I Have to Stop You…

I Have to Stop You…

Recently, I attended a master class by Impro creator Keith Johnstone. It was very interesting to watch how he conducted scenes with beginners and some of his wonderfully talented master students. I watched as he constantly stopped players from the outset when they...
If You’re Happy and You Know it, Clap Your Hands!

If You’re Happy and You Know it, Clap Your Hands!

Or Debriefing the Debrief Remember when we played for fun? I’ve been playing games most of my life. The games we play shape us as people and as a society. In the same way lion cubs and kittens, cavort, pounce and chase around, play equips them for being cats in later...

But Was I Good?

Approval/Disapproval comes from an authoritarian based system. It starts with our parents, goes to our teachers and we internalize it so completely it becomes the fabric of our lives and of society. I’m not saying that Authoritarians don’t get things done...

An Improv Game for Writers

Viola Spolin’s Writing Game Any number of players and one sidecoach Materials: 4 pieces of paper or one divided into quadrants, pen or pencil Label each paper 1, 2, 3 and 4. Title #1 My Dream, #2 How To, #3 A Story and #4 A letter (or any 4 disparate subjects or...

The Four Game Progression

How to Improve your Improv The Problem: In working to create scenes from Who, What and Where, no matter what the game is, once the players establish their who, what and where, novices and players who come from the ‘story’ approach  to improv, invariably...