So you’ve done it. You’ve gone and been cast in your first scripted show (or second, or third, or twenty-third), and the director has said the most dreaded words an actor can hear: off book. You’ve got to ditch your script and actually have the words just IN your head, like some kind of ROBOT. What are you, A SPEAK AND SPELL?
Read MoreA student asked me recently: “What is meant by having grounded scenes?” I realized that I don’t think I’ve ever said in a class “make this scene more grounded.” What I have said - over and over - is to make a relationship between the characters who are present, and this creates grounding.
Read MoreAt some point in your intro improv classes, you’ll have an instructor tell you to ‘avoid teaching scenes’. It’s an odd piece of advice out of context. Does this mean you should never have an improv scene take place in a classroom? Should you never have one character imparting wisdom to another?
Read More“Do you have any notes for me?”. It’s perfectly understandable that improv students ask this all the time. The performing arts are difficult for self-assessment. As reasonable a request as it is, it can be an effort for a coach or teacher to fulfill it.
Read MoreA question that always comes up from students is: “How do I form a troupe?” (answer: find the people you like and like playing with and eventually come up with a name. Congratulations: you’re a troupe. The incomparable Jess K. has written on this very subject).
Read MoreQ: How do you make an improviser cringe?
A: Ask them to watch a video of their last show.*
This is an improv set by some of the cast of House of Lies, a show I never watched. It’s probably a good show. Of the group, Ben Schwartz, Lauren Lapkus, Eugene Cordero, Josh Lawson, and Ryan Gaul have had improv experience. Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell have none (as far as I know).
Read MoreAuditions are a terrible process that provoke stress in those auditioning, thereby ensuring that they will not perform at their best at an art form that is buffeted by the whims of chance more than any other. The mathematics of auditions are not in any individual’s favor. Many more people do not get the part than do. But they also provide a fantastic way to see how an improviser performs in an incredibly awkward and unnatural environment. My, doesn’t that sound like an excellent learning opportunity?
Read MoreAn article from the Fix.com talks about how improv can play a role in making a judgement free zone for others. "...It’s important to set up an environment where people can make mistakes without judgment, which makes them more adventurous and less afraid of failure."
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