Robert Bateman Improv Team - October 4th, 2010

Hello improvisers

I hope you're all doing well, reflecting and watching Improv. It's a rainy, dreary afternoon, perfect for Improv reflection.

Tongue Twisters and Vocal Warmups

Now, I can't say I endorse the specific Tongue Twister that Sadie chose to run. However, my compliments to her for running the warm-up and getting things going! If you're looking for more, try these two:

She stood upon the balcony, inexplicably mimicking him and amicably welcoming him in.

The argyle gargoyle gargled gregariously.

The first one is much better than the second one. I came up with the second one. It's not that good.

Enunciation and pronunciation are very important for improvisers. If you're mumbling, your teammates won't be able to hear you. You're taking away their ammunition for the scene! Speak up!

Beastie Boy

This game is named for the Beastie Boys, who are simultaneously the worst and best rap group ever assembled. They're the best because their songs are catchy and entertaining. They're the worst because their songs are terrible and all follow a similar rhyme scheme. Their rhyme scheme is pretty similar to this one:

Badda badda badda badda ba ba rhyme!
(Dun da dun dun, dun da dun dun)
Badda badda badda badda ba ba rhyme!
(Dun da dun dun, dun da dun dun)Badda badda badda badda ba ba rhyme!
(Dun da dun dun, dun da dun dun)Badda badda badda badda ba ba rhyme!
(Dun da dun dun, dun da dun dun)
YOU GOTTA FIGHT! FOR YOUR RIGHT! TO PAAAAAAAAAARRRR-TAY!

And so on. Actually, a while back, I mixed a version of 'Fight for your Right' that is basically the music looped over and over and over again. (For Beastie Boy training purposes). Perhaps I'll bring that in and we can practice it again on Thursday.

Gosh, what a terrible song.

For your convenience, here are some tips and tricks for Beastie Boy:
 - Attitude will get you through this game! Kick it hardcore style, ya dig?
 - Remember to include the rhyming word at the end of the line.
 - Try to extend your lines so that they fill up the whole line. Rather than saying 'I like chips', trying saying 'I went out to the store and I bought some CHIPS!'
 - Practice! Try singing along and making up your own lyrics.

Hitchhiker

I hope that everybody enjoyed this game as much as I did.

I mentioned that I had modified Hitchhiker a little bit. Here's what I did. Normally, people enter the car as a new character and each person takes on that character. Once everyone has taken on the character, a new hitchhiker arrives, and the pattern continues as such.

Well, I added in another aspect! I told everybody to keep things going. You can only make things bigger in the scene. The 'Deal' of the scene is established in the first line or two. Don't abandon the deal. Stick to it like it's your best friend.

Let's say that someone begins a scene by eating something weird, like a Ketchup sandwich. Everybody else in the scene gets grossed out by the sandwich. So, the deal becomes 'eating things with Ketchup and getting grossed out'. The next person could pull out a Ketchup milkshake, and everybody gets grossed out. The third person heightens the deal by pulling out a Ketchup turkey, and everybody gets even more grossed out. Had there been a different reaction initially, the scene could very well have been about people loving Ketchup on everything. People could just be comparing food preferences. People could just be excited to see each other. Anything could happen, really.

I'll reference Sadie, Erin and Eugene's pregnancy scene. Sadie was clearly pregnant, and so Erin and Eugene became pregnant. They took it further when Sadie suddenly went into labour. This meant that Erin and Eugene had to go into labour. Sadie had her baby, and then Erin had her baby. All eyes turned to Eugene at this point, who pulled up his baby and cradled it. And everybody in the audience applauded. It was a wonderful scene.

Now, the scene could have played out in any number of ways and been successful. I don't want you to assume that the way that scene played out is a hard-and-fast example of how to play hitchhiker. However, here's why I viewed the scene to be successful. Eugene and Erin accepted Sadie's offer and heightened it wonderfully. They understood the progression and kept things going. Eugene, rather than taking a contrary stance (being the third person), accepted a similar viewpoint and also had a baby. Sadie, Erin and Eugene observed, accepted and heightened. It was splendid.

I would like to reiterate a point in the previous paragraph. Eugene, the third person in the scene, adopted a similar viewpoint as Sadie and Erin. In three-person scenes, it's generally a better idea to have all three people with similar viewpoints. If you come into a scene that has two people with similar viewpoints that have already been established, then join in on their viewpoint. Taking a contrary viewpoint doesn't have quite the same feel to it. If you're ever stuck for ideas, rather than going into your head, just roll with what's been established. The audience will love you for it.

In Improv, remember: Obvious is original.

Keith Johnstone makes the point that originality, or rather trying to be original on stage, will more often than not lead to poor scenes. Make the obvious choice. It may seem simple, but it works very, very well.

I'll make my point by giving two examples. Let's say in one scene, two people are on stage, raving about how much they love Timmy Timmerson, the hunky quarterback at their school. A third person comes in as one of the improviser's mothers. She discovers that they're talking about Timmy Timmerson, and starts raving about him as well. The scene ends with the three improvisers comparing notes on Timmy Timmerson's workout schedule.

In another scene, two people are on stage, raving about how much they love Timmy Timmerson, the hunky quarterback at their school. A third person copmes in as one of the improviser's mothers. She discovers that they're talking about Timmy Timmerson, and then tells them to 'grow up' and that Timmy Timmerson is a pathetic loser. The scene ends with the mother insulting the other improvisers, who look fearful and shamed.

In the first scene, we end up with three people who have made a wonderful agreement. The offers are accepted and heightened (the mother loves Timmy Timmerson, too?!), and we're left with a wonderful feeling of unity and acceptance. In the second scene, we end up with two people who have one viewpoint, and one person who has taken a strange second viewpoint. We're left feeling concerned, disappointed and, dare I say it, betrayed. Furthermore, a fair percentage of the audience probably dislikes the improviser who entered as the mother.

The obvious choice in this situation is to take on the established viewpoint ("Oh my gosh, Timmy TIMMERSON?! I LOVE Timmy Timmerson! He's such a hunksicle!). The 'original' or 'clever' choice is to be different ("Timmy Timmerson? That loser. You're both pathetic for liking him.")

I implore you, make the obvious choice. Accept the offers that have been made and heighten them to new, wonderful levels.

We'll practice this concept more in our future meetings.

~

This reflection ended up being a lot longer than I had anticipated. Hey, if my deal is 'writes longer reflections than anticipated', then I'm keeping with it and heightening to new, crazy levels. Haha, get it?

Yeah, I'll stop.

Anyway, your homework!
1) Reflect! Write out what we did and what you thought about it. Write out what you learned, or any things that you're wondering! If you post your reflection in the comments section, I'll read it and give you some feedback. If you bring your reflection, I'll read it and give you some feedback.
2) Watch Improv!
3) Practice singing and making up lyrics.

Thanks for everything, gang! See you on Thursday.

Cheers,

Cliff