Austin Improv

Since there have been so many sweet threads going about improv theory and practice (thanks Bill and Cody), I thought I'd put something up here that's been on my mind.

As an improviser, I like using what I know. Hopefully not in a gratuitous or show-offy way, but that is for others to decide. And I'm not talking about making pop culture references or things like that. I'm talking about stealing structural scenic moves. Often I find myself using bits of material gleaned from other places that maybe only I know I'm doing. Case in point, last Friday at UT Shana and I were doing a scene where she was a guard pacing around in a palace and I was a king. There was a nice long silence at the top of the scene, and then as the king I dropped the formal relationship between us and tried to find out a little about the personal life of this lowly guard/servant. About two seconds into it I realized that this exact dynamic between the two characters came from a comic I had recently read.* The scene played out differently than it did in the comic obviously since Shana had no idea that this came from some other source material, but the inspiration was from the book. It wasn't premeditated at all, just burbled up from the soup of the king and guard portion of my brain--fortunately I've been doing improv long enough that I don't get into my head very often, and a lot of shows are sort of like an out of body experience for me--improv brain is making all the scene choices while my conscious brain is sort of in the spectator role watching the show from the outside, with the extra knowledge of Shannon's personal experiences in there saying "Ah, I know what inspired that move."

Anyway, I do that sort of thing all the time, and I'm wondering if other people improvise in this way. I can see this might come up for folks who do genre work more often, but do folks who work outside of genre-based improv find themselves make similar moves onstage?

I have other questions about this as well, but I'll wait to pose them until I hear what you think about this.

*The comic in question was Parisian resident Norwegian cartoonist Jason's The Last Musketeer. If you're into narrative improv with cool non-linear structures, I highly recommend Jason's work.

Particularly after working with Jet this summer, I'll find myself at the start of a scene trying to latch on to what it is about a character that makes them unique...or perhaps a better way of putting it is "where is this character coming from". Typically, characters start with a single choice (off of neutral as jet would say). When a certain voice, physicality, emotional p.o.v., or whatever other initial move sparks a character, there are times when I am inspired to play the character in a specific style. I find style to be a strong choice to play in that it informs my other choices.

Its basically an "oh, this character is like something out of a tarantino film"...Which brings lots of other options to the table. I feel inspired to smoke or drink or do some coke or tell an old story that relates to the current moment. Or perhaps the character reminds me of a children's story and I begin to walk in a bit more exaggerated way and play my emotions with a bit more melodrama and discover a downstage window that I throw open and look out of dreamily.

I feel like these choices resonate with the audience as they are within the collective subconsciousness. I know that in the example you gave, shannon, your particular case this time is a bit more specific so it isn't toooooo likely that many people said "ohhhh, this is from that comic". However, I do consider this kind of character choice to be in a similar vein.

I've spent so much time watching movies, and tv, or reading from a specific genre that I feel like there is a lot of power in using that familiarity to speak to what is already there. I wouldn't categorize this at all in the same group as a pop-culture reference in the way that I'm talking about using it. I think that playing with the choices associated with a certain style is pretty empowering. Particularly when its discovered in the moment...often in these scenes it becomes much easier to figure out what comes next because I feel like I already know. After all, I am playing what I know.

A style choice can inform how you speak, how you move, your vocab, what kind of other characters are introduced, it can effect the tone of the piece...I enjoy these moments of play. I get excited when I see other people play start a scene and realize "Ohhh, shit, this is like a goofy college movie", and the whole show becomes something like Scenes in the Style of Animal House. I feel a greater sense of pay off when a stuffy dean finally gets his in the end...

Hooray for using what you know to inform you art.


snap, spoiler alert, workshop coming in june on this very idea.

I guess i do this but it's usually stuff from real life -- real life experiences -- rather than stuff i've read or watched. We'll often talk about our day/week in getting ready for a show, and invariably details from that leak into the show, usually subconsciously. Sometimes, if it's stuff that's happened to me, only I'm aware (and usually only afterwards, in thinking about the show) that it was in or affected the scene/character. Or sometimes it's something that one of my teammates told me earlier, or something I just know about them. If the Rolling Stones come up in a show, it's because subconsously I know Dave loves the Rolling Stones.

The cover art of that comic is awesome.

TexasImprovMassacre wrote: snap, spoiler alert, workshop coming in june on this very idea.

Actually, this was one of my follow up questions. Is this something that can be taught without getting people too much in their heads? I've been thinking of teaching something like this for a while, but hadn't sounded people out as I am here to see if other people play this way, if people see value inplaying this way, etc. Cody, are you coming to Austin to do this?

Also, hadn't fully thought about these being style choices before, but I liek how you frame this, Cody.

shando wrote:

TexasImprovMassacre wrote: snap, spoiler alert, workshop coming in june on this very idea.

Actually, this was one of my follow up questions. Is this something that can be taught without getting people too much in their heads? I've been thinking of teaching something like this for a while, but hadn't sounded people out as I am here to see if other people play this way, if people see value inplaying this way, etc. Cody, are you coming to Austin to do this?

Also, hadn't fully thought about these being style choices before, but I liek how you frame this, Cody.

I think it depends on how you use it. I suppose it could put you in your head. I can see how if you did a scene and you discovered it felt kind of film noir, and all of a sudden how the characters feel about one another takes a back seat to you referencing how long you've been a detective and how much you love lucky strikes and making out...well, that wouldn't be good. I think the balance is using these things to inspire you rather than making them the focus. Less of a shorform, genre game, hit it over the head kind of deal, and more of a consideration about how characters in those styles talk, and act, and the kinds of themes they generally deal with. Not seeing the discovery of "noir" as a choice which you must now relentlessly stick to (though you shouldn't drop your shit), but rather to allow it to inspire you to make choices come easier...

hmmm, i'm not sure if that clarifies it or not. I think it is a question of how you use it. While I can see it putting you in your head, I feel like you could probably make that assumption about any techniques for creating character that you feel obligated to rather than inspired by. Also, this is often a discovery for me when I play a style more than it is me entering a scene with the notion that I'm going to play this scene like a scene from a horror movie...although, I do believe you could still do this without having to think about it too much. What do you think?


aaaand, yes sir, I am coming to Austin in the first week of June to do shows, a workshop on creating character through speaking to what's already there (tj and dave), and hopefully to coach a harold team for one rehearsal on how to break the harold.

**gah, i've edited this a few times now...i want to clarify that by break the harold i mean doing harolds that don't follow the opening-3 beats- game...format**

i think i only am what i know