Posts tagged improv
This is really helpful if you’re an improv nerd.
Have you ever heard anyone discuss an “improv order of operations”? In high school math we have the acronym PEMDAS to help us remember that the rules must be followed in a certain order. I think it might be useful if we came up with one for improv students. I’ve found that when I’m teaching or coaching and I note someone on disagreement, they’ll say, “Well, I was playing top of my intelligence.” I think agreement should be first. I’m not sure what the rest would be or what order. Thoughts?-natedern
I love stuff like this! It’s also kinda like Asimov’s Laws of Robotics, in which each rule is only followed if you don’t break the previous one. Ok, here’s my pitch:
(presented like I’m describing a pyramid)
BOTTOM LEVEL: giving and accepting gifts (yes anding, accepting responsibility for accusations, agreement)
NEXT: truthfulness (top of your intelligence, reality, what would one really say)
NEXT: active choices (making this about the people in the scene, deciding you are invested, making things matter)
NEXT: justifying (philosophy, POV)
TOP: game (irony, juxtaposition)
I think seasoned improvisers do four out of those five every time they make a move.
Hello Nate Dern!
Free Shows!
TONIGHT!
Six Degrees of Mr. Fahrenheit at The Triple Crown! 8:00!
Featuring The Heathers, Curtains, music from Nickelstain, and none other than Mr. Fahrenheit himself!
TOMORROW
The Drop Box at The Creek and The Cave! 9:30!
Featuring P.i.G, Fun Fun Fun, Mr. Fahrenheit, and a special appearance by none other than Carl Sagan!
EDIT: It’s come to my attention that not a lot of people know who Carl Sagan is. He doesn’t like it when people don’t recognize him, so to ease the show along, why don’t you become acquainted with him?
DropBoxDropBoxDropBoxDropBox
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TheCreek&TheCaveTheCreek&TheCaveTheCreek&TheCaveTheCreek&TheCave
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Fun show this Saturday at 10 that is highly likely to have a Sean Curry on stage. $5 cover, $3 beers.
Also have a show at The Creek and The Cave tomorrow at 8! And that is a free show. Get a Tecate and put a lime in it, it’s great.
Shortened Attention Span presents Ghost Fight's NYAN!
This is an improv thing I’m doing tonight! It’s a thing. It’s at 10. Roy Arias Studios, 43rd st and 8th ave. Five bucks! That’s it! Jesus, why not?
And... Scene. An oral history of UCB's first 15 years. [NY Mag]
UCB!
I think the hardest thing, frankly, as an improviser, is to get to that point where you can live life onstage. Where you can just have a funny, interesting conversation with someone and be able to get up onstage and have that same conversation without it being this weird, hyper comic version of it.
(via improvnonsense)
Block of the century.
Improv Nonsense: YES over AND
This blog is awesome if you’re an improv nerd. Seriously, read the shit out of it.
When people are new to improv, all they notice are the ANDs. “Did you hear that line?” “What a great move!” “How did they think to say X?”
But once you’ve done it a while, you appreciate much more people who can just say YES: “He re-states the most important part,” “She keeps the idea alive,” “He…
May 21st! 2:30 pm! The UCB Theatre!
If you’re within reasonable commuting distance of Chelsea, put it on your calendar! My improv 101 class is having our graduation show then. Witness the beginning of my rise to POWER!
Elaine White’s in it, too!
