Day 6: Forms

[York99]

Justin York’s Philosophy on Improv
Day 6
Today’s Topic: A word about forms

Yay forms! Boo forms! Stop. You’re both right.

First the pro. Forms make for a great show. Forms give common ground for all the players. Limiting the freedom of the players with a form forces them to be more creative in order to explore within the boundaries. Find a form that is right for your troupe and really get good at it.

I am a fan of analogies, so here’s another one: Think of improv as sports in general. Improvisers are athletes. Forms are particular sports. You can be a natural athlete and you can work hard to become a good athlete. However, if you don’t pick a sport and really get good at it, then all you are is the first person selected when picking teams at a Mojo Kickball game… until Mojo Kickball really catches on and you’re left in the dust. In other words, you can be a great athlete who is fun to play with and fun to watch, but you’ll never feel that joy that comes with hoisting a championship trophy over your head – something that can only be accomplished by working hard within a team at a particular sport.

Now the con. I don’t really mean con or boo forms here. I mean yay free-form. Yay montage. Removing the limitations put in place by a set form allows troupes and players to experiment and make discoveries that they might not make if they know that in the next scene they must justify why the psychiatrist sailed to the Bermuda Triangle when his long-lost daughter’s treasure map clearly indicates that he should have found the one-eyed dog at the Gray Area coffee shop in Amsterdam.

Let’s continue with that sports analogy. Montages, etc. are like both cross-training and playing recreationally. A football lineman doesn’t rack up too many miles on Sunday, but during the off-season and the rest of the week he (or she – go Outlaws!) is at the track or on the treadmill. Likewise, many people are content playing golf or a pick-up basketball game on the weekend. No problem. But they often have another job during the week.

A great local example is Girls Girls Girls. When I have seen them onstage in different shows, they are great improvisers. When I see them together doing the improvised musical, a form that they have worked hard with, it’s a great show.