Moral Kryptonite Superman, with that super strength, vision, speed, and ability to fly would become super boring if we knew he had absolutely no weakness. Kryptonite saps the Man of Steel’s super powers to the point he can be broken by a gust of wind. Imagine bringing out that bar Read more…
BABY LIFE! & the GOD COMPLEX! DAY TO DAY IMPROVISATION is a collection of exercises anyone can do almost anywhere to practice their improvisation skills every day. Your brain makes decisions at the remarkable speed of just 40 milliseconds. Putting that into perspective, imagine being able to judge whether someone 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…
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…
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…
I DON’T DO THAT!!!! Tina Fey admits, “I can’t do music!” She can. Sort of. She just doesn’t want to. And that’s OK! Talking to Seth Meyers, Fey described improvising with ‘Freestyle Love Supreme’, the Broadway Improvised RAP show. (Haven’t seen them? Check them out on You Tube: ) Fey said Read more…
POPCORN Ages ago I was looking at impro resource sites on the web and found a warm-up exercise called POPCORN. It seemed pointless at first but quickly proved to be a useful tool in the right situations. GAME: POPCORN ORIGIN: Unknown BENEFITS: Dealing with Failure Partnership Reaction Awareness # PEOPLE: Read more…
DON’T DO YOUR BEST Working with Keith Johnstone has been a great honour in my professional life. I remember arriving at the Loose Moose Theatre late in my teens… or was it early in my twenties? In any case, I didn’t know who Keith was. In fact, my first improvisation Read more…