Patrick’s Improv Reflections – 09/09/15 Show→

Straight / absurd is a lens to view a scene.  It is not the only lens, and it is not a perfect lens, but I find it a very useful lens.  You can use it or not.  You might find status, story or character to be more useful lenses.

Neil Casey 401 Notes Day Final→

  • The main difference between a 201 grad show and a seasoned improv show is that when people step out their eyes are locked on each other. People are so worried about putting out their initiations that they don’t see the choices they’ve already made.
  • I think of scenes like pyramids, on the bottom we are listening to each other and agreeing, above that we are playing realistically and intelligently, above that making them important and reacting emotionally and above that game.
  • Saying a suggestion in a Harold is usually really lame. It’s like if Darth Vader were to say “I declare Star Wars”.

Will Hines substitutes a UCB 401 class and brings a lot of wisdom. That last quote made me laugh out loud.

Small Lil’ Exercise on Playing Status

The awesome Anna Renz taught this one to me. It might have been from Keith Johnstone’s Impro? I can’t remember. It also has the great benefit of being fun as hell to watch.

  1. Four people up.
  2. Number four slips of paper from one to four.
  3. Hand out the slips to each person. Ask them to look at the slip but not show the other performers.
  4. Ask the four to play out a scene.  If it helps, give them a scenario such as a family sitting in a car or employees having post-work drinks.

Why This Is Awesome: Status Dynamics! Each performer knows their own status and can communicate it. A player with a status of 2 might show unwavering support to 1, while putting down 3 and 4. When that is combined with character (such as a family where the kids have higher status than the parents) or point-of-view (3 might mirror the POV of 2), the scenes come to life and are both realistic yet funny. Then add status stifts, where a player might try and raise or lower their status depending on what has previously happened in the scene and you have something that is vibrant to watch.

How To Use This Outside of the Exercise:  When we are aware of status, we can respond appropriately, either by adjusting our status or adjusting how we respond to that status (be it through dialogue, movement, body shape, etc). We can mirror that status too, although you want to be careful playing even higher status, as that may just start argumentative scenes (boring). If we’re on the backline, we can add side-support by complementing the status that already exists in the scene, as opposed to adding something new too. Lots of fun to be had!

Bill Arnett workshop notes on character→

  • In the info of a line, what’s important in that line?
    • What’s conveyed?
  • Character > situation
    • The character is what’s important
  • If your worst scene is still a realistic depiction of life, you’re golden.
    • Gagging is unrealistic.
    • Frequent direction:  “This is really happening, <x>!”
  • Don’t play the action, play the person.
    • Again, character > situation.
  • You can always disclose your opinions/knowledge about the other character.
    • This lets you ‘check in’.

Loads of good stuff in these notes.

As he emphasized recently to one of the classes he now teaches at iO, the audience goes away after a performance but your fellow players remain, and “those are the eyes you have to make sure you can stare into at the end of the evening.”
TJ Jagodowski on the importance of teamwork.