“Be more physical”
Note: This is a reprint of a previous Improv Illusionist newsletter. If you’re not receiving my email newsletter, you can subscribe here and get my “Learning the Improv Illusion” series as a bonus.
Welcome to another issue of the Improv Illusionist Newsletter, a monthly update from me, David Raitt, with a focus on the improv skills of environment, object work, and physicality in character and performance. I’m honoured by your interest.
Hey there!
In mid-March, I taught my Improv Illusions workshop in Europe for the first time. Many thanks to the team at easylaughs in Amsterdam for a great session!
On my trip, I learned a lot about the (English-speaking) Dutch scene, including visits to Boom Chicago and a fun meetup with Flock Theatre’s Gael & Laura Doorneweerd-Perry.
Looking forward to visiting the UK next, in late May.
Now on to this month’s feature, about an issue I encounter a lot…
How to actually “be more physical”
Everyone loves a good physical improv scene, be it broad slapstick or a detailed environment evoking a strong sense of place. When we see one, we’re reminded of physicality’s power to create spectacular improv.
Inspired by this, or by insightful notes from a workshop or newsletter article, you might often think to yourself, “I should be more physical.”
And then… nothing happens. If you don’t forget your resolution completely, opportunities to use your physicality just don’t seem to come up in your scenes.
(You could substitute physicality here with any other element of improv you resolve to get better at, like character or narrative.)
Changing your improv style is often difficult because your brain has adapted to the way you currently improvise. While you may have all the tools necessary to be more physical, it can be hard to train your instincts to use them.
If you’ve found it difficult to be more physical in your improv, here are some ideas. There’s a little tough love here for experienced players. But maybe it can shake up your thinking.
Practice your object work!
Don’t roll your eyes and skip this. Object work is a primary tool for engaging with the environment of your scene. It’s a simple entry into being more physical.
Despite this, people often dismiss it as “beginner stuff,” too obvious to waste time on. I taught a class in Amsterdam recently and was shocked to learn several students had never been taught object work. Even though we all agree it’s fundamental, improvisers are expected to pick it up for themselves.
From lack of training or practice, many players avoid object work because it feels awkward. That eliminates a huge number of potential ideas and actions from the scene, which becomes static and talky.
When you actually practice object work, you learn an important truth: it ALWAYS feels awkward! You’re not actually holding anything—it’s never going to feel normal.
You don’t have to take formal mime or clown classes. All you need is to practice enough to get comfortable with the awkwardness. With more confidence, you’ll commit to physical choices more strongly in the future.
A simple way to practice is to use the Muscle Memory technique. (As a subscriber to my newsletter, you might recall this from my Learning the Improv Illusion email series.) Basically, you handle any real-world object and study the movements your body makes, then repeat those movements without the object, using your muscle memory.
Every improviser should do this. You can do it anytime, anywhere, with any object. It increases your comfort level and trains your body movement for any improvised object or activity, even ones you haven’t practiced. Commit to doing it regularly and your overall object work will improve quickly.
Set yourself up
It’s hard to develop an instinct for new improv behaviours. Even if you want to be more physical, you will often miss opportunities to move around more, use object work, etc. You’re simply not used to looking for them.
To spot these opportunities, you need to force yourself out of your usual comfort zone. The more you do, the quicker you’ll develop a “third eye” to watch your physicality.
An easy way to force new behaviour is to plan your improv sets. Not in the sense of preparing dialogue or plots in advance, but planning to use specific skills.
This is easy in short-form improv. Choose games or scene ideas that exercise your physicality. Play in Gibberish or without dialogue to force yourself to communicate more physically. Get suggestions of location or activity from the audience and commit to playing those choices strongly.
Planning in long-form is more complicated, but still possible. You and your partners could agree to explore your environment in the first moments of a monoscene, working in silence and establishing strong physical offers. You can also focus on stagecraft, paying attention to the space between you and how it reflects relationship and emotions.
Regardless of format, you can set a private, “back pocket game” for yourself to play with physicality independent of the other players (as suggested by improv coach Velvet Wells).
Try a Thought Experiment
Cognitive science research has studied the effect of mental rehearsal on performance. When athletes visualize themselves successfully completing tasks like a penalty kick or long jump, they tend to perform better in those real-world tasks than athletes who don’t visualize.
These findings are easily adaptable to improv. Imagine yourself in a scene, making strong physical choices and movements around the environment. Play out scenes in your mind, thinking about how you could be more physical.
You may find these thought experiments give you more confidence in your physicality when you get on stage.
Embrace the Growth Mindset
Especially if you’re an experienced improviser, it’s important to have an attitude of constant learning. Physical improv skills aren’t simply “the basics” of improv. They intersect with and build on everything else, informing your choices for character, narrative, conflict, and more.
It’s easy to think you know all this stuff, but if you don’t use it regularly, you won’t be as sharp in performance. In training and rehearsal, give your physicality as much attention as anything else.
Be deliberate about using it in performance. It might feel forced and unnatural at first, but it’s the fastest way to reach that goal to “be more physical.”
Have you had trouble integrating new improv behaviours into your scene work? How did you deal with it? Any ideas about how to be more physical in improv scenes? Reply with your ideas and I’ll share them in future issues.
Things to Try
Exercises, scenes, and practices to work out your physical improv skills.
- Boost your object work skills! Practice the Muscle Memory technique described above. You can do this all day, with any real-world object you’re handling.
- Try an improv thought experiment to train your instincts for physical improv. Imagine yourself making strong physical offers in a scene. Where are you? What activity are you portraying?
- Solo exercise: Exploring Activity Attitudes. Choose an activity, then try improvising it with various attitudes. (Examples: excited, confident, bored, resentful, secretive, disgusted.) Notice how changes to the attitude can completely change the activity. You can explore that point-of-view for even more ideas within scenes.
- There’s a total solar eclipse passing through my area of the world on Monday, April 8th. Seems like a great suggestion for an outdoors scene, especially if you have a technical improviser working the lights!
More for the Improv Illusionist
The Improv Illusionist book – Preview and order info
Improv Exercises for Physical Skills
Improv Books — Reviews & Recommendations
Improv Podcasts — Reviews & Recommendations
Object Work Tip
From Vinny Francois’ improv newsletter:
Build more than you need.
In an improvised scene where there is nothing on stage but what you add, start by creating something in the space. And then work your way over to another space on the stage (or on your Zoom screen) and add something else. Keep adding when the other person is talking. Keep adding when you’re talking. Add stuff when no one is talking.
The key is to do it without being distracting. Keep it small and don’t pull focus at the wrong time (i.e.: take the audience’s attention when it should be on your scene partner). This works great when doing something that has lots of little steps, like making tea or running a science experiment.
My thoughts: This might be challenging if you have a poor memory for placements, but then again, it could help you practice that skill! But remember, this should only be a game you play for yourself occasionally—not for every scene.
Book Review
Directing Improv: Show the Way By Getting Out of the Way
by Asaf Ronen
(on Amazon)
An excellent book of procedures and techniques for working with improvisers. Especially useful here are Ronen’s thoughts on giving notes and challenges, working with an ensemble to create new formats, and dealing with issues within a group. Includes chapters on working with tech and music, being a director and performer simultaneously, and working with children. Ronen also includes useful quotes and tips from interviews with many well-known improv directors.
- Pros: Practical and detailed. Ronen has put much thought into nearly every aspect of the director’s job.
- Cons: Not entirely helpful for first-time directors, since it doesn’t describe how and what to watch improvisers for when they work. You will need to bring your own solid understanding of your theory of improv.
- Best for: Experienced directors who want to be more effective. Some sections are also useful for improv instructors.
Read more book reviews on my website.
Question(s) of the Month
Have you had trouble integrating new improv behaviours into your scene work? How did you deal with it?
Hit Reply and share. I love to chat with readers, and it gives me ideas for future content to help the entire community.
Do you have any feedback about Improv Illusionist? Send me a message or just reply to this email. Seriously, I read and respond to just about everything.
See you again on May 2nd.
Ex nihilo!
— Dave
