RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVISERS- Not Specifically about Improvisation
READING & WATCHING
RECOMMENDATIONS
for Improvisers
(NOT Specifically about Improvisation)
Improvisers can work on their skills from many sources.
Here are some book, movie, and television recommendations from improvisers to help you improve your skills.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND I WILL INCLUDE THEM HERE
Enjoy
| Title /Author | TYPE | Recommended by... | COMMENTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | SUBTRACT. THE UNTRAPPED SCIENCE OF LESS by Leidy Klotz | Book | Peppe Marchei "Umberto Cesaro - suggested it to me" | SUBTRACTION (active action to subtract) is different from the more pop concept of LESS IS MORE. |
 | THE NAKED APE, BY DESMOND MORRIS | Book | Rebecca Northan (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | AUDITION - Michael Shurtleff | Book | (Various) (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | BARN BURNING – William Faulkner | Books | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | BUSTER KEATON FILMS | Movies | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
| Spanish newspapers and magazines. Maybe that was just for me. To encourage me to keep my second language. | Derek Flores (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |||
 | THE CIRCUS (1st half) - Charlie Chaplin | Movies | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | CITY LIGHTS - Charlie Chaplin | Movies | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | CROWDS AND POWER – Elias Canetti | Books | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | DAS SCHRECKLICHE MÄDCHEN | Movies | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | DON’T SHOOT THE DOG - Karen Pryor. | Book | Patti Stiles (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | This is where the dolphin game came from. |
 | THE EARTHQUAKE IN CHILE – Von Kleist | Books | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | HIDDEN FORTRESS - Kirosawa | Movies | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
| I often heard Keith say, "I read everything!" It made me read anything, and I always find something I can use in a scene or my everyday life. | Steen Haakon Hansen | |||
 | IN THE REALM OF HUNGRY GHOSTS – Gabor Maté | Books | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | THE KILLING FIELDS | Movie | Yuri Kinugawa (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | Keith used to tell me his favorite film is The Killing Fields |
 | THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL – | Movies | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | To see Monroe out act Olivier |
 | LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI - Mark Twain | Book | Neal Leaheey (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | Said to me in reference to how improv companies and the iTi should relate to one another. |
 | MONSTER’S BALL – Marc Forster | Movies | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | THE PASSION OF JEAN D’ARC | Movies | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | WALLACE & GROMMIT | Movies | Jeff Gladstone (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | he said the penguin was such a good actor |
 | TAXI CAB CONFESSIONS. | Series | Rebecca Northan (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | Amazing series. Saw Keith cry during more than one episode, and showed one as an example of, "the best seduction scene of all time". |
 | TRUTH OR DARE – Madona Documentary | Movies | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | WUTHERING HEIGHTS – | Movies | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | To see an “I hate you.” mantra during a love scene. |
 | ZEN AND THE ART OF ARCHERY | Book | Shawn (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | Great state of mind for being present. |
 | SEVEN SAMURAI | Movie | Rebecca Northan (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | THE ARTIST | Movie | Doug Wong (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | We would go out to see films occasionally and he loved "The Artist". He shared a deep dive analysis of it with me the next day including his observation regarding the frame rates that were used in the film. |
 | MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE | Book | Steen Haakon Hansen (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | THE STRAIGHT STORY – David Lynch | Movies | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | MY WICKED WICKED WAYS- Errol Flynns Autobiography | Book | Jeff Gladstone (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | Keith said "true stories are always so much more unbelievable than any fiction" |
 | SURELY YOU'RE JOKING MR FEYNMAN! - Richard P. Richard Feynman. | Book | Various (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
| Did Keith mention a book, movie, play or poem that he thought was worth reading watching or pondering? | Send it in and we'll try to include it on our little list here. | Email Us" | ||
 | IKIRU - Kirosawa | MOVIE | Various (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | I believe I have seen Ikiru 6 or 7 times with Keith, after the end, he was sitting there on the couch, with a bit of tear in his eyes, saying: "That´s what it is all about!" - Steen Haakon Hansen |
 | INNER GAME OF TENNIS. | Book | Shawn Kinley (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | (great for teachers) |
 | SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA | Movie | Shawn Kinley (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | THE KID - Charlie Chaplin | Movies | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | NINA PALEY – Animations | Movies | Steve Jarand (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | Tao Te Ching | Book | Various (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | The Body Has Its Reasons: Self-Awareness Through Conscious Movement" by Therese Bertherat | Book | Theresa Robbins Dudeck (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | Kaputt, by Curzio Malaparte | Book | Steen Haakon Hansen (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | The Skin, by Curzio Malaparte | Book | Steen Haakon Hansen (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | |
 | Battle For the Mind by William Sargant | Book | Anton Van Helden (suggested by Keith Johnstone) | -A book that looks at the effect of brain-washing from a scientific perspective, with insights into a range of brainwashing techniques e.g. voodoo, religion, effects of war, etc. Keith gave it to me while we sat and had a drink in a cafe in Wellington, New Zealand, as I doodled a caricature of him, which led to a discussion about 5000 faces. Very memorable. |
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