Austin Improv

Do you have any improv pet-peeves? What's the big one? Is there something that when it happens in a show it makes you cringe? Where does your improv boner go to die?

Cluster fuck group scenes bug the hell out of me. I hate them even more when I'm in them. It just bugs me to see a scene happening where nobody is listening to each other and everyone is desperately trying to throw anything out that will get a button so they can edit.

Moving through someone's clearly defined spacework object. If the spacework is good enough that the audience sees it, the other improvisers should see it too... and walk around it.

And "names". When I watch improv, I notice when players miss-name each other. I used to have a horrible time naming and remembering names in a show. I finally took the effort to remember at least 1 players name(s) over the course of a show. I will also try to go down the alphabet to try to keep the names from all being a-like. I love it when imps use names as a Character gift.

Pop culture references in any shape or form.

i've been shuddering for a while now whenever people do something wonderful and exciting and organic at the top of a scene and then spend the rest of the time standing there like zombies talking about it instead of doing it again and again and heightening and again and again!


talk talk talk! why are improvisers so afraid of silence???

Starting out the scene by pulling out chairs and saying "Here, have a seat."

It is a slow, low-energy way to start that allows one person to manipulate the other while they figure out what they want to make the scene about.

i agree with all of these above...

the first one i thought of is watching a scene that starts off with something and then, seemingly out of nowhere, turns into some seduction/hitting on someone thing without any previous justification. lame.

another, more generally: not being affected by your scene partner. someone says something that deserves a reaction -- ANY reaction, it's your choice fellow improvisor -- and ...nada. the response is usually something emotionally distant and attempted-witty. i will openly hate on anyone for this.

People talking over each other, not waiting to hear what's actually going on with their scene partners before interrupting with the much better thing that they have to say. Hard to do, but easy to not even try.

Unless it's part of a bit. Then, hilarious.

Being disengaged in the wings. Not cool.

*sang like summer camp*

Denials, denials deeennniiiiaaaaaallllsss what a terrible death to die, a terrible death to die, a terrible death to be no'ed to death......etc.

What a great way to feed my guilt complex!

I'll add on! Mugging.

I agree with all of these. I also feel like they could all apply to me. Go ego!

Mine is when someone is obviously not listening at all to anyone else on stage.

Also, even though it doesn't completely kill my improv boner, going meta has been bothering me lately. I'd like to see it used sparingly and to greater effect.

Egregious Lampshade Hanging, only because it's a trap I fall into all the time and it's bugging the piss out of me right now.

contrived bullshit formats that are followed sheeplike by groups misled by an inexperienced teacher.

and sandals.

hear hear, socks and sandals!

I'm guilty of many of these peeves at times. I'd like to piggy back on lance's pet peeve of mugging to say that I feel gross when people indicate rather than act. In some scenes its a style choice, but generally its a defense used so that you don't have to actually be a character experiencing an emotion. Instead, you just say I'm soooooo sad, and give a big ol' frowny face.