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.