Improv Opening Paragraph

How many times would you suspect I've rewritten this intro?

Place your bets!

I don't really have any prize to award, but imagine that satisfaction if you guess right?!

Ok.....final call. One time? Two times? Three times?

Close! Five times. I've actually rewritten this intro five times....and that doesn't even take into consideration how many times I've reimagined things in my mind.

A little ironic considering this is an improv blog that talks about things like, "living in the moment," "being present," and trusting your choices.

I'm not exactly leading by example....but....honestly....I am leading by cautionary tale 😂

Any of the five previous intros could have worked, but I kept doubting myself and erasing them. Keyboards are great, but they're also a little dangerous. Changes are so quick. I don't have to flip around a pencil and erase everything, or use white-out on a typewriter, or cross something out with a pen. I just hit backspace, and all my work disappears, and no one ever knows it existed. It’s all gone. In seconds, everything you wrote and shared could disappear. I don’t have to build a firepit, gather would, crumple paper, grab a lighter, build a fire and burn the pages.

I can just hit backspace. Keyboards are not great for the anxious at heart. That hits strangely. There must be a lot of keyboards that have destroyed a lot of ideas.

Sure. Sure. I 100% understand some things aren't worth printing, and should be deleted, but how many ideas got deleted before being explored? I know this morning 4 of mine did.

But, being aware of my previous intros also lead to know…and this meta analysis on improv starts. Welcome to the self-referential blog post on improv idea beginnings. Originally, this blog post was going to be about the improv game Freeze, and how to give yourself more options when jumping into a scene.

But, after deleting so many intro paragraphs I thought, "That's strange. Improv is all about yes, and, and I'm saying, no to everything I'm creating."

If this post feels fractured, it's because I'm a little excited (and on my sixth cup of coffee. I know. Maybe to much). As improvisers, we're actors.... but we're also writers and directors. We're writing the script and immediately handing it to our actor self, while our director self also blocks the scene. It's a lot.

And, on top of that, we're going to be critical of our scene starts and all our other ideas? Sorry. No. That’s too much. Those are far to many things happening at once. We need to clean house. One of those four hast to go. The actor, the writer, the director or the in-the-moment critiques have to go. Maybe I suggest….. we kick out the critiques.

That in-the-moment critque, that judgement, changes everything. It makes you doubt your script, your delivery, and your position onstage. Is anything good enough? Well, it could be, if you give it a few seconds.

On the fifth intro, I decided to write ABOUT the intro. I wrote about writing, and how quickly we can now make things disappear. And, improv isn't about leaving something out, or erasing something or pretending something didn't happen. It's about respecting the script I'm writing, and you're writing, and merging those two into something new. It's not about a perfect intro or conclusion. It's about discovering a conclusion that NEVER existed without the two of us working together. Or, I guess I should say the six of us working together: my actor/writer/director teaming up with your actor/writer/director.

If you've gotten down to this point...thanks for reading! I appreciate you taking the time, and I hope it makes sense and helps you improvise. Does it make sense? Do you have any questions? Please let me know in the comments!

I hope you improvise with people who listen to your ideas onstage and want to build with you. And, I hope you listen to your own ideas, and see where they go too.

If you ever want to join a great community of improvisers from all skill levels, join me at an Improv Playground session.

Photography Taught Me This About Improv

I've recently taken up photography. It feels strange saying, "I'm a photographer," so I opting for "recently taken up photography." It feels more accurate. This is a new artistic relationship, I just met photography, I don't know if it's going to go anywhere.

Do you watch a lot of youtube videos when you're trying to learn a new skill? I do. And, of course, when you watch a couple videos, youtube says, "we know what you want! How about these one million other videos on photography? We have a buffet of photography videos. Eat, eat. You're skin and bones." So, I'm stuffed with videos, and action steps! The advice has been varying levels of helpful, but one idea, which is two words, has been transformative in my photography AND improv.

Do you have a couple of seconds?
I'd love to talk about the idea with you.
You do? Fantastic!

Alex on The Photographic Eye suggested, “slow down. Walk slower.”

That was the advice! Two simple, and very powerful words. Slow down when you're out there on the streets of Roseville or _____ [insert your city here] snapping pictures. Absorb your location, and don’t rush by the moment. Look to your left, and right. What’s that above you, and below your feet? What are you not seeing when you’re focused on getting to that, next location? What’s waiting to be discovered around you? When you slow down you have time to ask those questions. A change in speed can help a change in perspective and a unique find.

It reminds me of my coaches in high school football shouting, “half speed!”

It works too! I reminded myself to slow down and when I looked off the trail I found these fantastic little mushrooms.

I see you making the connection already. You’re smart, you get it. Sure, I could keep writing more words and get to that coveted 1200 word blog post (Google loves them some longer blog posts), but why waste YOUR time! You see where this is all going, so let’s just get there.

Don’t race to that next scene or game. Slow down in your improv. Improv isn’t a race. It’s an experience. Improv is an experience for the audience as much as it is for you and your improv team. The audience is watching you become someone, live as someone, and write the story live. They don’t need you to race through it, they like savoring what’s happening too. It’s a scene, a game, a moment we’re all enjoying together, and why sprint through it? Take your time. Even a short form improv game isn’t a demand or promise the players will keep it short. While it might sound quick, short form improv isn’t a demand we rush to the end. It’s not about speed. Short form is about a goal, but you don’t have to rush to the goal. It’s about having fun and discovery. I’ve seen terrible 2 minute improv improv games, and unforgettable 10 minute improv games. It’s all in the approach. Just like a street photographer, slow down, take your time, explore the characters and the world. A photographer is slowing down to get the shot, and the improviser is slowing down to capture joy and share it with the audience and the team.

Does “slowing down,” mean talking slower and moving slower. In photography that’s what it means, you’re literally moving through the space slowly. However, that’s not the case in improv. It could be the case, but likely not. It DOES mean taking a second to look around your scene, notice a characters posture, or a tone of voice, or a crooked painting on the wall. Why that posture? Why that tone? Why is the painting crooked? I’m not saying you have to invent answers, but at least you’ve given yourself a chance to see the scene more, and live more in that reality.

If you’re not sure HOW to slow down, it simply starts with a breath. Take a breath and hear what was said. It’s not always in the words, there could be a lot to explore in the tone of voice.

Probably an important moment to mention, this approach is a tool. It’s one tool in your vast improv toolbelt and not give you an improv headache. Is slow always the answer? Nope. Are there times a little speed can help a scene? Absolutely. The more you get onstage and practice you’ll find each scene asks something a little different from you, and you’ll be able to give the scene what it needs.

Warning: at photography half speed, you might feel and look a little silly. In fact, this weekend when I was taking pictures I told Ciara, "I'm moving at half speed to see more." She sighed saying, "oh good! I thought there was something physically wrong with you."

Best Ice Breaker Improv Game for Groups

So many improv games. You have guessing improv games, character improv games, verbal wit improv games, step-out games, and many more.
Yep. There's a lot..

BUT!

There's one ice breaker, one warmup games, one get-comfortable-with-each-other activity that's universally loved. We've found it's the one game to rule them all. If you need to get attention quickly in a class, party, or improv workshop, this is what you should do.

SUPERHEROES.* (you might know it as Super Freeze, Catch Phrase, or 'that one game that's fun.')

Give the group an opportunity to become superheroes.
It's a gift....and everyone loves a gift. Everyone settles down and pays attention when they sense a gift is headed their way.

I first came across this game during an improv intensive at BATS in San Francisco (I highly recommend!).

"How do we play this magnificent game that unites people? How do I bring people together this Saturday night at my shindig?" you're wondering.

You begin by having all participants circle up (all improv exercises seem to be done in a 'circle' or 'two lines facing each other.' It's an unwritten law.)

One person begins by sharing their superhero name, and pose. The easiest way to create a super hero name is using alliteration. For instance, I'd be Punching Paul, or Pacifist Paul, or Pleading Paul....you get the idea. And, don't forget the pose. Every superhero has their pose. (check out the picture above for inspiration).

Continue around the circle. Everyone creates their super hero name and pose. When a new superhero and pose is created, everyone in the circle should repeat the name and pose in unison (memory will play a big part of the game).

Huzzah! Mission accomplished! Everyone has their name and pose. Now, let's play.

Person A repeats their superhero name and pose, and then 'passes' the energy to anyone in the circle (we'll call this Person B) by saying Person B's superhero name and pose. Person B begins by saying their name and pose, and then passes the energy to anyone in the circle (we'll call this Person C) by saying Person C's superhero name and pose.

Etc...etc...etc..

You did it! A successful round of Superheroes has been played! People love the game.

Wait! That's not all! The game comes with variations.

Let's try some variations.

• Remove the words, and just use poses

• Remove the superhero name, and replace with a catchphrase (for instance, Pleading Paul's catchphrase might be "Can't We All Get Along?")

• You must always change your catch phrase each time the energy returns to you.

Why is this game successful? I think we all secretly wish we had a secret identity. It's fun to pretend, and be told "it's OK to pretend." Adults, teens, and kids, all love this game. I hope it's a big success for you during your next improv training or workshop.

*You might know this game by another name. You'll find improv names, and even game steps are regional, and vary from spot to spot.. The same improv exercise in San Francisco might go by a different name in Roseville and Sacramento improv games. One day I'll map game name movements. It'll look like some improv game migration pattern.