Talking Improv

Read More, Talk Less

No, I’m not talking about reading books. Although, reading improv-themed books can be a great way to widen your scope and see things from a new point of view. Just do your research in deciding which ones to read…

I’m speaking more in the area of reading a person. Before you even say a word to open your scene, look at them. Take them in. See how they make you feel at that very moment. Question everything you see in them. Make inferences. Why are they looking at me like that? Why are their arms crossed, looking down with stooped shoulders? What’s up with that goofy fucking smile?

This often-overlooked method of getting information out of a scene can provide you with the tools necessary to really go somewhere different than you might otherwise go in your scenework. I feel the best scenes are the ones with interesting characters and relationships, not situations. You should be able to take either of the characters, or the relationship, place them somewhere completely different and the scene would still work.

Not to say that situations can’t be wildly entertaining, but those ideas are mostly coming from a clever (or sideline-planning) improviser, but that’s neither here nor there.

Reading a person before saying anything, be it their stance, their facial expression, or how they simply react to your first offer can say so much about who they are character-wise. It can also dictate what kind of relationship the two of you have. The trick is to also be honest about your evaluation. Try not to have the thought of “This scene would be funny if I thought he ________.” You’re better than that, right? Really let you, the person and not the improviser, make the judgement honestly and then use that to influence your character and relationship to the other.

This method of starting out scenes might sound like it takes an awkwardly long time on stage, but you’d be surprised how quickly your brain can work things out. However, it can only help you to slow down and not rush it either. The audience will forgive you if you have a second or two of a pause before saying or doing something truly off the top of your head.

For an example of this, have a look at the opening minute of the TJ and Dave documentary “Trust Us, This Is All Made Up” (pay attention around the 0:49 mark in this trailer). They really take each other in and create a world and relationship around them in those first few brief moments and start right in the middle of the action.

To summarize this post, I leave you with this quote attributed to the legendary acting coach Sanford Meisner:

“An ounce of behavior is worth a pound of words.”

Thoughts? Comments? Differing opinions?