Robert Bateman Improv Team - Performance Notes

Hey gang

Hope you're all doing well and that second semester has been kind to you as yet.

It's been a little while since I've updated the improg, but to be perfectly honest, I don't think that's atypical at this point. Here are some thoughts on the games we will likely be doing during the competition.

Theme

Suggestion: Provided by CIG Judges

As I'm certain you all know, we will be playing Sweep for our Theme event. Sweep is essentially our version of Macro Neato, a performance style largely done by the Bad Dog Theatre in Toronto. Players form a back row, or stand to the sides of the stage (we will likely be standing to the side, as it will make the stage appear less cluttered). Performers create two-person scenes, focusing on their individual Deals while perhaps establishing a Game. At any point, people in the back row (or to the sides) can tap out one player, thus endowing the remaining player as the 'driver' of the scene. Players then depict the driver in a variety of different scenarios. When improvisers feel as though the characters have worn out their premise (i.e. the premise has been taken to the moon, the characters have been killed and are in heaven, or any other number of things), then any member of the back row (or the sides) can run in front, thus 'sweeping' the scene and beginning a new scene.

This game will prove an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your ability to create something out of nothing. Begin with your Deal. It doesn't matter what it is, that you are doing it is much more important than why you are doing it. Notice the other person and begin to do your thing because the other person is doing their thing. The very fact that you are doing your thing because of the other person creates an interesting relationship that will utterly delight the audience. Once you have the platform, the tiny, truthful and organic core around which you will build your scene, add in your Who/What/Where. This incorporation is your opportunity to tie the scene to the Theme, whatever it may be. Don't worry about trying to find that connection immediately. Build your Deal and trust that you will be able to make the connection, no matter what the Theme may be. You're all clever people. You can do it.

Once improvisers have clearly established their Deals, then it is easy to pick a Driver to further additional scenes. If an improviser chooses happiness as their Deal, and everything that happens only serves to make them happier, then we know that they will be the happy character in every scene they're thrown into. Once the character and scene has been heightened to the extreme (for example, "Welcome to the gates of Hell. Will it be the lake of fire or the river of excrement?" *met with laughter*), sweep the scene and become new characters with new Deals.

A few general tips and reminders:
 -Nobody will care why everything is causing you to do your Deal harder. It will be entertaining that you do it. Audiences like to see situations that they wouldn't normally encounter.
 - For heightening, remember the pattern Out Out In. If you choose 'Love' as your Deal, thus making you love everything, or love weirder and weirder things, then the ultimate choice is to turn your love to your scene partner. (for example, "I love this sweater. I love the floor. I love you!!!") Begin by associating yourself with external things (Out) and end with something on stage (In).
 - If improvisers are killing, and the audience is bowled over with laughter, sweep them. It sounds counter intuitive, but you'll have just done those improvisers a huge favour. The audience will remember them as being hilarious, which will only work to their favour the next time they are in a scene. Good improvisers make other improvisers look good.

Life

Suggestion: A happy moment from your teenage years, or some iteration thereof

The Harold is a style of improvisation developed by Del Close. It consists of truthful monologues, two-person scenes and large-group games. These elements flow together and stem from each other in a way that is organic, truthful and wonderful to watch. Essentially, it's an opportunity for improvisers to demonstrate their prowess at performing with each other and acting as a group.

For our purposes, we will be doing a shorter, adapted version of the Harold. We will begin with a large-group word association/exploration, taking the chosen theme and associating it with other ideas/concepts. From there, we will naturally break into individual monologues based off of the themes explored in the initial word association. These monologues will be followed immediately by short scenes that further the themes explored in the monologue. Should it become necessary for other improvisers to take part in the scene, then they absolutely can. With this pattern in mind, we will explore all three elements of Del Close's original Harold format, albeit abbreviated for CIG time restraints.

A few general tips and reminders:
 - During the initial word association/exploration, try to build the A to C thinking we've practiced during word association circles. Remember that every response is the correct response. Allow the words to flow through you, creating an emotion that will be expressed through your physical movements. Perhaps the emotion will be happy, perhaps sad, perhaps any other emotion. In any case, you will be priming yourselves and the audience for the rest of your scene.
 - If you hear a monologue that may call for a large group (e.g. the Soccer team example), then be ready to jump into the scene. If you notice other people jump into the scene, though you are uncertain why, simply mirror everybody. No one in the audience will be able to tell you have no clue what you're doing. Notice what others are doing and do it harder.
 - If you're telling a monologue, don't feel as though you need to change names or places. Real names and places will provide a better connection for the audience than fictitious ones. (I recall a scene when an improviser mentioned they were drinking Rumpelstiltskin cola. They would have made the scene more realistic, less silly and therefore less easily dismissed had they used a real soft drink. They also would have made less cognitive work for themselves.)

Story

Suggestion: A favourite animal and a favourite colour, or some iteration of an object and an adjective, to be combined to form the title of the story (for example, 'Purple' and 'Moose' become 'The Purple Moose')

For our Story event, we will be playing the game Typewriter. I would be lying if I said that I have never seen this game played before. However, our version will differ from any performance ever given in the sense that we will be creating a tiny, organic, truthful core and building outward from there.

Two improvisers will begin a scene in the fashion of 'That's so True'. After a short amount of time, one improviser will drop the Big Dumb Choice, thus fueling the rest of the scene. Graeme will act at the storyteller/typist for the rest of the scene. (I don't remember whether he volunteered or if we volunteered him, but regardless, he's the perfect fit for this role.) Taking the truthful platform and utilizing the Big Dumb Choice made by one improviser, Graeme will narrate the rest of the scene, incorporating storytelling elements (such as heightening/raising the stakes, reaching a conclusion/denouement, and a moral if needed). Other improvisers will continue to act throughout the scene, following Graeme's directions.

A few general tips and reminders:
 - Even though the direction of the scene will be taken over by Graeme, keep the Deals established at the beginning of the scene. If someone is angry, they become angrier. If someone is fishing, they fish in more interesting and unique ways (basically, they fish harder).
 - Build the actions of the improvisers in the scene until there appears to be no option left but a resolution. This moment of change, this turning point, if you will, can effectively serve as the end of the scene.
 - For the improvisers who aren't directly involved in the scene, be ready to jump into the scene should your presence be needed. If Graeme mentions a shady character lurking behind a tree, somebody had better be ready to be a shady character. (Furthermore, perhaps somebody could act as a tree. Who do we know with tree-impersonation abilities?)

Character

Suggestion: A location that could fit on the stage, somewhere somebody in the audience spent money recently, or any location prompt that has the audience remember rather than create (we will also certainly not be asking for a non-geographical location)

For our Character event, we will be playing the game Pecking Order. This game will serve as an opportunity to showcase your character acting and your ability to incorporate status in your scenes. Furthermore, it will be exceptionally entertaining for the audience.

Four improvisers will be given a number. '1' will be the first person to enter and therefore the lowest status character. '2' will have a status higher than 1, but lower than 3 or 4. '3' will be higher than 1 and 2, though lower than 4, and '4' will be the highest status. 1 will enter the scene, establishing the location of items in the room and generally setting up the premise of the scene. 2 will enter, playing high status to 1. 3 will enter, playing even higher status, and then 4 will enter, playing the highest status of all. 4 will then find a reason to leave, followed by 3 and then 2, thus leaving 1 in the scene. 1 will find some way to give the audience a pleasing conclusion to the scene, thus ending the performance.

The humour in this scene will come from seeing higher status people continually lowered by even higher status people. The trick, however, will be in maintaining deals despite having status lowered. If you come into the scene with a gruff, 'trucker-esque' accent, you can't drop it simply because somebody else has come into the scene. In Start the Revolution without me, the King doesn't stop being the King simply because he has his status lowered. (For those of you who are interested, Start the Revolution without me is a wonderful film starring Gene Wilder and Donald Sutherland. It serves as a fantastic study of status, character, and the difference between status and class.)

A few general tips and reminders:
 - As a result of there being so many improvisers on stage at once, you will certainly need to manage your speaking and pacing. Try not to talk over other people. I realize this will be difficult, but do your best to keep things sane on stage.
 - Try speaking through the pecking order. Namely, 4 can give orders to 3, who then speaks to 2, who then speaks to 1.
 - Again, maintain your character despite having your status raised and lowered. If you play a little girl, then you had best not suddenly become someone much older as a result of your change in status.

~

Hopefully these outlines will help focus your energy in scenes. If these outlines make you nervous or apprehensive, trust that you already have the skills to perform these scenes very well. Know that, should all else fail, you will have the platforms you establish to fall back to, and you will be surrounded by people who will support you no matter what happens during the performance.

I recall reading an interview with Colin Mocherie. He said that improv isn't scary or intimidating for him, because if he fails on stage, he knows that he's failing with his friends by his side.

Let's break some hearts.

Cheers,

Cliff