flash flood

TexasImprovMassacre · March 31st, 2009, 10:41 pm

Ok, there's a big ol' storm, hurricane, twister, apocalypse going on outside your improv and you only have time to grab one tenant, idea, notion, guideline, tool, rule of improv...what is it?

What's your number one guideline? What underlies your improv philosophy? ...and why?

vine311 · Post by **vine311** » March 31st, 2009, 10:47 pm

No flinching

Commitment to the scene and your scene partner are extremely important. Even if a scene is going badly you can still have a chance of pulling yourself out of it if you're committed to it. If you bail, so will the audience.

arthursimone · Post by **arthursimone** » March 31st, 2009, 11:27 pm

grab a hold of a character and you can handle anything man or nature has to throw at you

scook · Post by **scook** » March 31st, 2009, 11:37 pm

Listening. Is this too broad of an answer? You're never lost and have infinite to pull from as long as you listen to your partner (and everything else) around you.

My second would be what Arthur said. Give yourself a character and you'll always have a reason to be there in the scene.

sara farr · Post by **sara farr** » April 1st, 2009, 1:09 am

!&

Asaf has it tattooed on his body, so it must be important.

It's easier said than done.

Marc Majcher · Post by **Marc Majcher** » April 1st, 2009, 9:04 am

I'm with Steph. Listening. Not just with your ears. Not just to what's being said.

HerrHerr · Post by **HerrHerr** » April 1st, 2009, 9:19 am

Commitment.

No, wait..ummm...

...wait, yes! Commitment!

Aden · Post by **Aden** » April 1st, 2009, 10:33 am

arthursimone wrote:grab a hold of a character and you can handle anything man or nature has to throw at you

ditto.

Plus... then you never get lonely. Unless that's what your character does.

beardedlamb · Post by **beardedlamb** » April 1st, 2009, 11:58 am

no denials

the ultimate show of commitment to everything in the room - fellow players, the environment, the audience, yourself. say yes to all of it.

acrouch · Post by **acrouch** » April 1st, 2009, 6:50 pm

vulnerability

Improv is a terrible, risky idea and watching people bravely and humbly throw themselves into that is magical and fascinating. If they spend the whole time protecting themselves with cleverness and safe formats and effort, it moves toward boring and painful.

ratliff · Post by **ratliff** » April 2nd, 2009, 10:57 am

only connect

mcnichol · Post by **mcnichol** » April 2nd, 2009, 11:22 am