Life with no Script

on Stage and off

Improv is a type of acting where there is no script. Think of a conversation where everyone says “yes.” That’s the first step of many on the road to becoming an improviser. I have become a young improviser by taking a class at the Atlantic Theater Company. My class was ten weeks long. Once a week we met for an hour and a half. In the beginning we were just playing games that everyone thought were just for fun but really they were shaping our improv skills. We started with a small scene. Then it got longer and longer. Then we were ready for the final shows. Throughout the class we learned some important rules of improv.

There are three main rules of improv; if you can master them, then you are an improviser. The first rule is to always listen. For instance if two people are in a scene and want a third person in the scene they might imply it, so you have to listen for the right time to jump in the scene. The second rule is alway say yes. An example is, if someone says we’re zebras and you say no then the scene is over. But, if you said yes then add on, then the scene can go on much longer and become much better. The third rule is to never assume. In improv the way to avoid that is if you say to someone, we’re on the moon then don’t assume they will say what you want them to say next.

In addition to learning the rules of improv, I also learned the tricks of improv. I learned things from how to start a scene to making a German accent. I learned a lot of tricks from the teachers and also from the other kids. For example Sam, another improv student, always used an accent and it was really good. He explained it’s best to think of someone you know who has that accent and try to imitate them. I practiced a British accent and “grumpy old man” and I am pretty good now. An older experienced kid named Tyler was really good so I watched him to pick up tricks. He was really good at staying in character and also switching characters quickly. He was really good at trying new things to develops his characters and I tried to do that as well. The skills I learned in improv will help with other kinds of acting.

After I finished with my improv workshop I did a two week theater camp. I was in The Hundred Dresses and I played Scott Rider, Janitor Healy, and Principal Vickers. Each of these characters was very different and required many costume changes. Every costume change I had to make was me changing my personality. But, when you’re doing improv you’re becoming the character without the use of props, set or costumes. This improv work really helped me become a character. My improv skills also helped me think about the tone of my voice in relation to each character. The play takes place in the 1940s/1950s. Though in improv there’s no set time, you and your scene partner develop a setting together. That skill helped me commit to the time that the play took place in. All of these skills and tricks will not only help me when acting but also help me in life.

I can apply the rules and skills of improv to my life. Like the first rule, listen, I can apply this when having a conversation with friends, family or with my class. I usually have lots of ideas and want to share them right away. Improv can help me not only hear the key points of my classmates but also add on in a big way. Another important skill I learned was observing others to get ideas. For example, if teachers are giving a lesson on writing, by watching them closely and seeing what and how they write, I will become a better writer. If I take everything that I learned from improv and apply it to my life, I will become a better person.