When will Improvisation get you fired? Some people HATE improvisation. If that person happens to be your boss, then your impulsive attitude towards spontaneous expression could get you kicked to the curb. There are some surprising examples where impro has been the reason for dismissal. Damon Wayans, Adrian Brody, Milton Read more…
MAKE ME BAD! VILLAIN ENDOWMENT Some of us love to be the villain in a scene. For a brief vengeful moment, we reign down lightening bolts on a world that takes our parking spot or eats the last french fry on the plate!!!! At least for dramatic purposes, that spiteful Read more…
A PINCH OF EXPRESSION!!! THIS? OR….THIS? What’s the difference between these two pictures of my French improvising friends, Arnaud, Raphael, Chenny, Jérémy, and Cyril? Which group would you rather hang out with? And WHY is there such a big difference here? There’s a physical truth in the people on the Read more…
MAFIOSO * SPLAT * BANG *GUNSLINGER* It’s HIGH NOON and you stand challenged by some dangerous varmints. Who’s with you and who’s against ya? With barely any warning, weapons are drawn! Do you shoot or hide? REACT!!! or it’s game over pardner! This is a long article with a lot Read more…
WHISPERING ANGELS & DEMONS INTRO: Whispering Angels and Demons Years ago at the great Wuerzburg Improvisation festival in Germany, I was asked to do a warmup exercise for about 200 improvisers. Warm up exercises should serve a purpose. Since most people had never met before, an exercise to help people Read more…
MEMORABLE MOMENTS (round 2) DON’T LOOK UP! Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and Jonah Hill It wasn’t in the script. It wasn’t planned. These are the moments the Director says “CUT!!! – Where did that come from??!! Let’s keep that!” It’s getting more and more common for directors to Read more…
MEMORABLE MOMENTS (round 3) LET THEM ALL TALK – Meryl Streep, Diane Weist, Candace Bergen, Steven Soderbergh Directed by Steven Soderberg, LET THEM ALL TALK was shot in 10 days while crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2 surrounded by 2600 passengers and virtually no film equipment. It was Read more…
LOOK AWAY! DAY TO DAY IMPROVISATION is a collection of exercises anyone can do almost anywhere to practice their improvisation skills every day. Improvisers often miss the obvious. A common note after the show revolves around the fact that everyone in the audience saw the offer that the improviser ignored. Read more…
MEMORABLE MOMENTS Improvisation by great actors that made the cutGEORGE C. SCOTT It takes balls to trick a great actor into improvising and then to use that performance without the actor’s approval. But, that’s what the equally great director Stanley Kubrick did to George C. Scott. The great actor cared Read more…
STAGE DIRECTIONS He said / She said The misconception that improvisation should always be effortless leads many people to avoid useful exercises that might take some effort to learn. “He said / She said” or “Stage Directions” is one of those exceptional games that benefit improvisers who play the game Read more…