Rules of Improv

I have spent the last ten years of my life studying and performing improv.  I was incredibly lucky to meet and learn from some of the best and most brilliant improvisers in Chicago and New York, and now that I spend a great deal of my time coaching and teaching, I have come up with a list of personal truths about the art form.  The best improv is always changing. The best improvisers are always willing to learn, and aren’t afraid to fail as they work on new skills. 

• So, take it or leave it, here is my list of rules for being the best you can be.
  
  
  ·      The smarter you are the better improviser you’ll be.  This is true about almost everything.  A stupid but true joke an old teacher of mine used to say was “play to the top of your intellect not the bottom of your ass”… or something like that.  So read books, pay attention to the news, follow what's happening in politics and know and understand the importance of at least three current pop culture references. 
  ·      The more you do outside of improv, the better improviser you’ll be. If all you do is improv - night after night of improv - your improv will get boring and stale.   You have to have a work/life balance.  
  ·      The more people you know and meet and observe, the better improviser you’ll be.  When I start to feel like my characters are getting boring or repetitive, I start watching people on the train.  If you find someone interesting, study them.  How do they walk? What does their voice sound like? The more perceptive you are of the world around you, the more interesting and real and honest your characters will be.
  ·      The more you’ve loved and lost, the better improviser you’ll be.  If you know what it feels like to experience human emotion – you can and should use that in your work.  Don’t be a robot – they are only interesting to the people that designed them.
  ·      Remember to have fun.  We call it playing for a reason.  If you aren’t having fun improvising, take a break or find a different team to play with.  If you aren’t having fun, than neither is your audience.
  ·      Make your scenes about the other person and how your character feels about them.  Too often we focus on ourselves and on the hilarious jokes we are sure to make if only our damn partner sets us up properly – if you focus on making your scene partner look good, and they do the same, your work will be so much stronger.
  ·      Don’t be a dick. One liners are only funny once -- then what?
  ·      Find the reality of your world and settle into it.  If you jump into weird town half way thru the scene for no reason you’re going to lose your audience.  If you start there and everyone commits to it, then sure, go for it!  The audience will go anywhere with you if you earn it and honor it.  Don’t build a world only to tear it down again. 
  ·      For the love of God - do something with your hands! No one stands around like a talking head all the time. Ever.  We all fidget.  Don’t forget that your characters are also people; or dogs, or dragons, or aliens.  All of whom are rarely still.  The exception to this rule is when you play inanimate objects – but if you’re going to do that – commit the shit out of it.  
  ·      Move outside your comfort zone; try new things. The best improv comes from people willing to take risks; but, you have to commit to the risk – you can’t half-ass a bold move.  To the audience this just looks like an improviser dicking over the scene.   Commit!
  ·      If someone makes a bold move - match them! Don’t drop it and make them look like an ass - find a way to repeat it and you’ll all look brilliant!
  ·      If it scares you, do it more.   Susan Messing used to say this to me all the time at iO, and while it’s taken me years to really understand the importance of it – she’s right.  If something scares you, Do. It. More.