A Beginners Improv Class From the Comfort of Your Couch
By Morgan Tarrant
Improv can be scary to say the least.
Especially in an environment that is so properly practiced and procured.
The steps an actor takes and the words that they say or sing are all on individual tracks headed for the same destination of grandeur: a perfect performance.
These tracks are so comforting that when a line is dropped or prop it can easily make one feel like an astronaut in orbit with nothing to ground them. That pause, the struggle to find the proper words to fix the tiny flaw in the seamless picture, seems like a lifetime.
BUT
That doesn't have to be the case when an actor is comfortable with the tool that is improv. It helps actors think on their feet.
When studying improv you become the character rather than just phoning in the line delivery. It helps the actor embody the character in every single way because you have to think like them!
Not because a script tells you how to think or feel.
Improv helps an individual think on their feet in ANY situation, not just on stage.
Did you know that they have improv business courses? These classes are used to help workers become comfortable in situations with customers. They help provide the employees with better communication and leadership skills. Improv helps you see the world differently.
You listen more.
You start to observe more.
In improv you have no choice but to listen to your partner since that’s where all of your information is coming from. In a cheesy way, improv is everything to me as a performer: It is the most risky and raw form of acting. It bleeds into the world outside of the stage. It opens creative doors. It’s basically a performer's fix all!
Line drop? Fixed.
Technical error? Fixed.
Costume piece tare? Fixed.
Did a set piece break? Fixed.
Improv has taught me that when something goes wrong in life you don’t freak out.
Stay calm. Think on your feet. Trust yourself.
Improv isn’t just used to fill out scenes. Improv is everywhere and everything if you think about it. Just say Yes And and trust yourself.