This is part 2 of a 4 part series. These 32 items are compiled from a list that I brainstormed, and include principles that I learned in workshops from David Koechner, Micah Sherman, Mandy Butler, Kevin Patrick Robbins, Armando Diaz, Dad’s Garage, The Village Theatre, and Automatic Improv, as well as a few of my own thoughts. Reconnect to your scene partner. Focus on [&hellip
In my previous post, I talked about five reasons why improvisers get stuck in scenes. Ideally, we would stay away from those mistakes and all of our scenes would flow smoothly, but in practice, that’s impossible. Maybe you get thrown off by your partner’s idea, maybe nothing in the scene is affecting you. If you [&hellip
One of the greatest dangers for an improviser is getting stuck in a scene – that sinking feeling when you can tell that a scene is not going well and the audience is not engaged. Your mind freezes, hijacked by the thought of “I don’t know what to do,” and you get stuck in a [&hellip
Building an ensemble out of a motley crew of students is a sizable challenge. This is the formula that was used in my first improv class, and only now am I beginning to realize its genius
I recently came across an article entitled “How to listen to the nudges of your heart” on a blog I follow. The author provides the following three steps, which I thought applied to improv as well. 1) Stop. Slow down. Starting out improvisers feel a lot of pressure to say as many words and find [&hellip
I recently came across an article entitled “How to listen to the nudges of your heart” on a blog I follow. The author provides the following three steps, which I thought applied to improv as well. 1) Stop. Slow down. Starting out improvisers feel a lot of pressure to say as many words and find [&hellip
Part of what I like about improv is how transitory it is. A scene exists, and then it is extinguished, like a candle. That scene will never exist again. Your only opportunity to experience it is in that moment, and you have to focus on getting the most out of that moment
I just read the following passage in Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art, regarding creative blocks: If I think of the violin as an object to be controlled, if I think of the piano, the pen, the paintbrush, the computer, or my body as objects to be controlled by a subject, an I, then [&hellip
I wanted to take a few minutes today to reflect on why I like improv so much. I enjoy watching it, learning about it, doing it, discussing it, and obviously writing about it. I proselytize shamelessly. I started a blog just so I could have another opportunity to tell people what I think about improv, [&hellip
Electric Company is a word association game, named for the 1971 television series and parodied in this Nike Shox commercial. While in a circle, the group snaps to a steady beat. The first person starts by making eye contact with the person on their right or left and saying a word. That person then responds [&hellip
