by Gary Schwartz | Apr 3, 2026 | Blog, Theory
The Theory of Play By Neva Boyd Summary For Neva Boyd, play is its own end. Further, she sees play as transcending cultural and historical lines and believes that human play has the same characteristics in primitive man and in modern man. Beyond this, she finds play...
by Gary Schwartz | Oct 18, 2018 | Games, Improv Games, Lecture / Explanation, Theory
Exits and Entrance – discussion Judgment and Other Blocks to Improvising The more blocked or opinionated the student, the longer the process. The more blocked and opinionated the teacher, the longer the process. My Big Breakthrough. The story I relate in this...
by Gary Schwartz | Oct 18, 2018 | Follow the Follower, Improv Games, Lecture / Explanation, Refining Awareness, Sidecoaching, Space Objects, Theory
Intuition vs. Intellect: A discussion of Yes, And… & More Improv rules like Yes, and… and Make Your Partner Look Good, makes for some wonderful improvisational moments, but is limited. The dimension of Space is often left out and the connection between...
by Gary Schwartz | Nov 21, 2014 | Creativity, Games, Spontaneity, Theory
Playing games teaches a basic morality. This morality comes from the fact that in order to have fun playing the game, one must follow the rules. It is the rules of the game that allows us to get the fun out of playing. Games present challenges and meeting those...
by Gary Schwartz | Nov 18, 2014 | Blog, Creativity, Games, Improvisation for the Theater, Theory
The most subtle and essential element in Spolin Games is sidecoaching. The sidecoach is at once a fellow player, a grounded teacher and a canny director. Sidecoaching is as much a skill as it is an art. It therefore requires the same intuitive ability evoked by...
by Gary Schwartz | Jun 6, 2014 | Games, Spontaneity, Theory
In our ever more complex and technological era, true person to person interaction is lost as we interact with each other via technology instead. (witness this blog) The technological revolution has brought us closer in one respect, but the need to interact in a...
by Gary Schwartz | May 14, 2014 | Blog, Creativity, Games, Improvisation for the Theater, Spontaneity, Theory
Improvisation: Beyond Process is Celebration A profile of Viola Spolin and my talk about the first exercise I did in her workshop.
