The Improv Basic

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » May 13th, 2010, 12:50 am

I don't understand.

zyrain · Post by **zyrain** » May 13th, 2010, 5:42 am

Two people, one line each.

And if they're REALLY good, it can be one word/gesture/look each.

Post by **bradisntclever** » May 13th, 2010, 11:06 am

Jeff wrote:I don't understand.

No, you always understand.

Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell · May 13th, 2010, 11:17 am

Jeff wrote:I don't understand.

oh good, my avant garde scene basic worked!

sara farr · Post by **sara farr** » May 13th, 2010, 11:36 am

Monks paint "ensōs" which is Japanese for "circles". In Zen Buddhist painting, ensō symbolizes a moment when the mind is free to simply let the body/spirit create. The brushed ink of the circle is usually done on silk or rice paper in one movement (but the great Bankei used two strokes sometimes) and there is no possibility of modification: it shows the expressive movement of the spirit at that time. Zen Buddhists "believe that the character of the artist is fully exposed in how she or he draws an ensō. Only a person who is mentally and spiritually complete can draw a true ensō. Some artists will practice drawing an ensō daily, as a kind of spiritual exercise."

The improv enso? A scene in under a min -- can be verbal or not.

A perfect scene start is the ability of an improviser to just be there and in the moment. The scene originates in the first words, gesture or movement. The improviser establishes the everyday, then tilts that world & concludes the scene that shows the new everyday.

You could say the enso is a perfect scene start... A-offer, B-response, B-offer, A-response... also known as a 3 line scene start; but it is just the start. You need a full scene to complete the story's circle.

ratliff · Post by **ratliff** » May 13th, 2010, 1:02 pm

WTF, people? Improv is about BEING IN THE MOMENT, ergo any answer to this question is irrelevant, because it's about an abstract, not-here, not-now scenario instead of an actual moment. The "answers" to Zen koans don't apply in any other circumstance than that in which they first occurred, because they were perfect expressions of the moment. Likewise, any of these answers might be "right" -- where in this case "right" means "perfectly expressing this immediate and irreproducible moment" -- but you'd HAVE TO BE PRESENT IN THE MOMENT TO KNOW.

This is why I hate formats. Except for contrived openings, which I love.

arthursimone · Post by **arthursimone** » May 13th, 2010, 1:11 pm

Ratliff, you won't stop me from gathering empirical evidence that I'm awesome

I want to be at the top in terms of Improv Units (IU). Let's go ahead and say I'm at 3,450 IU

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » May 13th, 2010, 1:11 pm

Like I said, I enjoyed the question because it made me think, precisely in the way a good zen koan makes me think. I, for one, didn't ever think there would be some correct or incorrect answer to it.

Curtis + computer · Post by **Curtis + computer** » May 13th, 2010, 1:30 pm

Jeff wrote:Like I said, I enjoyed the question because it made me think, precisely in the way a good zen koan makes me think. I, for one, didn't ever think there would be some correct or incorrect answer to it.

Wrong again, Jeff.

The answer is THE BEASTIE RAP GAME.

acrouch · Post by **acrouch** » May 13th, 2010, 2:06 pm

Walking through a door (real or space) in a way that makes the audience want to watch you for at least 90 more seconds.

ratliff · Post by **ratliff** » May 13th, 2010, 3:14 pm

arthursimone wrote: I want to be at the top in terms of Improv Units (IU). Let's go ahead and say I'm at 3,450 IU

You WERE. That moment is GONE.

sara farr · Post by **sara farr** » May 13th, 2010, 3:18 pm

Isn't the idea behind the ensōs that it DOCUMENTS the moment through applying ink to paper?

Ratliff, are you saying that there is NOTHING out there like that for improv? What about "improv snow angels"? They represent the actor that was there, performing in the moment... yet the very nature of snow in TX is ephemeral, so like improv, even that impression is quickly gone.

or if you want a more lasting impression, how about "improv sand angels"?

York99 · Post by **York99** » May 15th, 2010, 9:45 am

ratliff wrote:WTF, people? Improv is about BEING IN THE MOMENT, ergo any answer to this question is irrelevant, because it's about an abstract, not-here, not-now scenario instead of an actual moment. The "answers" to Zen koans don't apply in any other circumstance than that in which they first occurred, because they were perfect expressions of the moment. Likewise, any of these answers might be "right" -- where in this case "right" means "perfectly expressing this immediate and irreproducible moment" -- but you'd HAVE TO BE PRESENT IN THE MOMENT TO KNOW.

This is why I hate formats. Except for contrived openings, which I love.

This is very interesting and I've been thinking about it. But then I thought that the actual scene would have to be in the moment, but whatever the format is would not. Choosing a format is rarely something that's done in the moment, so spontaneous format choosing doesn't seem to be a building block.

Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell · May 15th, 2010, 5:17 pm

when the king asks you to prove your skill, just say "no." and then stand there looking him in the eye with a slight smirk like you just said something very wise.

then he'll let you nail his daughter.

bwah.

valetoile · Post by **valetoile** » May 15th, 2010, 8:57 pm

do an improv scene with the king in which he looks brilliant.