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Your Mind On Improv

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:32:27 +0100

I found this fascinating, considering what we do. This neurologist studied the differences between of memorized rap and jazz versus improvised versions. The scientist admits that is all preliminary research, but watch it anyway and see if you think you can make some logical leaps to theatrical improv.

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Baseball and Improv: How to Make it Intense

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 23:33:04 +0100

162 games in the regular season. The game ends either after nine innings, or after a tie ends, whichever comes first. And what do the innings consist of? 90% of the game is an interaction between a batter, a pitcher, and a catcher that goes like this: Pitch. Catch.

Occasionally, there is a swing. Only about 1 out of 4 at bats result in a batter getting on base. According to the ERA or the average starting pitcher, each team will probably score 4 runs or fewer, per game.

People call this a boring game. As I sit here typing with my Cardinals shirt on, waiting for 7:05pm to roll around and Arlington to light up, it's hard for me to understand. But when you look at the pure essence of the game, sure, I can see why someone would call it less than exciting. It's not pro wrestling, that's for sure.

Improv performers put a lot of pressure on themselves to be entertaining. And so there's a school of thought that being interesting equates to intensity. I think that is true, but intensity can be a variety of things. Too often, intensity is misinterpreted as volume, absurdity, large action, and vulgarity. And, unfortunately, the economy of laughter sometimes rewards these behaviors up front. But those methods cannot be maintained, so in the long run, audiences disengage.

Let's look at intensity in baseball for a second and agree that since it's the longest-running pro sport, it must have something to offer.

1) Baseball is intense sometimes just because a certain batter is facing a certain pitcher. They never exchange words and act like they don't notice each other. Yet the crowd's murmuring heightens.

2) Baseball is intense sometimes just because a coach puts in a pinch hitter or a pinch runner.

3) Baseball is intense in its context. a 0-run game in the first inning is much different than a 0-run game in the 9th. At the end of the first, we're still worried if we are in the right seats. At the end of the 9th, we're wetting those seats.

4) Baseball is intense because everything is still a judgement call. Regardless what happens, it's the opinion of a few men wearing blue who determines the outcome of a game.

5) Baseball is intense because in an instant, everything can change so fast.

In a similar way, improv can be intense when performers establish the potential for great things. While it may be interesting, a scene may not need to start with a house fire and a family screaming at each other over whether to save themselves or the dog. Another form of interesting could be that same family later, calmly discussing reasons why they will not be buying fireworks this year.

Go Cards!

Getting Ready for a New Season

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 02:38:51 +0100

August is approaching and with it, new improvisors. Would you please comment here with some advice for the beginning improvisor?

A Community of Improv - Thank you!

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 01:21:14 +0100

We're in the home stretch towards SLIC Fest...

As we been plugging away at SLIC Fest, we have been impressed by the people who have offered their unsolicited assistance. This is wonderful for these reasons:

A) One of the goals of SLIC Fest has been to contribute to and bolster the St. Louis improv community. So having people other than us so such interest was a big deal.

B) We learned a little more about what is going on around town.

C) It's always heartwarming to see people get excited about a charity. Isn't this what we are made for?

Fortunately or unfortunately, SLIC Fest had to be reduced in scope and so we had to turn away a lot of volunteers. But for those who jumped up and said, "How can I help?" I wanted to do some shout-outs:

- Adam Grun: A shortform and sketch performer from CITY Improv at Union Station, he now coaches improv in and around the St. Louis area.

- Meghan Kenny - A student and performer at Washington University, she is a leadership member of K.A.R.L! Improv and will be performing at SLIC Fest.

- Cory Williams - a student and performer at Washington University, he is the outgoing president of K.A.R.L! Improv and will be performing at SLIC Fest.

- Paula Vaught - A student and performer at Truman State University, she was a former captain and an alumni of Parkway South's 5FD.

- Cassidy Flynn - A student of Ladue High School, he has been a captain for DueProv for the last 2 years. He will be performing at SLIC Fest. Cassidy has been instrumental in helping publicize the event.

Thanks to all of you

Formatting A Shortform Show - Part 2

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 04:57:51 +0100

So, you want to know what a Shortform Show will look like to the audience? Here are some basic components. The order and timing of these should be jotted down and walked out, from point to point, well before the first performance by all the performers. You cannot possibly assume every contingency just by using paper. You need to feel out the issues in real space.

Preshow
- Call Time?
- Warmups?
-Presets: What items need to be where? Pens? Paper? Whiteboards? Erasers?
- Preshow: What will the audience walk into? Music? Juggling? A dark space?

Beginning

- Context: How important is it (considering the theme and tone you have selected) for the audience to be informed about what they are about to see? How, who and when is context of the show delivered to your audience? Will someone explain the format and shortform to them? If so, who? Nobody? A flyer?
- Introductions: When / How / Who is introduced?
- Ceremonial: Will you be doing something ceremonious to signal the beginning of the event? (Comedy Sportz was big on faux-vending, the national anthem, etc.)
- Audience Warmup: Will you be doing anything to ready the viewers to be involved in the action?
-Blocking: For all of these points, where and when?
- Sponsors: Are they mentioned?

Middle
- Teams?: Is it competitive or a showcase? How many "teams" will there be? What are they vying for?
- Structure: Here are some basic forms:

Head to Head - One team vs. Another (Da-Doo-Ron-Ron or Mega Replay)
All Play - Everyone for themselves, but really for their teams! Elimination or point system. (Joke Round or Story)
Game vs. Game - Audience votes which game is performed better
For the Heck of It - Game played without any point value

- Order: Who choose games? Will the winner of round A pick games in round B?
- Scoring: How are winners and losers determined? When will scores be announced and how?
- Intermission: Does the audience need a break? Will music / refreshment be available?
- Blocking: Where do teams sit when they are not playing? Where is "offstage?"
- Theme: How is the theme used in the middle section?
- Sponsors: Are they mentioned?

End
- Finale: How do you generate a buildup of energy?
- Thank yous: If you thank people, then Who/When/Why
- Sponsors: Are they mentioned?
- How do you announce final score and winners?
- Is there an exit sequence?
- Post-Show music?
- Say goodbye to the audience?

Post Show
- Cleanup?
- Notes?

Formatting a Shortform Show - Part 1

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 04:57:00 +0100

So you want to put together a shortform show? Here's a list of questions that should help you get going.

Practical Issues:

What is the budget?
Is this a one-time event or are you hoping to turn this into a regular performance?
Do you have a space and the agreements to support that?
How many audience members can the space seat?
Are you charging for tickets?
Are you getting money for charity?
Who will sponsors or patrons be writing checks to?
How will you market and publicize?
How many performers?
Uniforms? Do they need to be purchased?
Where will they sit when they are not performing?
Will you have props?
Costumes?
If you have naive games, where will performers go to ensure they cannot hear the suggestions?
Lighting? If so, do you need someone to run the lights?
Sound effects, video or music? If so, who and how?

Vision:

Is this show going to be family-friendly?
Are there any specific socio-political messages you want conveyed?
What is the mood you are trying to set, other than comedic? (Nostalgic? Edgy? Trendy? Light? Chewy?)
How will everyone get on the same page with the vision?

Design Issues:

Will you be having a theme? (For instance, CITY Improv used to do shows called "Ninja Dojo," "Food Fight," "Comedy Rampage," "The Good, The Bad, and the Funny" etc. and all the shows were tailored to fit the gimmick.)
Who will manage the show? A neutral host, will team-members host it themselves, or will it be done some other way?
How will the stage and lighting reflect the vision? What needs to be done

Improv as a Sport and the OODA Loop

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:31:16 +0100

A friend of mine, Matt, is a fan of all things interesting. He brought this to my attention. It's a theory adopted by military fighter pilots.

OODA Loop

O = Observe
O = Orient
D = Decide
A = Act

The loop goes in that order, but always repeats for the person engaged in conflict. Here's the massive quote: "An entity (whether an individual or an organization) that can process this cycle quickly, observing and reacting to unfolding events more rapidly than an opponent, can thereby "get inside" the opponent's decision cycle and gain the advantage."

Incidentally, another friend of mine recently brought to my attention that Bill Chott has a theory of improv as a zero-contact sport. It uses the same mental gears as sport, but without the hurting.

My mind is playing with a lot of ideas surrounding this. Sport is like combat. OODA Loop is a mental process for combat. Can OODA be applied to a highly non-combative, performance?

I think so, but to a higher level, actually, because "advantage" is often handed over to the "enemy" who is either another member of the ensemble or even the audience. The performer is sober, aware, and makes themselves highly vulnerable.

Gorgeous. We are not fighter pilots, but unfighter pilots. Peace pilots. That's so idealistic... I like it.

Observations from Improv Bootcamp

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 02:54:03 +0100

Missouri Thespian Conference was, as always, very rewarding. One of the perks of being an improv coach is getting to "Prov It Up" with hundreds of excited students. It's a privilege.

Steven Vance and I ran Improv Bootcamp, which uses pace as a tool for getting instincts and heart (or, as Steven likes to call it, Micro and Meta) to think in sync. So scenes were done a hyper-speed and in awkward, slow, pensive speed.

What did we learn?

1. Slow scenes are better when the relationships are about relating. Sounds simple, but if neither character is going to engage and attempt to make a true connection, the scene will just cycle. "I want you to do this." "I hate doing things." "But I want you to do this." "Nope...."

2. Speed often increases volume, but volume can distract from a scene. It's especially difficult when the room is full of 100 students. But the message is clear that when performers get too excited, they can become steam whistles. Steven had the idea of keeping the energy high, but volume low. It actually increased the intensity.

3. Humor can inhibit a comedic scene. We saw so much growth from students when they gave themselves permission to play it real instead of going for the laugh.

Thanks for all those who participated!

MIT Brings Improv to the MBA Classroom

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 04:38:14 +0100

MIT Brings Improv to the MBA Classroom

Posted by: Alison Damast on December 14, 2010

A group of MBA students at MIT’s Sloan School of Management tossed aside their briefcases and book bags this month to flex their creative muscles, doing everything from playing an imaginary game of soccer to inventing office conflicts. The second-year MBA students were participating in a leadership class called “Improvisational Leadership: In the Moment Leadership Skills,” according to a release from the Sloan School. The acting class is the latest step by a leading business school to integrate creative arts and drama into the business school curriculum. It’s a trend that has been brewing for several years at a small but growing number of business schools, as I wrote about in an article a few years back.

Most of the business schools I focused on in that story offered acting classes, but the Sloan School (Sloan Full-Time MBA Profile) appears to be one of the first business schools to bring improvisational acting into the classroom. Daena Giardella, a professional actress, director and leadership coach, teaches the class and guides the students through experiential exercises, interactive improvisations and real-life simulations. The financial crisis and shaky economy has heightened the need for this type of training, which brings lessons from psychology and theater to business education, said Giardella, in the release. Students are asked to examine their habits and default responses and come up with new ways to approach the situation, without a script in hand, she said.

“We need these skills so we can adapt to new circumstances to come up with new fixes,” Giardella said. “If there has ever been a time when there is a need for great spontaneous communicators who can be in the moment, embrace change, and make things happen, it’s now.”

The three-hour, once-a-week class has some readings and two required papers, but the majority of the class grade comes from class participation and scenes and monologues that students are expected to enact on the spot. For example, in one scene a student played a boss who was annoyed with an employee who didn't respond to e-mails. In another, students banded together to form a corporate team that was frustrated when a member who was planning to leave hadn't yet told the team leader.

"I always take it back to a professional and business setting, so they can apply the improvisational skills to leadership and influence situations," Giardella said.

MIT's improv class is yet another example of business schools choosing to pay more attention to the so-called "soft skills" that recruiters say they are looking for in MBA candidates. For example, the Wharton School (Wharton Full-Time MBA Profile) recently announced that it be focusing more attention on oral and written communication in their curriculum overhaul. Other schools have added classes and workshops in public speaking. Sloan is perhaps taking an unusual approach to teaching these skills, but it might be onto something.

Readers, what do you think about Sloan's approach to teaching leadership skills?

The Conscience of Improv

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 06:35:14 +0100

Over time, the mind of an improviser goes through a change that in many ways it mirrors the development of a child moving into adulthood. It also mirrors spiritual development so closely, improv studies could be a powerful tool for churches and youth groups.

It's probably a lot more complex than this, but growth as an improviser seems dependent on how one handles a conversation between three points: 1) the outside world 2) instincts, and 3) the heart. Take the word "heart" how you will, but I see it as an inward, feeling, considerate part of the mind whereas instincts are typically rougher and less polished until they are honed.

Basically, here's the three step. Click the links for some rough pictures that might be helpful to illustrate.

1. Immature = Person reacting instinctively and too quickly to the world, without consideration.

2. Developing = Person learning to slow things down and consider. Literally taking moments to heart and thereby, training the instincts.

3. Mature = Person with instincts in alignment with the heart. Now correct decisions are made quickly.

So step #1 is what we all want to leave. #2 is where we are. And step #3 is our overall goal.

So what this comes down to is a need to slow things down. To take the time and train the instincts to mimic the heart.
In improv, I see this done in the following ways:

1. Quick Drills: Exercises like 3 Line scenes give us the chance to put the instincts on trial and then to discuss them. The discussion needs to focus on both what was wrong and how to improve. Instincts are like children in that they learn through pain and pleasure. Fire hurts : Candy is tasty :: Vapid scenes hurt : Endowed scenes are fun.

2. Alphas: Everyone needs to hear the group's positive perspective. We all have our own, limited idea of what was successful. But when we as a group sit down and hear what other people found to be successful, a deep part of each participant is listening and learning. Basically, it gives us more eyes.

3. Instinct exhaustion. Before getting into a real exercise, play a game that requires lots of quick thinking and do it until your brain feels fried. Then maybe your instincts will take a nap and you can get your heart some stage time.

4. Slowing things down. Any drill or exercise that makes a person digest each moment, pause, pause, think about what they should say or do, pause... and then... maybe... maybe... react thoughtfully.... teaches us how to DO improv. It completely takes instinct out of the picture and puts the heart center stage. It's delicious.

4. Practice. Keep it up. Trust there will be many opportunities to learn. The more time you give yourself in action, the better you will become.