginative, not hilarious
• trust the simple fun
• focus more on you’re what your doing than what you’re saying

Class 7 – Harolds

• if you just play realistically and honestly, you can pick your shots (youll be able to pick the one thing you want to heighten)
• people often run into problems because they are overly hasty in the first minute of the scene when you don’t know the stakes or who the people are
• play it smart, grounded and yes and
• things played honestly don’t have to be played as “clever;” its easier.
• you don’t have to really try that hard to have a good scene
• can start a scene two ways in a harold: start with a game, hitting the game hard from the top; without a game, initiate with emotions and stakes
• you need to preserve forward motion in your scenes, so you may have to tweak realistic reactions slightly
• scene painting opening: start with a strong character; remember that you aren’t inhabitants of the space; don’t be afraid to play patterns; feel free to throw in a little spice into your descriptions
• invocation: you can repeat, verbatim, things in each chapter to solidify in your memory; be very specific in the “you are” phase
• pattern game: say the words with emotion and commitment; pay attention and remember the word;
• always prioritize someone else’s comfort over your own (like in hot spot)
• organic: don’t scream over each other; share focus; when in doubt match each other
• giving the unusual characters philosophy is the responsibility of both people in the scene
• disatisfaction/resistance is hard to play unless you give a specific justification
• the second people feel like no ones got their back, you’re in trouble
• there is no external force that will help you in a harold, its only you and your teammates
• be brave up top.

Class 8 – Harolds

Guest Instructor: Chelsea Clarke

• invocation: you are trying to bring the object to life (in the “you are” you can say things that you would say to a person)
• secret to shit on people scenes: if you’re going to be mean to someone, you have to have a good philosophy to be. this will tell who is the normal and weird person.
• really react to the unusual things and get your why’s and becauses out.
• have fun with what you’re playing. you’re never going to see/play them again so have fun with them and explore.
• don’t forget the ducks so that the game moves come organically
• its not just the game moves, its the context its in as well (duck duck goose)
• the audience doesn’t care about the plot, they’re entertained by the game
• when “beating the hell out of the game” (in second beats) as tag outs and walk ons, be an interesting character too and u give fodder for 3rd beats
• context in improv is like mario getting a mushroom. once you pass it, you can’t go back and get it but you’ll wish that you had it.
• scene painting: have to play the pattern
• bring back baby trex. if we have an interesting character, we want to see him come back.
• when in doubt, have fun

Class Show #2

• break the crescent in an organic opening
• avoid the cliches and make very specific choices
• use what you specify in the scene (object work, characters, names) to help you in your philosophy
• make your choices active, less rhetorical
• ideally we go for behavioral games in second beats
• play active: its more rewarding and easier to heighten realistically
• characters live and die in the specifics
• you can play a game better if you can get to the action faster.