by Gary Schwartz | May 19, 2017 | Blog
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...
by Gary Schwartz | Jul 20, 2015 | Blog
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...
by Gary Schwartz | Jul 14, 2015 | Blog
This post is an esoteric one, but an important one. I am always at a loss when I send out a side-coach and, in the words of Viola Spolin, it doesn’t penetrate. My first thought is to say it again or louder, but if it makes no sense to the players, I am only referring...
by Gary Schwartz | Jul 13, 2015 | Blog
Young Viola Spolin wanted to be an actress. She left her home in Chicago and went to New York to gave it her best shot. She got no work there. She returned to Chicago and shifted her focus. In so doing, she transformed the American theater. (PS, she also finally...
by Gary Schwartz | Feb 19, 2015 | Blog
Giving our full effort is, in effect fulfilling our potential. By testing our limits we ever increase the possibility of going further and further. It is in our nature to explore via play. Remember that in all games, the rules are made to be broken – we forget this....