Favorite Improv Quotes

Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell · October 3rd, 2009, 6:38 am

"Improv ruined the best years of my life."

-Ace Manning

pipingirish · Post by **pipingirish** » December 23rd, 2009, 2:25 pm

The prologue to Stephen Nachmanovich's book "Free Play" called A New Flute is brilliant. I'd recommend it along with the entire book.

"In the myth of the flute player, when he plays for approval, plays for prestige, plays to meet the expectations of his teacher or to avoid shame, there is always something lacking. But when he has to nothing to gain and nothing to lose, then he can really play." -Stephen Nachmanovich

"The bottom line is that if you want to have success, then what you do is get out of your own bullshit and you exist for someone outside of yourself...Focus on your partner. I swear to you that's how you do this" -Martin de Maat

kbadr · Post by **kbadr** » December 23rd, 2009, 5:12 pm

It's surely not originally from this, but we watched The Twilight Zone movie last night and Scatman Crothers had an awesome quote.

"The day we stop playing is the day we start getting old. "

KathyRose · Post by **KathyRose** » December 23rd, 2009, 5:21 pm

kbadr wrote:It's surely not originally from this, but we watched The Twilight Zone movie last night and Scatman Crothers had an awesome quote.

"The day we stop playing is the day we start getting old. "

Sounds like the "Kick the Can" episode. Sunnyvale Rest Home.

kbadr · Post by **kbadr** » December 23rd, 2009, 5:47 pm

KathyRose wrote:Sounds like the "Kick the Can" episode. Sunnyvale Rest Home.

Yeah, that's the one.

Zac Carr · Post by **Zac Carr** » December 23rd, 2009, 6:14 pm

This is a pretty good one for those who find spiritual respite in the arms of long-form improvisation.

"It is the religion that I subscribe to because it is the only thing I've found that doesn't ask you to sublimate some part of yourself."

-T.J. Jagadowski, from a class in Summer 2008

Marc Majcher · Post by **Marc Majcher** » December 29th, 2009, 9:57 am

"It's important to take bad pictures. It's the bad ones that have to do with what you've never done before. They can make you recognize something you hadn't seen in a way that will make you recognize it when you see it again."
--Diane Arbus

Substitute... you know.

scook · Post by **scook** » March 1st, 2010, 7:48 pm

"Comes a day you're gonna have to decide whether it's about you or about the work."
- The Wire

Post by **bradisntclever** » March 1st, 2010, 11:45 pm

scook wrote:"Comes a day you're gonna have to decide whether it's about you or about the work."
- The Wire

soooo goood.

Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell · March 3rd, 2010, 9:04 pm

was listening to the Neverwhere audiobook, and this phrase describing instruments at the Floating Market stuck in my head...

"...improvised, improved upon, improbable..."

Asaf · Post by **Asaf** » April 12th, 2010, 2:39 pm

"Comics say funny things. Comic actors say things funny."
- Ed Wynn

Asaf · Post by **Asaf** » April 12th, 2010, 3:41 pm

Someone posted this on YESand.com

It is hard to believe that Bruce Lee is not talking about improv.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mlYrxYwbvQ[/youtube]

Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell · April 13th, 2010, 11:11 am

Asaf wrote:Someone posted this on YESand.com

It is hard to believe that Bruce Lee is not talking about improv.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mlYrxYwbvQ[/youtube]

i love that interview. there's actually a lot of passages in Tao of Jeet Kune Do that apply nicely in the same way to improv...or, really, to any kind of performance or art.

Asaf · Post by **Asaf** » June 30th, 2010, 10:26 am

I was talking with Susan Messing recently and she dropped this gem:

"If you're not having fun, YOU'RE the asshole."

We are bringing her out in October by the way.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » July 11th, 2010, 2:32 pm

"If you don't risk anything, you risk even more."
Erica Jong