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Improvisation for the Theatre

Improvisation for the Theatre

by | Mar 27, 2019

Recommended Book: Improvisation for the Theatre

By: Viola Spolin

 

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Improvisation for the Theatre

By: viola spolin

ISBN: 978-0810140080

QUESTIONS EXPLORED:

  • What does play look like?
  • How might we play our way past fixed attitudes?
  • In what ways might we engage more in the sensory world around us, and find a more present, rich sense of meaning and creative expression?

 

WHAT I LOVE:

I don’t find it a bit surprising (or overstated) that the publisher describes this book as one that changed not only theatre, but many other disciplines as well. When I encountered Viola Spolin’s thinking, and then put those principles into practice while training at Piven Theatre Workshop, my trajectory as an artist transformed. Spolin taught me to stop trying and to start experiencing. She taught me the value of opening my hands and letting go, rather than insisting on controlling the creative process. Through her instruction, I learned that developing a player’s mindset takes practice, and that the time invested is entirely worthwhile. Improvisation for the Theatre contains a wealth of wisdom on the craft of creativity and the art of wholehearted living. No matter your art form, this book is a must-read (and re-read!)

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION:

Here is the thoroughly revised third edition of the bible of improvisational theater.

Viola Spolin’s improvisational techniques changed the very nature and practice of modern theater. The first two editions of Improvisation for the Theater sold more than 100,000 copies and inspired actors, directors, teachers, and writers in theater, television, film. These techniques have also influenced the fields of education, mental health, social work, and psychology.

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Pippi in the South Seas

Pippi in the South Seas

by | Mar 27, 2019

Recommended Book: Pippi in the South Seas

By: Astrid Lindgren

 

 pippi in the south seas

By: ASTRID LINDGREN

ISBN:978-0140309584

QUESTIONS EXPLORED:

  • What does it look like to say yes to life’s surprises?
  • How might we find play in the day-to-day?

 

WHAT I LOVE:

Pippi in the South Seas is a vibrant book, and an excellent example of what it might look life to live a life filled with “yes, and …” thinking. When I find myself in need of a reminder to lighten up and be a little more adventurous, I tap into my inner Pippi Longstocking and dive exuberantly into my day.

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION:

When Pippi’s father, the king, sends for her, she decides to take her best friends Tommy and Annika with her to Kurrekurredutt Island. The island is fantastic and Pippi has one crazy adventure after another! Pippi is even made a princess—Princess Pippilotta. But will Pippi and her friends really want to live on the island forever, never to return to Villa Villekulla? 

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Print 

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The Creative Habit

The Creative Habit

by | Mar 27, 2019

Recommended Book: The Creative Habit: Learn It And Use It For Life

By: Twyla Tharp

 

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 The creative habit: Learn it and use it for life

By: twyla tharp

ISBN: 978-0743235273

QUESTIONS EXPLORED:

  • How might you make creativity a habit?
  • What is the spine of your work?
  • How might you get out of any creative rut and find momentum?

 

WHAT I LOVE:

It’s easy to put ourselves in creative silos. Writers can guide and inspire other writers, musicians can guide and inspire other musicians, and so forth. The Creative Habit tosses this assumption out the window on page one, inviting all creatives to explore creative thinking in a way that goes beyond medium. I love the practical exercises throughout the book, simple and effective tools that often put my body in motion and that tap into a sense of play. When I think of improvisation, my thoughts first go to acting games or quick-drafting exercises. Twyla Tharp offers an entirely different vantage point as she describes improvisation from a choreographer’s point of view. So much is the same, and yet, the slightly different perspective helps me see my own work in new light.

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION:

One of the world’s leading creative artists, choreographers, and creator of the smash-hit Broadway show, Movin’ Out, shares her secrets for developing and honing your creative talents—at once prescriptive and inspirational, a book to stand alongside The Artist’s Way and Bird by Bird.

All it takes to make creativity a part of your life is the willingness to make it a habit. It is the product of preparation and effort, and is within reach of everyone. Whether you are a painter, musician, businessperson, or simply an individual yearning to put your creativity to use, The Creative Habit provides you with thirty-two practical exercises based on the lessons Twyla Tharp has learned in her remarkable thirty-five-year career. 

In “Where’s Your Pencil?” Tharp reminds you to observe the world — and get it down on paper. In “Coins and Chaos,” she gives you an easy way to restore order and peace. In “Do a Verb,” she turns your mind and body into coworkers. In “Build a Bridge to the Next Day,” she shows you how to clean the clutter from your mind overnight. 

Tharp leads you through the painful first steps of scratching for ideas, finding the spine of your work, and getting out of ruts and into productive grooves. The wide-open realm of possibilities can be energizing, and Twyla Tharp explains how to take a deep breath and begin…

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Improvised Storytelling

Improvised Storytelling

by | Mar 21, 2019

Improvised Storytelling

Create a collaborative scene with a partner, using their questions to help you better understand your main character’s point of view.

Style

Collaborator

Skill

Improvisation

Time

10 minutes

THE STUDIO:

Improvised Storytelling

While you certainly can improvise by yourself, improvising with a partner introduces the randomness that often sparks spontaneous insight. Before you begin, you’ll want to take on an experimental mindset. You’re not planning your scene with this game. If your partner heads off in a direction you truly don’t want the scene to go, never fear! You’ll draft the story as you wish to tell it later. For now, follow your collaborator into the unknown. You may discover that your main character’s resistance teaches you something new about them, or helps you to see what might happen in the scene in a new light.

No matter what, improvisation begins with saying yes. Say yes to the ideas your partner introduces, and then add your own ideas, and see where the moment leads.

Materials

Improvised Storytelling

  • Space to move
  • Paper
  • Pen

NOTE: This game can be played before you draft a scene to explore what you might write, or after you’ve drafted it to find a deeper connection to what’s happening in the scene.

1. Choose an authority figure with whom your main character might interact. In this game, your main character will retell a scene from your story to this authority character as though the scene has already taken place. Set up a scenario where that retelling makes sense. Maybe your character is in trouble for what happened, and has to speak to the principal about it. Maybe your character is upset about their day, and they tell a favorite aunt about what happened.

2. Give your partner a few details about their character, especially so they know the tone of the questions they should ask.

3. Choose a setting, and if appropriate, an action for your characters to be engaged in together. They may be baking cookies, or folding laundry, or eating dinner. As in all improv, the action makes use of imagined props. The goal of the action is to help you engage in the scene physically and emotionally.

4. Begin the action, and once you’re both engaged in the scene physically, begin your conversation. Even though your main character is telling about something that happened to them, the scene should flow back and forth. Your partner should have plenty of opportunities to ask questions and share their thoughts as part of the scene.

5. Once you finish playing through the scene, take time to jot down your notes. Also, make sure to ask your scene partner about any insights they had while playing. They see your scene from the outside, and are likely to have thoughts that will open up your thinking to new possibilities.

6. Ideally, your scene partner is a writer, too. If so, you can now swap roles, and be their collaborator for a scene they’re working on, too.

 

Try On Other Creative Styles

The Who, What, & Where Experiment

FOR ARCHITECTS

Use this structured improv game to experiment with options for your next scene.

Try This

Step Into Your Character's Shoes

FOR INVENTORS

Take on your character’s mindset and play through a scene in a variety of ways in this improv game for writers.

Try This

Improvise the Highlights

FOR SPECIAL AGENTS

Use this quick-thinking improv game to identify key moments in your scene and shortcut the experimentation process.

Try This

Step Into Your Character’s Shoes

Step Into Your Character’s Shoes

by | Mar 21, 2019

Step Into Your Character’s Shoes

Take on your character’s mindset and play through a scene in a variety of ways.

Style

Inventor

Skill

Improvisation

Time

10 minutes

THE STUDIO:

Step Into Your Character’s Shoes

Many writers have the experience of “hearing” their characters speak once they settle into the flow of a drafting session. Improvisation can be another quick way to tap into this powerful emotional connection with our characters. For me, flow can be an elusive state to find when I’m writing, but improv allows me to tap into that mindset much more predictably.

In this game, you’ll take on your character physically and through that connection, tap into their emotions, perspective, and intuition.

Materials

Step Into Your Character’s Shoes

  • Space to move
  • Paper
  • Pen

1. Stand up and shake out your body. Loosen up and begin to walk around your open space.

2. Take on your character’s body layer by layer, starting with your feet. Imagine a typical day, and what your character might be wearing, how that clothing affects how they move, and what emotion they might feel.

2. As your character, imagine you’re walking to a location where you’ll talk with someone you trust. Be specific about that location, the person, and the timing of this moment. Choose a moment after the scene you’re about to write. Your character will tell the story of what happened to this trusted friend.

3. Using past tense, your character will explain what happened, and how they felt about it. Let your character be as animated as possible. Maybe they stand up while recounting this story, and tell it almost as though they’re reliving it. Choose a method of retelling that feels believable for your character, but make sure they engage emotionally, not just intellectually, in the retelling.

4. Once you finish the telling, pause, and consider the other character. What might they ask? Answer at least one question and note what you discover.

5. Now, it’s time to decide. Would you like to improvise the story again, taking it in a new direction? You may have felt some moments ringing true, while others felt a little off. Review those problem areas and consider what changes might help. Do you need to add a character, change the setting, or add an action? Did your character express an emotion you aren’t sure they’d actually feel? What shifts need to be made?

6. Either play through the scene again, or sit down with your fresh inspiration and write.

Try On Other Creative Styles

The Who, What, & Where Experiment

FOR ARCHITECTS

Use this structured improv game to experiment with options for your next scene.

Try This

Improvise the Highlights

FOR SPECIAL AGENTS

Use this quick-thinking improv game to identify key moments in your scene and shortcut the experimentation process.

Try This

Improvised Storytelling

FOR COLLABORATORS

Create a collaborative scene with a partner, using their questions to help you better understand your main character’s point of view.

Try This