What does success in improv look like to you?
What happens before during and after a successful show?
What yard-sticks do you use for considering your rehearsal, your class or your show as successful?
How about your improv life generally, what makes it successful?
What qualities would need to be present for you deem a future scenario involving improv, or your future improv self, as successful?
What do you think the relationship between success and failure is in improv?
Success in Improv
Discussion of the art and craft of improvisation.
Moderators: arclight, happywaffle, bradisntclever
-
- chicocarlucci Offline
- Posts: 310
- Joined: January 9th, 2006, 12:57 am
- Contact:
Man these are good questions. I'm really interested in reading the answers other people give.
For me, I feel like my success varies, and comes from a lot of different places. Since Improv is kind of an community-building and introspective tool for me, I'm not qualified to answer anything here. It would be akin to a church-goer praying a whole bunch in church in the hopes that they will incrementally inch their way toward one day being Pope.
For me, I feel like my success varies, and comes from a lot of different places. Since Improv is kind of an community-building and introspective tool for me, I'm not qualified to answer anything here. It would be akin to a church-goer praying a whole bunch in church in the hopes that they will incrementally inch their way toward one day being Pope.
Re: Success in Improv
What does success in improv look like to you? On the low end, an audience that has a good time; on the high end an audience who is forever changed for the better by the show (more inspired, empowered, thoughtful, committed, etc.)
What happens before during and after a successful show? I don't think there's an absolute answer to this, but I think during the show, the improvisers are completely in it, regularly delighted by each other and connected to the audience in an intimate way.
What yard-sticks do you use for considering your rehearsal, your class or your show as successful? I had fun with the process and the end product benefited from it.
How about your improv life generally, what makes it successful? Keeping myself consistently inspired by and engaged with the work. To a lesser extent, a healthy dose of external validation (good feedback on classes, people like my shows, etc.)
What qualities would need to be present for you deem a future scenario involving improv, or your future improv self, as successful? Growth and continued engagement in all areas of my improv.
What do you think the relationship between success and failure is in improv? I think the only failure I can imagine would be to stop doing things you love for the wrong reasons (ego, laziness, fear, self-consciousness).
What happens before during and after a successful show? I don't think there's an absolute answer to this, but I think during the show, the improvisers are completely in it, regularly delighted by each other and connected to the audience in an intimate way.
What yard-sticks do you use for considering your rehearsal, your class or your show as successful? I had fun with the process and the end product benefited from it.
How about your improv life generally, what makes it successful? Keeping myself consistently inspired by and engaged with the work. To a lesser extent, a healthy dose of external validation (good feedback on classes, people like my shows, etc.)
What qualities would need to be present for you deem a future scenario involving improv, or your future improv self, as successful? Growth and continued engagement in all areas of my improv.
What do you think the relationship between success and failure is in improv? I think the only failure I can imagine would be to stop doing things you love for the wrong reasons (ego, laziness, fear, self-consciousness).
Re: Success in Improv
What does success in improv look like to you? I think it's relative to the person, but it all boils down to, does the person enjoy doing it. The other would be, did a person challenge him/herself despite fear of doing whatever it was.
What happens before during and after a successful show? Before and during, joy. Also during, just being present, listening, playing. After the show, you're exhausted mentally and physically.
What yard-sticks do you use for considering your rehearsal, your class or your show as successful? For me personally, it's jumping off a cliff and doing something I either haven't done before or am afraid to do, and then working my way out of it. Even if it means "failure," making something new or surprising happen is never really a failure, in my book.
How about your improv life generally, what makes it successful? Enjoying it.
What qualities would need to be present for you deem a future scenario involving improv, or your future improv self, as successful? If I'm still enjoying it, awesome. Also, I hope in 5 years I am not doing the same improv I am now. Either personally or the types of shows. I want to always be growing and trying new things.
What do you think the relationship between success and failure is in improv? Just doing it.
What happens before during and after a successful show? Before and during, joy. Also during, just being present, listening, playing. After the show, you're exhausted mentally and physically.
What yard-sticks do you use for considering your rehearsal, your class or your show as successful? For me personally, it's jumping off a cliff and doing something I either haven't done before or am afraid to do, and then working my way out of it. Even if it means "failure," making something new or surprising happen is never really a failure, in my book.
How about your improv life generally, what makes it successful? Enjoying it.
What qualities would need to be present for you deem a future scenario involving improv, or your future improv self, as successful? If I'm still enjoying it, awesome. Also, I hope in 5 years I am not doing the same improv I am now. Either personally or the types of shows. I want to always be growing and trying new things.
What do you think the relationship between success and failure is in improv? Just doing it.
What does success in improv look like to you?
When I was much much younger, my goal in life was to "get free and take as many people as possible with me." That'll work.
What happens before during and after a successful show?
Before varies.
During, I connect with my partners and can feel that strong current running through everything, so that just by putting myself where it's strongest my work is done for me.
After, I practice gratitude and remind myself that I didn't play the show, the show played me.
What yard-sticks do you use for considering your rehearsal, your class or your show as successful?
Rehearsal and class are successful if I learned something, took a risk, did something badly, did something better, or was inspired to work harder.
Show was successful if I was the kind of improviser I want to be.
How about your improv life generally, what makes it successful?
Playing with people who want to do the same work I want to do at the same level of commitment, working consistently through the tough patches, being able to look back and see that I'm actually getting better at this, ALWAYS looking for how I can get even better.
What qualities would need to be present for you deem a future scenario involving improv, or your future improv self, as successful?
See above.
What do you think the relationship between success and failure is in improv?
To quote X, "This is the game that moves as you play."
When I was much much younger, my goal in life was to "get free and take as many people as possible with me." That'll work.
What happens before during and after a successful show?
Before varies.
During, I connect with my partners and can feel that strong current running through everything, so that just by putting myself where it's strongest my work is done for me.
After, I practice gratitude and remind myself that I didn't play the show, the show played me.
What yard-sticks do you use for considering your rehearsal, your class or your show as successful?
Rehearsal and class are successful if I learned something, took a risk, did something badly, did something better, or was inspired to work harder.
Show was successful if I was the kind of improviser I want to be.
How about your improv life generally, what makes it successful?
Playing with people who want to do the same work I want to do at the same level of commitment, working consistently through the tough patches, being able to look back and see that I'm actually getting better at this, ALWAYS looking for how I can get even better.
What qualities would need to be present for you deem a future scenario involving improv, or your future improv self, as successful?
See above.
What do you think the relationship between success and failure is in improv?
To quote X, "This is the game that moves as you play."
"I'm not a real aspirational cat."
-- TJ Jagodowski
-- TJ Jagodowski
-
- JediImprov Offline
- Posts: 63
- Joined: March 7th, 2011, 10:33 am
What does success in improv look like to you?
Connecting fully with the moments and players, with myself in such a way as it all just starts to flow-- the audience reactions become a by product versus something Im hunting, we all just disappear into some good shit.
What happens before during and after a successful show?
Wow, what a question. PERHAPS but not necessarily, less uptight more playful before, eye contact and connecting, playful and yet very patient during, hugs and the post show high.
What yard-sticks do you use for considering your rehearsal, your class or your show as successful?
Patience, being fully present, taking risks, pushing myself, energy.
How about your improv life generally, what makes it successful?
Am I staying connected with people? Am I getting over my bullshit? Am I growing and doing the things necessary to make growth happen? Am I allowing room to find my own space in all this versus trying to be someone else?
What qualities would need to be present for you deem a future scenario involving improv, or your future improv self, as successful?
Feeling pushed, feeling genuinely satisfied with the work from the standpoint of just being able to do it - regardless of the result, am Im exploring more and more opportunities?
What do you think the relationship between success and failure is in improv?
Honestly, I think this is question is dangerous in that there are plenty of people that will state what the "right" kind of prov is or what makes something valid or not. In my view, specific to improv, I think thats all bullshit. Tons of people get into this for tons of reasons. I dont think improv is about success or failure, I think its about strapping your ass in and sticking with the ride, which sometimes will feel like the most amazing moments of your life and other times, jumping off Frost Tower becomes an option. Its about the experiences and staying plugged into that as apart of the community, thats what improv is to me as a collective whole.
Connecting fully with the moments and players, with myself in such a way as it all just starts to flow-- the audience reactions become a by product versus something Im hunting, we all just disappear into some good shit.
What happens before during and after a successful show?
Wow, what a question. PERHAPS but not necessarily, less uptight more playful before, eye contact and connecting, playful and yet very patient during, hugs and the post show high.
What yard-sticks do you use for considering your rehearsal, your class or your show as successful?
Patience, being fully present, taking risks, pushing myself, energy.
How about your improv life generally, what makes it successful?
Am I staying connected with people? Am I getting over my bullshit? Am I growing and doing the things necessary to make growth happen? Am I allowing room to find my own space in all this versus trying to be someone else?
What qualities would need to be present for you deem a future scenario involving improv, or your future improv self, as successful?
Feeling pushed, feeling genuinely satisfied with the work from the standpoint of just being able to do it - regardless of the result, am Im exploring more and more opportunities?
What do you think the relationship between success and failure is in improv?
Honestly, I think this is question is dangerous in that there are plenty of people that will state what the "right" kind of prov is or what makes something valid or not. In my view, specific to improv, I think thats all bullshit. Tons of people get into this for tons of reasons. I dont think improv is about success or failure, I think its about strapping your ass in and sticking with the ride, which sometimes will feel like the most amazing moments of your life and other times, jumping off Frost Tower becomes an option. Its about the experiences and staying plugged into that as apart of the community, thats what improv is to me as a collective whole.
- jillybee72 Offline
- Posts: 649
- Joined: November 16th, 2009, 1:20 pm
Any measure by which you can call a show unsuccessful is the key to how to improve for next time, therefore making the show successful as a lesson, ergo a success.
I always do my absolute best every time so I cannot possibly be disappointed by the outcome. This is another way it is always a success.
I always do my absolute best every time so I cannot possibly be disappointed by the outcome. This is another way it is always a success.
- TexasImprovMassacre Offline
- Posts: 2858
- Joined: August 11th, 2006, 4:37 am
- Location: Austin, TX
- Contact:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oze0lVE9 ... e=youtu.be[/youtube]