I took an improv class over the summer. For those not familiar, improv (short for improvisation) is a stage art where you create a scene with no preparation. You and your partner must ad-lib dialogue and action as you go. It's like playing pretend when you were a kid with your friend. A simple concept yet can be difficult to do well in front of an audience.
To get an initial taste, try watching clips of Whose Line is It Anyway. It's entertaining. It makes me marvel how talented players make up all those brilliant things on the spot.
In the class I attended they taught us the basic ground rules and we played various warm up games.
The rules were:
"Yes, and" meaning always accept the context given by your scene partner and work with it
"Listen" meaning pay attention to what your partner is doing
"Support the Team"
"Trust your gut"
The instructor didn't mention or recommend any specific resources. I later decided to borrow and read Improvise: Scene from the Inside Out by Mick Napier.
Mick Napier, a veteran improv director, shares his own stories, opinions, and advice. He directed both at the famed Second City in Chicago and his own Annoyance Theater.
To my surprise, Napier tears up the rule book and says it's unhelpful for beginners.
Say what?
The main problem is players come from a place of fear and insecurity instead of a sense of play and exploration. They get stuck inside their heads too much and the scene suffers.
Here are ten lessons from Napier for any interested in trying improv or those who enjoy watching it.
Memorizing rules can cause bad improvisation
The problem with "the rules" is that it can cause newbies to get stuck in their head and overthink what they're doing.
The rules exist to avoid a set of recognized patterns found in bad scenes. But that doesn't mean not doing those things automatically creates a great scene. That, Napier says, is the key misunderstanding for beginners.
Do something, anything!
Act first and then figure it out is Napier's advice. Don't pre-plan. Don't try to think of a funny line to use later. Do something. Respond. Act. It feels backwards but thinking less and reacting more is the key to better improv.
"That you do something is far more important than what you do"
Take care of yourself first
In improv training you're told to listen and support your partner. Take care of them.
Napier says this is backwards. The best way to support your partner is to take power, or in other words, drive the scene forward. Add energy and momentum. This ends up being much more helpful and supportive for your partner.
Declare a position in the scene
Improv isn't etiquette class or diplomacy. It's creating something out of thin air. Make it clear what your character or issue is.
You don’t have to be nice or agreeable. You do have to keep a position once you figure out what it is.
Check Out What You Did
After you throw something out there (anything) now is the time you can take a split second to reflect.
Don't worry about WHY you did something. Don't concern yourself with logic. Take a second to figure out WHAT you did and HOW you did it.
Napier points out, it’s often the HOW that makes all the difference. How you said the line or how you did something can make all the difference.
Hold on to What You Did
"It is perhaps the trickiest part of improvisation: Hanging on to what we create and heightening it, or making more of it"
What you made on the stage might feel like crap. Unworkable. Too hard.
Napier pleads with you to stay within the context. Have no regrets. Stick with what happened and extend on it. The temptation is so great to change it or to re-work mid-scene. This only confuses or bores the audience. Hold on to what you did. Roll with it and make it bigger like a rolling snowball.
Common problems
Napier says these aren't strict rules but frequent problem areas for improv players.
Too much exposition. Don't over explain what's happening in a scene.
"Jim, my dearest brother, you and I have to clean up this garage before our father, Ted, returns from the factory at 3 pm or we will be in a lot of trouble because he told us to do it three times this week!"
versus
“When need to clean this garage before Dad kills us!”
Which sounds more natural? If people don't talk that way in real life, it won't sound believable to the audience.
Justifying. Don't overelaborate or clarify on what you mean. Talking a lot doesn't help the scene or make better improv. Respond with something that works within the context of the scene and see what happens.
Napier said his own issue was continuing dialogue be saying “I mean…”.
Such as “I don’t like how she looks. I mean, I don’t like how her outfit appears. I mean, it just doesn’t make sense.” He would keep trying to clarify himself in the scene.
It’s harder but more powerful just to cut it short “I don’t like how she looks” and see where it goes.
It's common for a player to try to justify what they are doing. Improv should be about the absurd and crazy.
Consider the difference between these two dialogues that Napier created for example:
COP A: That street lamp is out.
COP B: Yeah, whatever.
COP A: Well, it's really dark.
COP B: SO what?
COP A: It's just weird, I mean, every time we walk the beat together you act indifferent to me. I . . .
Instead of justifying, you're better off repeating your position. It feels weird at first but makes the scene flow better.
COP A: That street lamp is out.
COP B: Yeah, whatever.
COP A: Well, it's really dark.
COP B: SO what? (Pause. Hang on.)
COP A: It's so dark, I can't even see.
There are other shades of justification, like saying it's your first-time doing job X.
Or you love/hate Y.
Or Z is the best thing ever.
Avoid those and see if you can make a better scene out of it.
Pausing. Unless it's a dramatic pause for effect, it means you're thinking which is bad. Again, go for reaction.
Bailing on a Point of View. Like what's discussed in "Hold What You Did". If your character has a position, stick with it.
"You can go to school or not [in the scene] but you must hit that beat hard with your point of view and persevere. If you feel like bailing in an improv scene hit it even harder, instead. After a while, those moments won't be as scary and it will become second nature for you to get through that fear threshold."
How to handle group scenes
When playing third wheel in a scene, it is so, so tempting to act like the odd bird out. To create a difference or a challenge. If there are two French characters you want to come in as the clueless tourist or as British.
Napier discourages doing this. Go with the flow. Match what the other players are doing. It's counterintuitive but he says it creates a stronger scene.
Use specificity
Use specific visuals and adjectives to give life to a scene.
Instead of "Hey, I see your car" go with "Hey, there's your red Prius over there next to the beat-up Cadillac".
Justification is trying to explain what’s going on or elaborating too much on context. Specificity on the other hand is about bringing color into the scene by clearly describing what’s there. You’re giving visual clues so the audience can follow along.
As a beginner, I can see this as a fine line. It would take me some practice using specificity without justification. One key may be to focus on the WHAT and the HOW and avoid explaining the WHY.
Add variety to your emotional state
You don't want to pre-plan actions or lines, but you can plan emotional states. In fact, Napier encourages players to try out different emotional states when doing scenes. In one scene you're loud and angry. Another you're shy and mopey. Adding variety to your emotions makes you a stronger player.
Besides those ten takeaways Napier provides different exercises you can try at home. These include reading plays, trying to dance or sing on your own, and taking an acting class.
Napier is something of a science geek. He dedicates an entire chapter on how the laws of thermodynamics apply in improv. Spoiler alert: It's about putting energy into the scene and keeping it sustained.
The last 60 or so pages of the book are personal notes from his blog while he was putting together a new show at Second City. It shared a glimpse of daily life for someone involved in professional theater. He shares all the struggles and joys involved.
So, is Napier's advice the end all be all? Do you know everything about improv after reading this?
No.
Improv is an art. Like any art there's a range of ideas and opinions on it. Napier is very opinionated and has no hesitation in sharing his own thoughts.
I wish I had read this book before I started my class. I was in my head too much and struggled in some parts. I hope I remember and apply these ideas if I take another improv course in the future.
What about those who have no interest in improv? Is this book worth reading?
Improvisation skills can be applicable in life too. It teaches you how to react and think on your feet. It can help you to understand different people and personalities. It might even help develop empathy.
If you have any interest in theater or comedy, this can be a worthwhile read. Napier is a funny author, and the book isn’t long either.