Summary
Highlights
Improvisation in acting involves being given a situation, character, or word, and then, with partners, inventing dialogues and developing a scene without knowing what others have in mind. It can be stressful, but the speaker emphasizes that we improvise daily in our conversations.
Improvisation is highly valued in the US, especially for comedy. Three well-known schools are UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade), The Groundlings, and Second City. UCB focuses on 'the game' of improvisation, finding what's unusual or atypical in a situation to create humor. The Groundlings emphasize strong, bizarre characters, inspired by shows like SNL (Saturday Night Live). Second City combines character work and writing, offering a more comprehensive approach.
A key tip for improvisation is to focus on your partner. Many beginners get stressed and ignore their partner's contributions. Make eye contact to establish a connection and quickly understand what your partner is doing and where they think the scene is going. This also helps you relax.
Give your character a strong emotion, as this forces your partner to react and creates more material for the scene. Another technique is the 'yes, but' concept: when given a suggestion (e.g., 'hospital'), think of both its positive and negative or opposing aspects. For instance, hospitals heal people (yes), but many people also die there (but). This creates immediate conflict and ideas for the scene.
Always start an improvisation by clearly stating the given proposition. If the suggestion is 'Disneyland,' immediately mention 'Disneyland' and specific details like your partner's name, your location within the park, and what you're doing. This informs both the audience and your partner, providing a solid foundation to quickly build the story.