CORE Improv Blog

"Imagine you are a child standing on a sidewalk, watching your parents in a parade. They are walking along, handing out treats. You are very excited to see your heroes come closer and your heart pounds as you anticipate the chance to nab one of the candies that comes from them. But withing a few feet, you are shocked to see they only give candy to specific people. In fact, they are ignore many of the parade watchers, and they only give candy to specific adults - people who trade knowing winks...
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Hello Doctor. I submit for you today Exhibit A, B and C.
 
Exhibit A
Most of us have had anxiety dreams. Ever had dream where you walk into class to take an exam and you realize you did not study? Or better yet, show up to perform the lead role in a play and realize you do not know your lines?

Exhibit B
If you improvise, you probably have had a conversation that goes something like this:

    OTHER PERSON: So where are you going?
    YOU: Improv rehearsal.
    OP: Improv rehearsal?
    Y: Yes
    OP: I...
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This past weekend was the Quad Show at Parkway North. All of the four schools came together and battled for the title of, well, winner. (There's not really an incentive for winning. It's more about making the audience happy.) One scene in particular stood out to me for reasons that wouldn't stand out to the audience.

Hunh? Let me lay it out for you.

Here's the scene: Shortform. Blind Line. Four students on stage at the same time. The plot is three children want to buy a nuclear submarine and a ...
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In general, you are confident. You always choose your words wisely and delivery them eloquently. When people describe you, they use words like classy, composed, and posed. When you walk into the room, other people smile your way because - gosh darn it - you make them feel better about themselves, just by proximity.

What is above describes no one I know.

I have known people who come close to this description in one way or another, but when you get down to it, we're all broken people. It's part ...
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I read this and found it interesting that the announcers for the matches are improv comedians.

Quidditch World Cup Flies Into NY

It makes you grateful that someone saw the value of having an improv comedian here.
Also, it makes you wonder about real-world (although, arguably "real-world" might be stretching it here) applications of improv outside of theatrical improv.

These performers are being asked to step into a situation where they have no script, no background, think on their feet and be fun...
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Dry-run a test-show in actual rehearsal for the rest of the players.

This would be the final step in what I consider to be a fully-prepared Ringleader. It seems like the most obvious one, right? It's also the most nerve-rattling. I mean, you're doing it for your peers. If you've managed to build up a good ensemble, then you care about what they think a lot more than you care about the audience anyway. And since the new Ringleader cares about them, it's likely their head is a-tumble with all th...
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Dry-run the introductions to a show about a few times to the satisfaction of the artistic director.

This is another step in preparing to be solid at one of the "Ringleader" positions.

The beginning - the period of time when the audience meets you, the performers, your format, and even improv - is going to set the tone for the whole evening. It's just like any interpersonal introduction: it has a tendency to steer how the rest of the relationship is going to go. The introductions of your shows ...
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Prove memorization of essential, scripted pieces

I have found it helpful, when building a solid program for the nominated Ringleaders to go through a kind of oral exam. They need to do the homework and they need to prove they can recite their scripted pieces to their team. Whether that means having the group gather around with flash cards for "Intro," "Chain Murder Mystery," etc. or having a tenured Host "haze" a newbie Host one-on-one by having them blitz through their lines, it doesn't matte...
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