Part One - Agreement (aka SAY)
Make Mistakes
Mistakes are great for improv. They create surprises and opportunities. Embrace and play with your mistakes!
Yes And
Whenever your scene partner presents something to you within a scene, you should agree with it and then add your own piece to it. You can dislike what they say, but you should agree that it is the truth of the scene.
Yes-and means ‘I’ve heard you and I will honor what you said by adding to it.’
Avoid saying “No” in scenes or negating information. “Yes, but…” is also problematic since it often deflects or negates. If you catch yourself starting to say ‘but’ quickly change it to ‘because’ – it’s a great word for improv because it justifies things!
Listening and Honoring
A lot of times people start an improv class putting a lot of pressure on themselves to say something funny, but actually improv is about listening to what the other person has said, agreeing with it, and then honoring it by then adding on to it in an honest way.
Using this Listen > Agree > Honor > Add process, fun and funny things will emerge all on their own, often effortlessly!
Use Sentences Instead of Questions
Sentences work much better for improv scenes than questions do. The main reason is because when you ask a question, more often than not, you are putting the weight of information on your scene mate, whereas a sentence gifts information to them. Gifting information is always better.
We are all wired up to ask questions. It will slip out sometimes and that’s okay. If you catch yourself asking a question, don’t correct it, but rather quickly answer your own question.
“What are we having for dinner? I’m hungry for meatloaf.”
Some questions are better than others. Questions that provide some specific information are usually fine.“How was your blind date last night?” is good because it brings some information. The other character had a date last night.
If someone else asks you a question in a scene, you can answer it however you want and that becomes absolutely true, because anything you say becomes true in a scene and they have to agree with it. If they ask a Yes/No type question, most of the time it will be more fun to say Yes to it, even if it’s not something that YOU would normally say yes to. But your character can!
I Don't Know What to Say
If you try to start a scene but have a brain fart and can’t think of what to say, “I don’t know what to say.” is a sentence and we totally allow it. It will start a solid scene. Consider it your ‘Get out of jail free’ card that you can use anytime you get stuck!
Got Your Back
Your number one job on an improv stage is to make your scene partner look great. Their job is to make YOU look great. Everyone lifts everyone else up. We signify this with a ritual called ‘Got Your Back’ before shows where we gently tap our teammates on the back and say ‘Got your back…’ I’m going to make you look great, you’re going to make me look great!
Class Safety
Our classes should always be safe, inclusive and fun for everyone!
We are adults – we don’t censor. Everyone has different tolerances and opinions on what we find funny and what we find offensive – what bothers one person may not be a huge deal to another person.
However, we always want to be kind to everyone, even if their sensibilities are different than our own.
The teachers will be your guardrails, but if we miss something, you have the right to speak up at any time and for any reason, big or small.
OUR SAFETY PHRASES
Banana-banana-banana
A lighthearted way to signal that we are probably entering into dangerous territory. Let’s redirect the topic of the scene and make some different choices.
New choice
You can request a new choice in a scene if something is offensive or inappropriate to you and makes you uncomfortable.
Time out
Make a T motion and/or say “Time Out” and step out of what we are doing. We’ll reset with something brand new.
I’m uncomfortable
The most direct statement. Simply state that what is happening is not making you feel good.
CLASS CONTENT
We will keep things at a light R rating or less for classes. There’s no need to get graphic with explicit sexual descriptions or gross out humor. Innuendo is far funnier than being crass or gross.
Farts, poop and pee, as well as other bodily functions can be funny in small doses, but try to avoid doing several scenes in a row about it.
Shock humor often isn’t funny. The best comedy comes out of the relationships within scenes.
Adult language is fine. If you cuss, have at it. If you don’t, you do not have to at all. Fuck or Fudge, it’s up to you and we’ll respect it either way. If we know that someone doesn’t use explicit language, please be kind and don’t set them up to do so.
We may adjust these standards depending upon our host location’s guidelines for classes and shows.
No mean spirted content
Slurs of any kind are not allowed – we will ask for a New Choice if they are used. Repeated instances will result in being removed from our classes.
No negative stereotypes, inappropriate accents, cultural appropriation, speech impediments, or commenting on a fellow improviser’s in real life personal appearance.
RESPECT PERSONAL SPACE
We are a class and there will be no need for extensive physical contact. Handshakes, fist bumps, high fives, and Got Your Backs are totally acceptable, but otherwise refrain from physical touch and always respect others’ physical boundaries.
We are a class and there will be no need for extensive physical contact. Handshakes, fist bumps, high fives, and Got Your Backs are totally acceptable, but otherwise refrain from physical touch and always respect others’ physical boundaries.
Six inch rule: For things like TSA ‘pat downs’, etc., you can do ‘air’ touch – always six inches away. It translates on stage.
When you are on your own troupe, your group can agree to and set their own boundaries for touch, but for classes we will keep things minimal.
You can also opt out of all touch if you would care to do so – let us know and we will help facilitate that.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Improv can be awesome for dealing with anxiety, but it also has the potential to trigger it as you are learning improv.
If you get an anxiety attack, get stuck with a brain fart, or are just overwhelmed in the moment, please feel free to take a time out, take a walk, sit and watch, or do whatever you personally need to do to settle your mind again, and then please feel free to join back in when you feel you are ready again. We completely understand!
Please do not beat yourself up over anything in class as you are learning. You WILL make mistakes. It’s okay! It’s part of the learning process.
Be patient with yourself and don’t judge yourself against others. Everyone has their own unique skills as well as their own timeline in which they will pick these skills up and get comfortable with them. You might be better at game and Becky might be better at character. A solid troupe will have a mix of abilities.
Think of learning improv as being a lot like learning to drive a car. The first six months to a year, you’re paying attention to every single detail – checking your mirror, putting your hands at 10 and 2, etc. At some point it becomes automatic as you grow more confident. The learning process for improv is similar. Give yourself time and patience to let it become automatic.
SIDE COACHING
We side coach, which means we will interrupt scenes to point out opportunities that you might not be seeing yet.
This will never be a criticism of you, your performance or your humor, it’s just us as teachers with more experience helping to direct you in the moment, and it is directed for the entire class’ benefit.
This will help you to know how to deal with it when a similar opportunity comes around later on.
If we ever have an actual critical note for you, we will handle that with you directly and privately, and not in front of the class.
Video: The Origins of Improv
The origins of Improv were spawned from a daughter of Russian immigrants who taught theater games to teach English to new immigrants who arrived in Chicago. Her son would later found Second City. Del Close, a performer at Second City, would figure out how to make improv work for more than just writing sketches or doing simple short-form games and developed long-form improv. Del Close would go on to teach and coach Bill Murray, John Belushi, Jon Favreau, Amy Poehler, Adam McKay, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Chris Farley and many many more.
The full hour-long documentary about Viola Spolin is embedded below from Youtube:
Improv Games
Here are descriptions of some of the improv games that were played this week if you want to share them with friends and family!
Zip Zap Zop
Simple pattern game. Form a circle. First person says Zip and points to another person (or hand swipes towards them), next person says Zap, third person says Zop and repeat the pattern.
Clap Pass
Circle up. Two people clap at the exact same time. Then they pass it to the next person and clap at the exact same time. Go around the circle at least once and then give them instructions that they can now send the energy in the other direction by staying with that same person and clapping again. You’ll likely need to remind them to try and be in sync when clapping.
Name Thumper
A great game to learn names! Each person will say their name, make a movement to go with their name, and then give a word to go along with their name – the word can start with the same letter, rhyme, be an animal, etc. it doesn’t matter – any word is good. Go around the room one by one with everyone repeating it back after the person gives the name, movement, word combo.
Once it’s gone around at least once, explain that you’re going to give your own name & symbol and then someone else’s name and symbol. When someone sees their name and symbol, they will give their own name and symbol and someone else’s, and so on. Let them know that this isn’t a competition, so anyone can stop and ask for a name, movement or symbol at any time – it’s encouraged to do so to learn names!
Squirrel Nut Tree
Circle game. Three people form a triptych together. First person out says “I’m a Squirrel” and puts their body in the shape of a squirrel. 2nd person says “I’m a Nut” and takes the shape of a nut. 3rd person says “I’m a Tree” and takes the shape of a tree. The person who was out there first (or longest) says who stays and the other two return to the circle (let’s say Tree for the example). The person remaining then says their own thing again “I’m a Tree” and two more people come out to join them doing something that goes along with a Tree that is neither a Squirrel or a Nut this time. (example “I’m a swing” and “I’m a leaf”). Person out longest says who stays and repeat again. Note: You’ll often have to remind the first person to say theirs again to get the pattern going, remind the one out there the longest to keep one, and also encourage them to keep it flowing and not leave anyone out there by themselves for long.
For the last one, find an easy one to have all of the class pile on to finish it off.
Part Two - Emotions (aka FEEL)
Emotions in Scenes
Improvisers should start with strong emotions in scenes to get them activated quickly. On a scale of 1 to 10, we recommend starting at a 6 or 7 so it’s super clear to your scene mate and to the audience. Strong emotions also play better on an improv stage because they tend to project voices more.
As you start a scene or respond to someone who starts the scene, think about ‘how does my character feel right now?’ and lean into that emotion.
Initiating a Scene With Emotion
You can easily start a scene with just an emotion. The following emotion initiation is like training wheels for now, but it makes it very easy to follow for both the person starting and the person supporting the scene.
One person comes out to the center of the stage area. They are going to show a strong emotion, but have no dialogue of any substance yet. Make the emotion big and easy to identify. You can grumble, make noise, cuss, etc., but don’t say WHY you feel this way. Your scene partner gets to gift that to you.
Once you’ve established your emotion, the second person will come out and join. They start the scene immediately saying exactly why you feel the way you do in their first line. Be very specific.
“Oh… you got a D on your report card…”
The first person agrees to that reality and the scene progresses from there.
Sweep Edits
Once a scene is over, it is up to the rest of the troupe to edit it in order to end it and start a brand new scenes. There are a several different ways to edit a scene, but Sweep Edits is the main one.
A Sweep Edit (also called a Wipe) works like this:
Once a scene is over, someone from the back line runs across the front of the stage to signify that it is done and a new scene should begin immediately. By doing this, you are the human equivalent of the line that transitions from one scene to another on a movie screen. In Star Wars, the scene is on Tatooine and the line moves across and now it transitions to the Death Star. You’re the human equivalent of that line.
Sweep Edits will happen when…
- A button line is found – a funny moment that is the perfect end to the scene.
- The scene isn’t getting traction after a minute or so – go ahead and get it out of there.
For Intro, we want you to learn to trust and depend upon your scene mates, so we’re going to ask that you stay in a scene until someone from the troupe’s back line (anyone not currently in the scene) runs across in front.
Meh scenes happen sometimes. Don’t beat yourself up over them. I think every ‘meh’ scene, is a sacrifice to the ‘improv gods’ and later on you’ll get a lightning in a bottle awesome scene in exchange. Stephen Colbert calls this ’embrace the suck’. It’s part of the price of making this stuff up on the spot.
Show Format:
The Sweep Sandwich
The Sweep Sandwich is a simple show format that gives performers practice for sweeping scenes.
Start with four or five people up front.
The person on the far right side of the stage (facing the audience) will be the person assigned with sweeping the scene.
The two or three people in the center are going to have a scene together.
The person on the far left gets to chill for now.
Get a word from the audience and the center improvisers have their scene together. When the person on the far right feels like they have reached a button line or natural ending – or if it doesn’t work – they will run in front to the other side, becoming the new person on the far left. That scene is now over.
Everyone moves down one spot. The person now on the far right side will wipe the next scene. The remaining player or players in the center will stay the same character they were – if they were the mayor of the town, they are going to be the mayor of the town in every scene they are in for this show format.
The new person in the center will be a new character. The person now on the far left gets to chill while the center group plays their scene until it gets wiped and everyone moves down one spot again.
Rinse and repeat. Everyone should have a chance to be in at least a couple of scenes, and also a chance to wipe the scenes. The characters that are created stay the same for the entire run of this show.
When you return to the original center group, they get a bonus scene to wrap the story up and everyone says “THAT’S OUR SHOW!” to end it.
Video: Give Me Back My Son!!!
Zach Woods (The Office, Silicon Valley) teaches Conan and Andy a stupid emotion improv game.
Improv Games
Here are descriptions of some of the improv games that were played this week if you want to share them with friends and family!
First Line Last Line Scenes
A really easy introduction to doing improv scenes for new people in a low stress way. Stand in a circle. One person starts with a normal sentence and the real name of the person they want to do the scene with. That person engages in a short scene, making sure to agree, honor and add.
Let the scene play out for five or six exchanges and then someone will take the last line of that scene, along with the name of another person in the circle, and start a scene. Except for using the words of the last sentence, it’s otherwise unrelated to the previous scene.
Chain several of these together and then call the show by saying “THAT’S OUR SHOW!!!”
Part Three - Relationships (aka KNOW)
Characters Should Know Each Other
Scenes will be stronger right off the bat if characters already know each other, have a history together, and have strong opinions of each other. This allows scenes to start in the middle instead of having to establish relationships.
Relationships are more than just the name, however the naming will help establish that relationship. Relationships are how the characters know each other. Are they friends, co-workers, siblings, spouses, roommates, or mortal enemies?
Naming Each Other
One way to establish that relationship quickly is to give your scene partner a name near the start of the scene. Let the name reveal itself in the scene and let the emotion and attitude inform that naming. Think of it like when Jerry and Newman encounter each other and their utter disdain for each other comes through in almost every acknowledgement.
Jerry Seinfeld has said that the reason his character hated Newman is because they just thought it was really funny to hate him.
Remember Character Names by Repeating Them
One of the hardest things for most people is keeping track of character names. One easy solution that will help that is to make a point to use the other character’s name at least three times or more throughout the scene.
This will help cement the name in your brain. This will also come in handy in upper level classes when we start bringing scenes and characters back multiple times!
Walk Ons
Another scene edit is the Walk On. A Walk On is when someone from the back line or sidelines that isn’t in the scene comes into the scene. It can be a great help to scenes, but it also has potential to distract from the scene.
Here are the ideal times to do a Walk On:
- If a character is named within the scene.
- “Mom’s going to be home soon and she’s pissed!” That’s an opportunity for someone to come in as the angry mom.
- If the Who, or Where is missing from the scene – we don’t know specifics about the characters’ relationship or they haven’t established clearly where they are right now – that’s an opportunity for someone to come in and bring them that information.
- “Mom… Dad… you’re embarrassing us!”
Never do a Walk On because “I’m not in this scene.” Walk Ons should be shining a spotlight on the improvisers who started the scene. Doesn’t mean you can’t be funny, but you want to honor what they’ve built. If what you’re walking on with doesn’t do that, hold on to your idea and start the next scene with it instead.
Pop Ins
Pop-Ins are a type of Walk On where someone pops their head into the scene briefly, brings a gift to the players, and then gets out of the way. These should be done in threes and heighten when possible.
“Hey guys, five minutes before the curtain goes up…”
“Hey guys, we’ve only got two minutes before you’re out there…”
“Hey guys, there’s an empty stage – why aren’t you out there?”
Give Characters Gifts
When setting up for a Named Walk-Ons, give your new character(s) some gifts like personality traits, regional accents, weird quirks, etc.
Your character already knows them, and anything they say to describe them becomes true! That gives the other improviser something to play with. It’s a gift!
Part Four - Objects (aka DO)
Object Work
On an improv stage we usually only have each other and a few chairs. Everything else we make up. We want to treat objects like they are real, with weight size, and volume, use them and put them away like we would real things. Phones aren’t two fingers because that’s not how we hold a real phone. When sweeping with a broom or mopping with a mop, try and keep the handle straight. And try not to let your improv objects disappear into thin air. If you’re holding an improv bottle of beer, you’re holding that beer until you set it down.
The more realistic we treat the object, the more the audience will buy into the illusion. Even if you have real things like phones on your person, still use improv objects. Pay with an improv wallet, take off improv clothes, tie improv shoes, etc. The only real objects you should interact with on an improv stage are the chairs, which can be used for couches, chairs and cars.
Make the Scene About Relationships, Not About Objects
Object work can clearly establish WHERE the scene is taking place, and does a great job of filling in the scene. However, be careful to let scenes be about the people and their relationships more than the objects.
If a dad is working on his improv car while chatting with his son, it would be really easy to get into a scene where he’s teaching car maintenance. But that’s a boring teaching scene. The better option is while showing Jimmy how to change spark plugs, dad confesses “Hey buddy, I’ve got some news for you – your mom and I are splitting up.” while turning a improv ratchet. That is far more interesting!
A to C Instant Brainstorming
We don’t want the audience to get bored with our show. Sometimes we can get into a rut or get stuck on a singular idea over and over again. Audiences like variety. One easy way to get unstuck and generate a new idea on the fly is to A to C it.
So let’s say we get the word ‘grasshopper’ and we have WAY too many scenes that are focused on grasshoppers or we’ve said the word ‘grasshopper’ five times too often. Here’s how you can fix that:
It’s as simple as saying to yourself:
“Grasshopper (A) makes me think of legs (B), which makes me think of shaving (C). I’m going to start the next scene by shaving my legs.”
We’ve now created a brand new thread for the show.
You can easily keep a show fresh continually by watching the previous scene, picking something out of it to A to C, and then spinning off in a new direction.
Show Format: A to C
Chaining Scenes
Start with a word from the audience to directly inspire some silent object work and a strong emotion. Someone else joins, also silent and also with their own emotion. Make eye contact and name each other (bonus points for also naming the relationship). The Who What and Where are now taken care of so have a nice scene together. Wipe when the scene hits a funny button line (or if it meanders).
The next person who starts, ask them to sum up the scene before in one word. Now have them do a quick A to C out loud. This makes me think of, which makes me think of.
“Pizza makes me think of cheese and cheese makes me think of dairy – I’ll milk a cow!”
Tell them they can use the B or the C to inspire their object work and emotion for the next scene. Assign someone else to join them silently.
Silent object work + emotion + name each other + talking. Continue to string these together until the timer is done and declare THAT’S OUR SHOW!!
Do > Feel >
Know > Say
For Intro, we’re going to strive to start scenes with the following. These are not the only way to start scenes, and we’ll drop this as people get more comfortable, but this is a great set of training wheels as you get used to starting improv scenes, which for many is the biggest hurdle.
It’s super easy: Do > Feel > Know > Say > Play
DO: Object Work
We’ll dive more deeply into Object Work in Week 3, but it’s simply making up chores that utilize improv objects in a scene. Dig a hole. Fold laundry. Work on a car. Stand on the shore fishing. As long as you are interacting with real objects in this part of the scene, you’re good!
Do establishes WHERE you are in the scene pretty solidly.
Simply come out and start silently do object work for a few seconds. Don’t worry about what to say yet.
FEEL: Emotions
As you silently start digging that hole, think about how your character feels at this moment. Are they happy? Are they angry? Show that emotion. Emotions + Object Work = Gold!
Make the emotion big so it’s clear to the other person as they enter the stage. Continue to do your thing silently and with full emotions.
The second person now enters the stage area and joins you silently in that activity – either do the same thing or something that goes along with it. They will have their own emotion towards this as well. It can be the same emotion or it can be completely different – both will create a fun dynamic.
DO and FEEL this silently together for around 10 to 20 seconds.
KNOW: Relationship
Characters should almost always know each other. You can have a perfectly fine scene between total strangers, but you can get to the meat of the scene much faster if the characters know each other well and have opinions of the other person.
Naming the other character, or naming the relationship is a great way to establish that history together.
Once the Object Work and Emotions are underway with both characters, pause and make eye contact for a second or two and then state the other character’s first name or establish the relationship. Also let the name be inspired by the scene – try not to pre-plan or use in-real-life names.
Let the emotion come through in that naming.
“Samuel…” “Stacy…”
“Mother…” “Ethan…”
“Johnson…” “Mr. Stern…”
“Newman…” “Jerry…
Naming goes a long way towards establishing that the characters know each other and have a relationship. Going even further by establishing if they are friends, neighbors, family members, spouses, co-workers, etc. is a gift that will fuel the scene.
SAY: Sentence
Once the Object Work and Emotions have been established, and the characters have named each other (or named the relationship), pause for a beat and then either character can start talking.
Normal everyday conversation is best with improv. Resist the urge to say something crazy or ‘funny’. Just talk and react honestly. Trust the Yes-And process. The funny stuff WILL happen!
Video: The Invisible Props Department
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert did an excellent bit on object work.
Improv Games
Here are descriptions of some of the improv games that were played this week if you want to share them with friends and family!
Snap Pass
Throw a snap to another person in the circle. That person catches with one snap, then throws to someone else with a second snap. Keep throwing the snap around the room for awhile. People usually start to get creative with it after the first few throws. This is Yes-Anding without words!
Part Five - Patterns (aka PLAY)
Game
Game is anything that is fun to play with within the scene for the improviser and the audience. We usually know we have stumbled upon game when the audience laughs or reacts big in other ways.
For Intro we focus on patterns for game but it can also be heightening, emotional reactions, emotion shifts, etc, etc. (all of which we dig into in the Level 2 class).
Patterns
Discover patterns such as catch phrases, movements, etc. We forced them a bit in the class exercises to show how and why they work, but, when doing scenes, it is always best to stumble upon them naturally (and you won’t always have them). As stated above, you will know you’ve found it when the audience reacts strongly.
Patterns can also have variations. The rule is if you do it the exactly the same the second time as the first, then do it exactly the same the third time – if different the second time, then make it equally different the third time.
Let patterns breathe for awhile in between returning to them. It gives them more weight if you let there be around 30 seconds or more between coming back to them.
Rule of Threes
Rule of Threes
If you find something that the audience clearly likes, do it again, and then do it again for a total of three. Game usually happens best in threes. If you have a pattern, do it three times. If heightening do it three times. Return to scenes in threes. Our brains like the number three and find it entertaining and satisfying.
Multiples of three also work, so if you go beyond three, go ahead and make it six. If beyond six, go to nine.
Here’s why Rule of Threes works:
First time: You stumble upon something. You hear the audience react and file it away to bring back in a bit. Don’t do it right away, but let it rest for a bit.
Second time: You’ve now created a pattern. The audience watched you do it. They are in on the joke.
Third time: Since the audience is in on the joke, they WANT you do hit it a third time and either fulfill their expectations or subvert them.
Heightening
Heightening is another example of improv game. It’s taking the base thing and then making it bigger and more extreme, and then doing that a third time for the rule of threes.
Heightening isn’t actually a quantity. It’s more of an escalation.
“I bought a boat.”
“I bought two boats”
“I bought three boats.” Is okay, but kind of boring.
Instead we want to go bigger and more extreme.
“I bought at boat.”
“I bought a yacht.”
“I bought a cruise line.” Is way more fun!
The reason we encourage grounded and normal scene initiations is because a grounded start gives you somewhere to heighten to later. If you start big and crazy it makes it hard to build from there.
You can also heighten by going smaller each time.
Video: Metaphor for Improv
Keegan-Michael Key give a great analogy for how improv works!
Part Six - Improv Performance
The Anatomy of an Improv Show
This is how to do a simple and diverse montage improv show with just a single word from the audience.
- Everyone comes out with high energy, hooping and hollering.
- A designated person will introduce the troupe and get a suggestion from the audience.
- The first person who steps out will use the word as an inspiration for their silent object work and big emotion. If you get “sunshine” from the audience, maybe you’re excitedly putting on sunscreen, or frustratingly adjusting the blinds.
- A second person will join in the activity, silently doing the same thing or something that goes along with it, also with their own emotion that doesn’t have to match the first person’s, but can.
- After a few seconds of silent activity, make eye contact and name each other, letting their emotions through as they say the name – let the names be inspired by the scene and don’t pre-plan. “Jessica…” “Trevor…”
- Now start talking and Yes-anding.
- When you find out what the scene is about together, play with what emerges.
- When the scene hits a funny moment (or stalls out), someone not currently in the scene will come from the back or side line and wipe the scene.
- Everyone that wasn’t in that scene should be picking something from it to A to C and use as potential inspiration for the next scene.
- Blinds make me think of cords which makes me think of computers. I’m going to start the next scene by happily typing in an office.
- Every scene try to find something from the previous scene to use to A to C for the next scene.
- If a third character is named that isn’t currently in the scene, someone from the back line can enter as that character. “My boss is coming over for dinner.” Keep Walk-ons to a minimum for now and only when someone is named – we’ll teach more on that topic later!
- String scenes together like this for the allotted time. A to C something said in the previous scene. The more tangental the better!
- When the timer hits zero, everyone throws their arms up and says “THAT’S OUR SHOW!!!”
- Take a bow and exit the stage.
Stagecraft
There are a few things to keep in mind when you are on an improv stage to make sure you are seen and heard, and to make sure that others are seen and heard, especially when you have a full audience watching.
Share the Energy
If there are more than two people on stage, you will need to share the energy, otherwise the audience will hear static if improvisers are talking over each other. Talk popcorn style. Remember the Energy disc/object from the Share the Energy exercise. You can give the energy to someone else or you can take it through body language and eye contact.
Project Your Voice (even when whispering)
Talk louder than you think you may need to. We are generally not mic’d up, so you want to make sure that the person on the back row of seats can hear you clearly. If you are naturally soft-spoken, push your volume up.
If whispering in a scene, do a ‘stage whisper’ and change the tone of your voice to that of a whisper, but try to keep your volume up. The audience will understand that it’s a whisper.
Cheat Out Towards the Audience
When you are on a stage, be aware of how you are facing the audience. You always want to have your face towards the audience and never have your back to them. Sometimes this will feel awkward to you on stage, but it looks correct to the crowd. We call this Cheating Out.
If you’re in a scene where you might normally be facing the other person directly, instead face them at an angle so most of the audience can see both of your faces. This also will enable them to hear you.
Backline Etiquette
When you are on the backline or sidelines, you should be standing up, leaning in, and intently watching the scene, ready to provide support like sound effects or pop-ins at any moment. Don’t slouch against the wall, look disinterested, or be chatting to each other behind the scene going on. It’s okay to have a quick whisper to someone if you have an idea for the next scene, but it should not be distracting from what’s going on in front of you.
Don’t be in Every Scene
While it’s great to get out and start scenes, make sure you’re giving others a chance to start. If you’ve been in two or three scenes in a row, hang back for a scene or two to give others the spotlight.
While it’s great to get out and start scenes, make sure you’re giving others a chance to start. If you’ve been in two or three scenes in a row, hang back for a scene or two to give others the spotlight.
Be a Great Audience Member
When your troupe isn’t performing, support the other troupes by being an enthusiastic audience member.
Video: Everyone Starts Somewhere
A video with some improvisers in Chicago in 1996. See if you recognize a few faces…
Movie Trailer:
We Are Freestyle Love Supreme
Did you know that Hamilton has its origins in improv? If you’re subscribed to Hulu, check out this excellent (and very funny) documentary film that also serves as the origin story for two Broadway shows!