Friday, December 30, 2011

No Script? No Problem. Part III

Montreal Improv (top: l-r) Kristen Rasmussen, François Vincent, BJ Walsh 
(bottom) Marc Rowland

*Yes And*
by BJ Walsh of Montreal Improv
(A version of this article was previously published at The Charlebois Post - Montreal)


There are multiple schools of thought in improv and thousands of show
formats, but there is one basic improv principle this is taught the
world over. And it might just make you a better person.

*Yes And*: To create a consistent and coherent world, improvisers
should accept (“Yes”) the fundamental truths about the world laid out
by their scene partners. Moreover, each scene partner has a
responsibility to not only agree, but to add more details to this new
world (“And”).
“I thought we worked well together, but I don’t know
her well enough yet to know what delights her.”

Example:

Player A: “I’m hungry”

Player B: “Yeah, it’s been a whole day since the guards last fed us.”

Player A: “I can’t take it anymore! Let’s break out.”

In other words, improvisers should work cooperatively to share the
scene. This implies the improviser must have a selfless nature.
Improv, after all, involves some sacrifice: agreeing with your
partner’s idea sometimes means shelving your own, not because his is
better, but because his came first.

Once you know your partner well, you may choose to go beyond just
giving your partner details to agree with; you may seek to provide
details that will thrill and inspire him. Recently, an improviser said
of her partner “I thought we worked well together, but I don’t know
her well enough yet to know what delights her.”

When improvisers are busy making each other look good, they forget to
worry about failure...

While there may only be anecdotal evidence to suggest that improvisers
carry their newfound generous attitudes into their everyday lives,
isn’t it nice to think that for a few hours every week, your friends
are hoping and striving to delight you? This in turn will nudge you to
return the favour, and we’ve arrived at the near-utopian concept of
Making Others Look Good.

When improvisers are busy making each other look good, they forget to
worry about failure and their desire to be thought clever, funny and
attractive. They are free to relax, have fun, and commit. And that’s
precisely when they are the cleverest, funniest and most attractive.

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