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improvdanceparty:

I’ve been teaching some form of Improvisation for 18 years now, and I will keep on teaching as long as I can… 

Each class is different, each student is different, you have to adjust your notes to the individual. You can’t teach in absolutes. That doesn’t mean I change the curriculum with each class, but I do change the approach. There isn’t one rule that rules them all. As a teacher you have to evaluate your class and adjust accordingly. In order to do that you have to put your students into different categories or Types. You must realize as the class goes along, these Types can change, so your notes have to change with them.

Here’s an example of just a few Student Types:

The Church Mouse- Shy, hangs on the back wall, took the class to become more confidant. They’re hard to get going but when they do, they tend to play real scenes. As they progress you usually tend to see them play the straight person in scenes. It is a joy to watch them come out of their shell.

The Gung Ho- They are usually the loudest during warmups, the first up, the ones you have to tell to calm down. They have a tendency to run past things, not listen as well. But they care, and want to get better. When they do get better, they can provide the spark that every team needs.

The Actor-  Ends up in class because they have been told they need improv on their special skills section for their resume. They tend to have the best stage presence, but as soon as they get left to their own devices they can panic. Once they let themselves go though they make everyone around them look better. [See Gravid Water]

The Questionater-  These people will ask more questions then they need to, in scenes and in the class. It means they want to be absolutely clear before they make a move because they don’t want to make a mistake. Once they learn to eternalize the questions on stage, and know that it’s safe to fail, they tend to take off.

The Rebel- Wants to challenge your notes, the school’s philosophy, and basically are contrarian in nature. Probably has a blog about improv where they make strong statements about what Improv should be. [This was me when I started] There is one of these types every year, causes teachers to huddle in the lounge and ask what that person’s deal is. As they get more experienced and veer away from absolutes in their philosophy, they tend to be great players… or pricks…. or both.

The Late- They come to every class about 5 min late, they text during class. I have no use for these people, they will die alone.

Straight up Church Mouse here. My 201 teacher was incredibly hard and often harsh, but I learned a lot from him. In a class early on, he asked me what *I* would really do in the situation the scene was in. I’m not wacky, I’m not particularly funny so that was quite freeing to me — that my character could/should react how I would, and that I didn’t need to stress out to find that perfect funny line.  

That stuck with me and I’ve tried to play everything from that place in my head.  One of the best compliments I ever got was when he told me at the end of the class show that I’d become a more honest improvisor, that i play scenes real. 

I’ve gotten better about stepping out, and I feel really comfortable with my team and that has helped tremendously. But I’m starting 401 in a couple of weeks and I’m feeling the nerves creeping in already, and I worry that I’ll again be the super quiet church mouse, afraid to move off the back line and screw a good scene/idea up.

mullaney:

The Hulk

The Hulk is an improvisor who is shy and quiet offstage, but when he is onstage, he becomes a rampaging uncontrollable force of comedy, smashing scenes with his unbridled joy. A team of hulks might be awful to watch, but a team with one Hulk and several other improvisors strong enough to play him would be fun.

Thor

Thor is strong like the Hulk, but less impulsive. He is confident in his choices and capable of big booming characters, but he can also reign it in when necessary. He has a youthful exuberance, and sometimes makes choices that a wiser improvisor would avoid, but his perseverance and fortitude makes even terrible choices work.

Hawkeye

Hawkeye rarely takes center stage. He hangs back, letting the others make most of the initiations. He watches the whole show for an opening to contribute. He not only sees what is going on, but can anticipate what is about to happen. When he does contribute, it’s a precision shot, making the connection that brings the whole show together.

Captain America

The Captain is a soldier, always fearlessly doing what needs to be done. He is often the second person in the scene using Hulk’s crazy choices to make fun scenes. He is the straight man dealing with all the chaos being created around him.

Black Widow

With no obvious superpower, there are likely some in the back of the theatre watching the show who don’t understand why Black Widow is part of the team. But then the show starts, and she is fast and smart and makes it look easy to keep up with the boys. For every move, she has a counter move. But more than that, she has a way of bending situations to her advantage. You can’t box her into to stereotypical roles, she has a way breaking free and turning the tables. And watch out when she starts a scene weak, she is about to kick your ass.

Iron Man

Every team needs an Iron Man. Sure, he is smart and clever, but he also has lots of gadgets. No matter what the situation, he has just the right tool to make the scene work. He is the first out to initiate, pointing the way for the rest of the team. He is a great editor, cutting scenes just before they start to wear out their welcome and knows how to bring things together when the show is reaching it’s climax. Finally, he rarely takes things too seriously. When things aren’t going well offstage, he is quick to find the humor in the situation, popping stress balloons with well timed pin pricks of wit.

Who are the Avengers among the improvisors you know?

Amy Poehler
Matt Besser
Zack Woods
Shannon O’Neil
Fran Gillespie
John Lutz
Anthony Atamanuik
Neil Casey
Chris Gethart

Monologist: Nick Offerman (who came out blonde and shirtless)

Alas, our UCBT Improv 101 class is over — the graduation show went far, far better than i hoped it would.

I think I’ve been pretty lucky in the classes I’ve been taking. I found this class to be a lot like my first Burlesque class — the long one, the character development one. It’s really supportive and we generally all like each other quite a bit. We’re all kind of bummed that it’s over — we had a great, supportive class and a fantastic teacher. Sadly, he’s leaving for LA and the rest of us basically sat around with a lot of alcohol bemoaning the fact that we won’t be spending the upcoming Tuesday nights together.