Lovely bunch of people in our improv workshop<\/a> this evening. Left me so positive about impro that I\u2019m writing this blog on the tube home immediately after before I forget.<\/p>\n Workshop was on Awareness, as in being totally aware of what the other improviser is saying, doing, moving, feeling.<\/p>\n There is quite a lot of talk on listening in impro books in general, but surprisingly little on seeing. Sometimes you\u2019d be led to believe impro is a purely verbal pursuit, but actually the audience get a huge amount of pleasure from bold physical offers.<\/p>\n So we sometimes wrap up listening and seeing into Awareness.<\/p>\n For me listening and seeing are one of the most fundamental skills in impro. If you aren\u2019t hearing and seeing the other actor, and aren\u2019t aware of what they are doing, then you can\u2019t really improvise with them and can only improvise alongside them in your own separate world.<\/p>\n We want people improvising with each other, connected to each other.<\/p>\n There are loads of different techniques and exercises to make sure you are aware of the other actor and receiving all their offers. These techniques also have the pleasant side effect of removing self-consciousness, taking off the pressure of being funny, and keeping improvisers in the moment.<\/p>\n Sometimes improvisers seem to experience a \u2018workshop freeze\u2019, where they\u2019ve been to so many different workshops run by so many different people that they are trying to do too much on stage and actually freeze up when they\u2019re in a show. The idea isn\u2019t to learn every single technique and then try and do them all at once on stage like a robot, otherwise you get stuck in your head and stop having fun. It\u2019s better to only consciously take one thing on stage, whatever works for you at that time, and have fun with everything else.<\/p>\n In my experience shows don\u2019t go down so well if the actors are trying to take too many things on stage with them, or just find themselves stuck there trying to be funny. A good balance is to only consciously take on thing on stage with you.<\/p>\n I personally seem to perform best when I go into the show with the mantra \u201creact and add to every single offer, especially the small ones.\u201d<\/p>\n Here are some techniques to raise awareness, listening and seeing between improvisers. Play with them and use the one that works for you Group Walk\/Stop\/Jump:<\/strong> the group walk around the room, stop in unison, freeze, start walking in unison, jump in unison. Encourage the Diamond Dancing:<\/strong> four improvisers up, in a diamond formation all facing the audience. Play music, they dance, copying the person Group Mirroring:<\/strong> the group stand in a circle. Each person mirrors someone else in the circle, but so that the whole circle is connected. String Puppet:<\/strong> one improviser operates the other from the front using imaginary strings as if they were a string puppet. When they go Use their words:<\/strong> Use a word, or as many words as possible, from what the other improviser just said in your line. We did this in the \u201cThat\u2019s Right Bob\u201d sales channel game, with two improvisers working together to sell a product as if on a sales channel.<\/p>\n Last Word First Word:<\/strong> Start your line with the last word the other improviser just said.<\/p>\n Voice Mirroring:<\/strong> saying the same thing that the other improviser is saying at the same time in the same way, but in your head. At first you can voice mirror out loud as an exercises, but then turn the volume down and do it in your head in a scene. This is one of Adam Meggido\u2019s Mini Meisner:<\/strong> repeat between each other facts about the other person that are undeniably true. Start with clothes, then, hair\/eyes etc, For instance: Then do the repetitions but under imaginary circumstances, eg with a location added. This helps the improvisers to be aware of everything Repeating All Offers:<\/strong> play a scene but after each line the other improviser says everything they just did, said, moved, expressed, For instance, set on a cruise ship:<\/p>\n A: \u201cCabin boy, take the wheel\u201d Actor A was laughing accidentally but B picked up on the offer and used it, as they were aware of everything about A. As the scene It\u2019s very satisfying when actors use everything the other person is giving them, especially the things that are happening accidentally.<\/p>\n There is also something truthful about improvising like this. If someone really is laughing, or looking nervous, or walking away from you, or shaking, then use it. That stuff is actually happening, so be aware of it, and use it.<\/p>\n Lots of love,<\/p>\n Hoopla<\/p>\n Awareness Lovely bunch of people in our improv workshop this evening. Left me so positive about impro that I\u2019m writing this blog on the tube home immediately after before I forget. Workshop was on Awareness, as in being totally aware of what the other improviser is saying, doing, moving, feeling. There is quite a lot[…] <\/p>\n
\non stage:<\/p>\n
\ngroup to follow each other, not lead.<\/p>\n
\nin front. If the group turns to face the left, right or back they copy the new person in front. Then break it up and have fun with it, inventing dance routines on the spot.<\/p>\n
\nOr the group just mirrors itself, the slightest change in one person is mirrored across the group.<\/p>\n
\nbehind the puppet the puppet is actually in control but they still move strings accordingly.<\/p>\n
\n(Showstopper) favourite techniques and he\u2019s one of the best listeners I\u2019ve ever met.<\/p>\n
\nthen movement\/expression, then emotions.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou\u2019ve got a black t-shirt\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019ve got a black t-shirt\u201d
\n\u201cYou\u2019ve got a black t-shit\u201d
\n\u201cYou\u2019re smiling\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m smiling\u201d
\n\u201cYou\u2019re happy\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m happy\u201d<\/p>\n
\nthe other person is giving them \u2013 movements, expression, words, emotion, and use it. It also helps to not differentiate between what the improviser is doing on purpose and what they are doing accidentally. If the improviser laughs while saying \u201ccaptain, iceberg dead ahead\u201d, then their character is also laughing.<\/p>\n
\nbefore adding their line. This games means that all the focus is on the other person, and not worried about story\/being funny. Give location, character, relationship before starting.<\/p>\n
\nB: (Repeating all offers) \u201cYou pointed really sharply at
\nthe wheel, giggled, and said take the wheel.\u201d (Line) \u201cYes captain, it would be
\nan honour.\u201d
\nA: (Repeating) \u201cYou took the wheel and spoke in a squeaky
\nvoice yes captain it would be an honour.\u201d (Line) \u201cLook out, rocks dead ahead!\u201d
\nB: (Repeating) \u201cYou pointed out to sea, and laughed as you
\nsaid look out, rocks dead ahead!\u201d (Line) \u201cYou\u2019re happy about the rocks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nplayed on it turned out the Captain was deliberately crashing the ship into the rocks as an insurance scam, had put the cabin boy behind the wheel so he had a scapegoat.<\/p>\nWe run exercises on listening and awareness at all of our improv courses<\/a> and especially in our Level 1 Beginners Improv Course<\/a>.<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"