Finding More Play
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.
Hello, improv friends!
Every month I send this newsletter and every month (hopefully) you read it.
But if you’re like most people (and I include myself on this), you’re probably a bit of a lurker. Most people don’t spread the word about things… even if they find them valuable.
If you fall into that category, I’ve got three things to say to you:
1. I appreciate your interest and love you for reading, even if you never tell anyone about this newsletter.
2. BUT… the more improvisers on your team who learn about physicality and environment, the more fun you will all have playing together.
3. SO… if you want to take a break from lurking and tell someone you know about this newsletter, today’s a great day to do it!
Thanks in advance.
Now, on to this month’s big idea…
Finding More Play
It happens to all of us at some point.
Our improv is firing well. We listen. We accept and build on offers. The audience laughs. We have “good” shows.
But the fun just isn’t there.
Finding play helps us enjoy ourselves again. And it makes our improv even better, because playful exploration leads us to new ideas.
So, here are some tips for creating more opportunities for play using physicality.
Warm-ups
Choose warm-ups with a physical component that get you moving and experiment with being goofy. Some examples:
- Throwing Swords: Player 1 throws their (improvised) sword across the circle to someone else. Player 2 catches it and lets out a battle cry. But before they can join the battle, the two players on either side cut Player 2 down with their own swords. Player 2 has just enough life left to throw the sword to someone else. And repeat.
- Object Toss: Player 1 calls out any small object, then tosses that space object across the circle to another player, who must catch it. Experiment with odd objects, such as: a fried egg sandwich, a goldfish in a bag, a loose deck of cards.
Exercises
Mirroring others’ physicality helps you experiment with different ways of using your own. Other than the classic Mirror, which is less playful, try these:
- Hitchhiker: Three chairs, representing the bench seat of an old sedan. Player 1 in driver’s seat, Player 2 in the middle. Pick up a hitchhiking Player 3, who enters the car with any type of odd physicality. Players 1 and 2 must take on every aspect of that physicality while staying as separate characters. When all three are in sync, Player 1 finds a reason to stop the car and get out. Players 2 and 3 slide over and then pick up a new hitchhiker. Repeat.
- Character Switch: Two players begin a scene, each with their own physical choices about the characters. When the coach calls “Switch!” the players switch characters and continue the scene. Be as specific about taking on the other character as you can.
“Back-Pocket Games”
Suggested by Velvet Wells in a video on Paul Vaillancourt’s YouTube channel. While in a scene, have a simple game ready that you play just for yourself. Nobody has to know you’re playing it – it’s just for you. You don’t have to stick to its rules, and you can drop it anytime, especially if you feel it’s pulling you out of the current scene. But it can give you access to new ideas. Game examples:
- Alphabet: Each subsequent line of your dialogue begins with the next letter of the alphabet.
- Emotional Zones: Divide the stage into zones and assign an emotion to take on when entering each zone. Find reasons to move yourself around the stage.
- Complications: Whatever your partner needs, find a way to do it in a complicated way. Examples: Opening a door requires you to unlock three locks. Get objects from another room (maybe upstairs). If they’re urgent, you’re very slow. Playing this way is a delicate balance between adding more detail and being careful about stalling the scene. But definitely worth experimenting!
Things to Try
Ideas for exercises or scenes to work out your physical improv skills.
- Powering Through Obstacles exercise: A single player picks any improvised activity, for example, paddling a canoe, and commits to performing it as realistically as possible. The coach calls out various problems as obstacles to the activity; for example, “The paddle breaks!” “The canoe is sinking!” or “You’re attacked by mosquitoes!” No matter what happens, the player must adapt to keep performing the activity. Avoid “magical” solutions to problems—play the reality as much as possible.
- Try a new warm-up with your team as suggested above. Add some physicality to it.
- Practice breaking routines. Think about the micro-steps involved in an activity, and perform each of them in turn. Then see what happens if one of those steps goes wrong. Can you recover? How? What does it lead to? Now try that same practice inside a scene.
- Choose your favourite short-form games and use them as back-pocket games in another scene. Explore how this changes how you play.
More for the Improv Illusionist
Improv Exercises for Physical Skills
Improv Books — Reviews & Recommendations
Improv Podcasts — Reviews & Recommendations
Notable Quote
“If the performance has gone well, you’ll feel that you’ve been watching a bunch of good-natured people who are wonderfully cooperative, and who aren’t afraid to fail. It’s therapeutic to be in such company, and to yell and cheer, and perhaps even volunteer to improvise with them. With luck you’ll feel as if you’ve been at a wonderful party; great parties don’t depend on the amount of alcohol, but on positive interactions.”
— Keith Johnstone
Question(s) of the Month
How do you find more play in your improv?
Hit Reply and share. I love to chat with readers, and it gives me ideas for future content to help the whole community.
Do you have any feedback about Improv Illusionist, either these newsletters or the website? Send me a message or just reply to this email. Seriously, I read and respond to just about everything.
See you again on June 1st!
Ex nihilo!
—Dave
