This is hard to read, but important to read too. I’ve never seen anything like this, and never want to. Play the reality you want to see in the world, not the reality that already exists.
Category: Link
The Void Laughs Back: Nietzsche and the Church of Improv→
Listening vs. Monkeys→
What I learned from Mick [Napier] when I studied with him was that I could empower myself onstage at any moment that I chose. When I am not the one starting the scene I just choose to empower myself right after I have completely listened to the first person’s initiation. This way I make sure that their idea gets explored and, if I am listening well, they will almost always tell me basically what I am supposed to do. In seconds I have a clear scene start that can move forward effortlessly.
Hustle→
I believe you need hard work to find success and talent just makes the work easier. Success eventually knocks at everyone’s door. But you need the talent to be let in when it comes knocking and you need the work to develop that talent. Additionally, you need the work to keep putting yourself out there and present yourself for when success comes sniffing around. Plus you need to work to maintain and build on that success.
Everything Matters→
All of this is great but especially…
- Notice something in the present.
- Ascribe meaning to it.
- Heighten it.
Don’t worry about finding something important. Don’t worry about finding a game. Just be present and notice.
Learning to Trust→
I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I’m asking you to like–no, love the people who you’re doing improv with. What happens to them, especially on stage, should be more important to you than what happens to you. You are a tough, smart, grown-up person who has seen a lot of tough situations. You can take care of yourself if it comes down to it. Your Improv Friends? Give them everything they need! Be their sugar daddies and tell them how they’re never gonna have to scratch and struggle for anything while you’re around. And you know what? They’re gonna love you back for that. They’re gonna trust you and try to give just as much back. If they don’t then you’ll survive, but if they do you both will thrive.
Get Over Your Crippling Self-Doubt by Answering These Three Questions→
Not true improv advice, but if you’re anything like me you’ve suffered from self-doubt when doin’ the improv.
Subtext vs Stupid→
Status Exercises in Improv→
To Think or Not To Think→
Your reaction is all you get. No one is more than they are right now. In trying to be so is where we fuck up. We hear a line of dialogue, we have a reaction, we ignore or try to be better than our reaction, we think, we come up with a second or third option, but now we are no longer in the moment, we aren’t focused on listening or playing our character, we are in our head. We think we can’t come up with anything when actually we have come up with too much. What we should have done was the first thing that occurred to us.