Theatrical Improvisation - The Basics

This year I started to practice this incredible discipline, and I can affirm that it has changed my life. There is a lot to know about “Improv”. I am not an expert, but I wanted to share the basic concepts you start to learn as soon as you get into a course. You may find this article useful if you want to refresh info, or maybe if you just want to learn something new!

First of all, what is “Improv”? How do I do it? Is is the same as “normal” theater?

Well, according to the book “The Truth in Comedy” (1994), it is in a few words: A performance that isn’t prepared nor planned in any way. If you have been to Improv shows, you may remember that the host sometimes asks the audience for words, phrases, places, or a feeling, in order to give inspiration to the actors and start the improvisations. That is basically it! The actors don’t even have much time to reflect about what they have heard, they need to start the scene right away. That is the core difference between Improv and conventional theater. In theater you have an already set script to follow, certain actions to perform, and real objects to use… In Improv you DON’T have any of this, just your imagination and training.

Now, which are the basics?

*A complete scene has each character delimited (ex: an angry man that works at an office), a relationship between the characters in scene (two brothers, a couple, etc), an objective (to mop the floor), and a place (a kitchen, an office, the beach, etc). However, not all of these aspects need to be there at the beginning of the scene, the actors can discover these things as the improvisation goes.

*It is mandatory to say YES and go along with the ideas your partner may bring! Sometimes, when you are “building” a scene and have a clear idea of what you want to add, your partner doesn’t understand your proposal and changes it entirely. You will have to go with whatever the changes are and finish the scene. For example, you wanted the relationship to be of brother-sister, but the other actor says “sweetie” at the beginning of their intervention and that turns the relation to one of a couple.

*You have to listen to what the other actors have to say; to their feelings, actions, and to the space you both "drew" together. The things you notice are the key to the rest of the improvisation. Pay close attention to everything, maybe one of the small details is what becomes a big success in the scene.

*The scene will be best if you believe in what you are doing entirely. The audience appreciates an actor that is committed to the performance and their character. Also, it is way more funny for the audience to watch an absurd situation if the actor is completely serious about it.

*Finally: don’t try to be funny. Improv doesn’t need to make the audience laugh all the time, there are even some companies that perform dramatic improvisations. If you manage to understand and accomplish all the previous guidelines/ rules, you will see that being funny on purpose isn’t necessary. It is actually counter-productive to make jokes on stage since they will distract you from what is happening at the moment.

One tip: relax! Don’t be so hard on yourself, Improv is an incredible journey that requires all of your disposition. Play and allow yourself to experience.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions, or add anything you find relevant about what I just shared!

Sources:
Halpern C., Close D., and Johnson K. (1994). Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation. Meriwether Publising.
None of the pictures are mine, I found them on Google Images.