In a recent episode, 7 Scene Hacks to Help When You Make a Mistake, we talked about the idea that the path to getting good at improv to rack up ten thousand “failures” instead of trying to avoid these “mistakes”.…
You’ve probably done an improv exercise that trains you to remember details in a scene. For example, redo a scene you did and try to recall every sentence. Or associate words in a list and everyone tries to regenerate the…
There is a different way of thinking about getting better at improv. Failure is one of the best ways to learn new skills (this is scientific research, not just me talking). Duration, or number of hours doing a thing, is…
“I do not need to learn to communicate with men on my improv team because I am not a man.” That seems wrong, right? We know that to be a successful team member, we have to communicate with everyone. And…
One of the most common fears for any performer is that moment in a scene when your mind becomes a white, empty room. Your scene partner says a line, you open your mouth to respond, and there is absolutely nothing…
Learning any new skill, especially a vulnerable and complex one like improv, can sometimes hurt. We’ve all felt that sting of frustration and the dread of hitting a plateau. Sometimes we even feel that demoralizing sense that we’re actually getting…
Many of us in creative communities, especially the people-pleasing, team-focused world of improv, might have internalized the idea that constant agreeability and putting the group’s needs ahead of our own is the correct way of making good art and building…
When learning improv, many of us are are given a piece of advice for playing the grounded character (or voice of reason): “Just react like you would in real life.” This is an excellent starting point for understanding how to…
Sabrina Banes and Jen deHaan discuss how our inner monologue can help our improv performances.
Between practices we can practice on our own to develop our skills and confidence so time is better utilized when you can get together (or do that solo show).