Season 1
Improv Rule for Life #3 - Serve the Relationship
Creative Process - Part One
Initiation - How to Begin
The Association Game
The Big Yes
The Argument Trap
The Three Types of Conflict
Improv Builds Empathy
The Three Act Structure for Improv
Playing with other human beings requires us to get out of our heads - give up our selfish needs - and serve the interaction/moment/relationship developing between and among us.
There are two general ways to create content whether in the format of the improv scene or 'out in the world'. There is a more solo act of invention or writing and the collaborative act of discovery or 'uncovery'. While both have their place, the latter usually leads to richer, more satisfying creations.
It's a good practice to start scenes - or interactions - with something already going on. One way, is to think up a line of dialogue or part of a context however these practices have certain pitfalls. A better choice is to pick something you can play and maintain independent of the situation in which you, or your character, find themselves.
The Association Game is a great warm up game for groups of 2 to 20. It helps people listen, say yes, get out of their heads, and build community. Not bad.
The Big Yes, the overaccepting of your scene partner(s) offer, can have so many benefits especially at the start of scenes or interactions with friends and people in the real world.
Falling into the argument trap (aka denial of reality, gaslighting, refusing to engage) is detrimental to improv and the act of playing and discovery with other players. What it is, why it is, and how to avoid it are the subjects of today's episode.
In stories, there are generally three types of conflict. Person vs person, US vs the world/environment, and internal conflict. All are useful but sometimes it benefits us to flip between them.
A great reason to take improv even if you never intend to perform is that it helps build empathy for your fellow human beings. Helps us to understand the journey of people completely unlike us with vastly different experiences.
There are many types of Duo Scenes. The most common is the Hero's Journey, Story Circle w. a Single Main Character, aka the Three Act Structure. What is it? How to recognize it?
What exactly do we mean by 'Yes, And' and what is 'positivity' in the improv sense of that word?