Theatre I - Auburn City Schools

Theatre I

Improvisation Kandinsky, Wassily. Improvisation 31. 1913, National Gallery of Art

Drama is the link... between thought and expression. Playwrights turn actions into words. Actors turn words into actions. When improvising, you must create both words and actions

Spontaneity the freshness and naturalness of each performance

It is the goal of the actors and directors to create the “illusion of the first time.”

Each performance should feel like the first one.

Developing good improvisational skills helps develop fresh performances.

What is Improvisation? Improvisation is... the impromptu portrayal of a character or a scene without rehearsal or preparation You must convey:

personality physical traits conflicts

dress desires

age

The Challenge of Good Improv: 1. Physical and mental control 2. Adaptability

Even though improvisation is spontaneous, it demands:

3. Acceptance of positive criticism 4. “directability” 5. Cooperation with others

Focus, Concentrate, Respond Focus your attention on natural actions and natural reactions. Concentrate on immediate responses.

Play the scene as it develops.

The Motivated Sequence • We experience a stimulus.

• The “idea connects,” and our brains registers the stimulus.

The Motivated Sequence • The body responds: • Chest moves in direction of the stimulus • Eyes look in the direction • We may even make a reflex action- jerk back or make a sound

• We react vocally and/or physically with our main response.

Improv: A Trial Run For many plays, improvisation serves as a trial run.

The playwright can see “how it plays” and make necessary changes in the script before opening.

Two Types of Improvisation: Character and Situation-Centered Action The charactercentered approach places a character or group of characters in various situations.

SIT SIT

SIT

C SIT

SIT

Examples: CSI, Law & Order, and ER

Character and Situation-Centered Action

The situationcentered approach takes a single situation or series of situations and places a number of characters into the situation.

C1 C2

C3

SIT C4

C5

Watching each character respond differently to the situation provides interest.

The Challenge of Improv It is very difficult for new actors to build a character, work out a situation, carry on action, and create effective dialogue all at the same time and on the spur of the moment! Therefore, you should establish a character or stock of characters that you can use for a variety of situations beforehand , and the words and action will come much easier.

Establishing A Character You must consider:

Who am I? What kind of person am I? When does this action take place? How should the audience react to me? How am I different from the other characters?

What are the fewest things I can do to convey the most? What does my character want?

What is the mood of the scene?