Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation

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Connections are a much more sophisticated way to get laughs. When an audience sees the players start a pattern, they finish the connections in their minds.

KEY POINTS FOR CHAPTER THREE *Respect choices made by others. *There are no bad ideas. *There are no mistakes. Everything is justified. *Treat others as if they are poets, geniuses and artists, and they will be. *The best way to look good is to make your fellow players look good.

Notable Quote: “The Group Mind is the Holy Grail of improvisation. It is the magic part of improvisation. It is the moment on-stage suddenly know what one another will do before they do it.” SHOW, DON’T TELL An improviser accepts what his partner says as a gift, and builds on that idea. He may respond with another gift, and the two of them build their scene based on the information in their statements. They must make active choices, rather than passive ones, and then follow through on their ideas. Everything said can be heard and used, even what might be considered a mistake. Since "action begins with the disruption of a routine," the "mistake" could be the disruption that begins the action. Too many actors make the error of talking about doing something instead of doing it; a potentially interesting scene gets frittered away because no one is actually doing anything. If the idea is active, it leads, step by step, to the next idea. But if the idea is talked away, the actors never arrive at the next idea. Suppose two actors are on stage, and one of them must choose whether to stay with his wife and children, or run off to a silver mine in South America. An inexperienced improviser might make the mistake of agonizing over the decision for several minutes, weighing the pros and cons. Boring! He might even choose to stay with his family. This is a more noble decision, but he's just chosen the routine, rather than the disruption, and we're left with no action. He's also wasted the audience's time wallowing in his angst. Chekov or Ibsen could probably script an interesting version of this scenario, but in improv, the active choice is the only one to take. Given the choice, any experienced improviser must immediately leave his wife and family, and run off to South America. If it's only a thirty-second scene, so be it — this allows us more time for their follow-up scene, which will obviously begin deep in the South American silver mine. See how much further the active choice leads? Scenes are much more interesting when the idea is seen, rather than talked about. Active choices forward the scene. Passive choices keep it stagnant. There's really no choice, is there? Every director has heard the dreaded, familiar "My character wouldn't do that." There is nothing a character won't do. When an actor discovers a new character in his personality, he must find what will make him go further — to do the unexpected. Developing characters proved to be one of the most useful elements of the Harold for Chris Farley when he moved on to Saturday Night Live. "I was able to come up with many different characters. In one Harold, I could do five characters, and maybe hone those just a little bit and try 'em again," says Farley. "There are so many different characters you can do in one given Harold — five characters can easily emerge."

Audiences appreciate a sophisticated game player. When a player listens and uses patterns that have developed in a scene, it can elicit cheers from an audience which are much more intoxicating than the laughs that result from a few jokes. Read How to be the Greatest Improviser on Earth. 6. The Improv Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Improvising in Comedy, Theatre, and Beyond by Tom Salinsky and Deborah Frances-WhiteImprov books are guides that teach the art of improvisational acting and comedy. These books teach participants how to think on their feet, respond to prompts, and react to other actors. The guides relay the fundamentals of improv and lay down best practices so that players have an easier time making up dialogue on the spot and acting in the moment. These books also often show readers how to apply the principles of improv to achieve success in business and life. What are the best improv books for beginners? Read Getting to “Yes And”. 2. Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses “No, but” Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration – Lessons from the Second City by Kelly Leonard and Tom Yorton The simplest and most basic concept may also be the most effective. The truth is funny. Honest discovery, observation, and reaction is better than contrived invention.” There is no “true” self for you to show the audience. It’s why Berlant finds readings of comedy like Gervais’s of C.K.’s ridiculous. “‘Look how stripped down and raw.’ It’s so funny,” Berlant explained to Fielder. “We know what it’s like to construct a self in a performance, just existing walking down the street. So this idea that anyone is going to be onstage and not be an actor, or a performer, that performance is not a construction at all, it’s so bizarre.” THE PLAYER AS DIRECTOR When a player edits a scene, this means he's decided it's time for another scene, or perhaps a game or monolog. The ball is in his court, until the next editor/director deems it necessary to take over. As a director, a player may choose to enter a scene, rather than cut it off. "Walk-ons" are appropriate if a performer has an idea to help move the scene forward in the same direction that its players are moving it. Often, actors in a scene call for another player to enter, so the team members should always be listening for that call. Good walk-ons enter, give their initiation, and then exit. A walk-on must remember that the scene is not about him; he shouldn't re-direct ttie scene or become its focus. And he shouldn't enter in the first place if He doesn't have an idea to help the actors move their scene forward, because he only causes further confusion. Don't throw an anchor to a sinking ship — someone else will help. Don't fix it if it isn't broken! Players should never invade each other's scenes if they are going smoothly and don't call for assistance. As a director, a player may even initiate an idea for a split scene that enriches or illuminates the scene currently being performed. To do this, a player begins the split scene on the other side of the stage, instead of walking in front of the ongoing action and cutting it off. By beginning the new scene next to the old one, instead of crossing in front of it, the other players realize they are about to see a split scene. If there's any confusion, an actor can simply call out "Split scene!"

Truth in Comedy” is praised as one of the classical readings for comedy. Indeed, it covers many fundamental points in comedy. Some, but not all, are:serve as a game within a Harold, but again, there are no rules. The players might even deliver three monologs, instead of a game. Death." "Bergman." "Bird dog." "Bird Man of Alcatraz." "Prison." "Bondage." "Collar." Team B "Loyalty." "Man's best friend." "Barking." "Sit." "You can have the kids. I'll take the dog." "Stay." "Caged." "Divorce." "Heel." "Barking." "Cat fight." "His bark is worse than his bite." "He's a stray." Team A's use of the "dog" theme revealed ideas about crime and punishment; Team B discovered levels of failed human relationships, in addition to animal-human relationships. As the players grow more experienced on stage, they discover they have an inner voice which, when followed, leads them to interesting twists in the scene. The unusual choices result in the most interesting scenes.