TheatreSports Rehearsals Start This Week, Wed 7:30pm

acrouch · Post by **acrouch** » March 7th, 2007, 3:04 am

We're starting a Mainstage run of TheatreSports in April/May. And if it goes well, the Hideout is hoping to make it an ongoing thing like Maestro.

TheatreSports hasn't been played in Austin in a long time, and there's a bit of a knack to it, so if you're interested, please come check out the regular Wednesday rehearsals that Sean Hill will be running. We're looking for hosts, performers (of all experience levels), musical improvisers, sound and light improvisers, etc.

Can you rehearse this Wednesday? Next Wednesday? Are you interested in TheatreSports?

Aden · Post by **Aden** » March 7th, 2007, 1:06 pm

Is this something you want us to sign up for, or shall we just show up at the Hideout?

kbadr · Post by **kbadr** » March 7th, 2007, 1:17 pm

I am interested, though I may not play immediately. I can't show up to rehearsal this week, but could make it next week.

Marc Majcher · Post by **Marc Majcher** » March 7th, 2007, 1:36 pm

Also very interested, but I'll have to do some schedule fiddling to make things fit...

Matt · Post by **Matt** » March 7th, 2007, 2:02 pm

I'm very interested, but I've got Shana's class this week (and this will also directly conflict with her improvised singing class starting in a few weeks). Next week is a possible, though

Aden · Post by **Aden** » March 7th, 2007, 2:06 pm

Oh right, the singing class. Yes. I'll be able to be there today. But after Shana's class starts Wednesday's will be a problem.

Justin D. · Post by **Justin D.** » March 7th, 2007, 2:13 pm

Forgive the new guy, but I'm not really familiar with TheatreSports. I looked it up hereand here. It reads like a cross between Cage Match and Micetro. Or that is, it seems like Cage Match and Micetro spawned from TheatreSports. Am I on the right track?

kbadr · Post by **kbadr** » March 7th, 2007, 2:25 pm

Justin Davis wrote:Forgive the new guy, but I'm not really familiar with TheatreSports. I looked it up hereand here. It reads like a cross between Cage Match and Micetro. Or that is, it seems like Cage Match and Micetro spawned from TheatreSports. Am I on the right track?

It's definitely a sort of Cage Match/Micetro hybrid, in spirit. TheatreSports was one of the original formats that Keith Johnstone created, along with Micetro. So it definitely precedes the Cagematch (and perhaps even Micetro)

acrouch · Post by **acrouch** » March 7th, 2007, 5:04 pm

The Wikipedia entry is a fairly accurate description:

Theatresports

Originally developed by director Keith Johnstone in Calgary, Canada, in 1976, TheatreSportsâ„¢ is a form of improvisational theatre which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges (who are usually trained improvisers themselves). The concept of TheatreSports originated in Johnstone's observations of techniques used in professional wrestling to generate heat, or audience reaction. "Theatresports" is a trademark and copyright of Keith Johnstone and is managed by the International Theatresports Institute(ITI).

Content

The content of TheatreSports scenes are often structured games which can double as entertainment and as training exercises. Some example games are

* Word at a Time Story, in which two or more improvisers alternate words as they tell a story. If done well, this game can be very entertaining. It teaches the skill of being 'in the moment' (not planning ahead), since there is no way to anticipate the direction in which another actor will take the story.
* Yes, Let's, in which each improviser in a scene makes a suggestion that is loudly accepted by the others on stage with the words "Yes, Let's". When used as an exercise, this game teaches acceptance of suggestions by other improvisers and the value of a positive attitude on stage.
* Guess My Word, in which an improviser leaves the theatre to allow the audience to suggest a secret word. The improviser then returns to the theatre and tries to guess the word as suggested by another improviser in a scene. This game teaches improvisers to be alert to the actions of others in the same scene.
* Status switch, in which improvisers create a scene with an obvious high-low status relationship. Before the end of the scene, that relationship must be reversed (e.g. the lowly customer turns out to be the owner of the bank). This type of scene teaches the improvisers to be aware of the status levels of the characters in the scene, just as we do unconsciously in real life.
* Random scraps: Audience members are asked to write brief sentences on scraps of paper. The improvisers begin a scene, and, at regular intervals, read one of the scraps of paper and work it into the scene. Example: "Doris, I know you're jealous that Uncle Al left me ten million dollars, but [reading] "The moon on the lake makes me think of your thighs."
* Freeze play: Two players are handed an object. They do a short scene using the object as something it is not, but that its shape suggests. Another player calls "freeze!" and jumps in to use the object as something else entirely. And so on... [1]
* Typing scene: A typist narrates as s/he mimes typing a story, and the improvisers jump in to enact the scenes and add some developments of their own.

Improvised themes are common, e.g.: "We challenge you to a scene ...

* involving an object given by an audience member."
* where all dialogue is in gibberish."
* that starts and ends with phrases suggested by the audience."
* that summarises a major movie in one minute."

Typical examples of heat, often involving skillfully improvised rule-breaking, could be:

* The audience is encouraged to boo the judges, who take on the role of stern authority figures
* An improviser passionately protests a low score for a scene, carrying on until the judges eject the improviser from the game. The improviser returns later with a home-made protest sign.
* During a typing scene (see above), one of the improvisers "takes the typist hostage" to force the story to go in a certain direction.
* Improvisers can be "punished" for breaking the rules, say by being forced to act a scene as a pig, or barefoot, or as a character who is destined to die by the end of a scene, or by wearing a penalty basket on their head for set time.

Philosophy

Although staged as a competition, TheatreSports has the philosophy that corniness and gags tend to lower the quality of scenes. Instead, the emphasis is on building characters and on creating a scene true to the improviser's heart, while avoiding excessive planning and intellectualizing.

Another technique taught by Johnstone is to establish a 'platform' early in the scene that defines the characters and background. Only once that platform is established should some wrinkle or conflict be introduced. According to this technique, a scene involves an ever-shrinking "circle of possibilities", which defines what sorts of offers the improviser might reasonably make in the scene. At the start of a scene, anything is possible; but, as more offers are established, and the reality of the scene is more clearly defined, then circle of possibilities shrinks, and improvisors should not step outside that circle of possibilities by making offers that seem inconsistent with what was previously established.

Post by **bradisntclever** » March 7th, 2007, 5:43 pm

I'm interested as well, but will be in the improvised singing class. Outside of that, I would be able to rehearse. I could do it starting next week.

Aden · Post by **Aden** » March 7th, 2007, 5:53 pm

Yeah, I won't be there tonight after all. If there's a way to work it out so that the scheduling doesn't conflict with Shana's singing improv class...I'm definitely down to check out some Theatresports action.

sara farr · Post by **sara farr** » March 8th, 2007, 1:08 am

Aden wrote:Yeah, I won't be there tonight after all. If there's a way to work it out so that the scheduling doesn't conflict with Shana's singing improv class...I'm definitely down to check out some Theatresports action.

Yes, me too. I want to do this, but I'm short on time, and Wed, which is now my only improv night, is gonna be Imp-Singing (soon). So I guess I'll have to wait until after FLATLAND THE MOVIE is done (May 20th, BTW).

fbillac · Post by **fbillac** » March 8th, 2007, 7:04 pm

Hmmm...Theatre and Sports...its just crazy enough to work! Color me interested.

-Dav

Boston2Austin · Post by **Boston2Austin** » March 9th, 2007, 4:42 pm

Sounds fun...I'd be interested. Keep me in the loop.
Jeff I.

seanhill · Post by **seanhill** » March 12th, 2007, 8:18 pm

If your interested in playing the TheatreSports shows which will be Saturdays at 8pm in April & May then email your availability to

availability@hideouttheatre.com

There is room in TheatreSports for improvisers of different skill levels. I will be casting the teams so that they are somewhat balanced each night.

If you want to practice theatresports then come to the Hideout Wed at 7:30 where I will be putting people thru the paces.