Game Theory of the Improv Scene

Something I've been working through as a coach and a player, is the problem of balancing stage time. You want to feel responsibility for the show, but you also don't want it to feel like a one-man-team. Should you play aggressively or politely? There's certainly some individual wisdom required, but I think I've decided what the default mode should be. Here's a game theory chart to explain:

No matter what Player 1 does, Player 2 should always play aggressively. No matter what Player 2 does, Player 1 should always play aggressively. Best of all, if both follow this strategy it results in the best possible scene, fast-paced and exciting. And you though Game Theory was just for classrooms and reality TV.

This has also been posted on my personal blog.

Creating a Past

I am currently reading a very nice little improv book called Long-form Improvisation & the Art of Zen by Jason Chin, and though this book is full of really insightful stuff, there is one section that really caught my eye. Its all about creating a past for the characters in the scene. A theme that is repeated throughout the book is that the scene should be about the relationship of the two characters not what is actually happening. And how can you have a relationship without a past?

Suggestions.

It's been awhile since the idea of using a suggestion bothered me. But coaching an inaugural college team has reminded me that there's a lot of little tips that you need to hear when you learn improv for the first time.

One of which is to not take the suggestion literally.

If someone suggests banana, please do not eat a banana. If someone suggestions bathroom, do not take a mimed dump onstage. I'd forgotten the impulses to jump from one word immediately to the first thing I think of: that's what the audience does. When they say cake, they think in their heads "Oh my gosh, I love cake. I wish I was eating cake." But they don't really want to see a scene with a character who has a train of thought like that. You've gotta be one step ahead of your audience.

The College Improv Resource

Welcome to the College Improv Resource. The goal is for this to be a place where college improvisers and former college improvisers can come together and give advice, describe forms, describe workshops, share ideas, rant, and just educate and be educated about the art-form they've decided or are thinking about doing.

My hope is that other improvisers from troupes all across the Southeast and across the nation will not only be helped by the wisdom shared here, but themselves become contributors.

Contributors will be by invitation, but all you've got to do is email collegeimprovresource@gmail.com and we'll add you.

Some ground rules:

-This is not a place for bashing other improvisers, but I'm not going to have a 0 criticism rule. If you hate something, say it in a way that proves that you're an educated being capable of righteous hate, not an ignorant lump who gets his jollies from upsetting other people.

-I would prefer this not just be a place where people plead and spam for festivals, shows, tours, or whatever. If you do a lot of it, you might get dropped, just for the sake of the whole. If you want to start a blog for spamming other improvisers about your improv, I will join you, but I don't want it here.

-Please categorize your posts with labels, like who it's for (Directors, Players, Player-Directors), what it's about (Workshop, General Directing, Basic Improv, The Rules, Starting Scenes), whether or not it's a rant, just a game, or just a funny story (Rant, Warm-up Game, Long-form, Short-form Game, Anecdote). Don't feel constricted to just these labels, but the more common labels we use, the easier it is to search through, the more your post will get read.

-Other issues will be addressed as they come up and this welcome-post may change accordingly

I'm going to try to set up a links page so if you want in on some of that sweet stuff let me know as well.

Welcome to the blog.