Improvisation – Preparing For Scene Work

Because improvisation is so frequently used in scene study, before we begin with any scripted works, I would like you to explore with me the many uses and benefits of studying and becoming comfortable with improvisation.

Basically, improvisation is acting without a script. For many beginning actors, that can be intimidating. “Without a script, how will I know what to say?” But much of the fright should disappear when you realize that you do this all the time.

Conversations we have in day-to-day life are not planned. We spontaneously react to what other people are saying to us. During the day, whenever you respond visually or vocally to what someone else is saying or doing, you are improvising. Improvisation is bringing these everyday occurrences on stage.

Besides being a lot of fun, this “spontaneous acting” can improve your concentration and your ability to be more believable on stage. Improvisational work is especially effective in overcoming particular acting problems.

Listening

“Listening is being able to be changed by the other person” – Alan Alda

One of the biggest problems that I consistently see with young actors is that they are not listening on stage; they are waiting for the other actor to stop talking so they can say their line. Good actors listen, really listen to the other character, and then they react to that. Good conversations are the same way when you think about it. People listen to what each other is saying and then react to that. They don’t just wait for their turn to speak.

In a play, whatever the other character is saying to you, you (the character) are hearing it for the first time. You must therefore create what is called “the illusion of the first time.” This is the feeling that everything that is happening on stage is happening for the first time, and every line you are hearing, you are hearing for the first time. In an improvisation there is no planned dialogue. You are therefore actually hearing the dialogue for the first time. Because of this, in an improvisation, actors’ listening skills, as well as their reactions to what is being said to them and to what is going on in the scene, all tend to be better. Take note of this. If you can carry this over into your scene work, you will be able to create more genuine moments. An actor needs to hear, not just pretend to listen. Improvisation is the obvious good exercise for developing listening skills because you don’t know what the other actor is going to say, so you actually have to listen. Listening leads to more truthful acting.

There are hundreds of books out on the art of improvisation, and there are hundreds and hundreds of different formulas. There are improvisation exercises designed for performance improvisations, and there are improvisations designed to help you with basic scene work. But whatever kind of improvisations you are doing, there are some very basic rules:

1) All plays are centered around a conflict, a problem that needs to be resolved. It is the same with improvisations. You need a conflict that needs to be resolved.

2) Stay in character. No matter what surprise comes your way, the second that you break character, your scene is done. You don’t know what the other actor is going to say, and actors can throw anything at you in an improvisation. You need to focus and keep your reactions true to the reactions of your character. You can only laugh, for example, if your character would laugh. Otherwise, leave the laughing to the audience.

3) Once your partner has introduced something, it is part of the scene. Do not deny it. Instead, you should be adding to the moment and moving the scene forward. That’s where the improvisation expression “yes, and….” comes from. The word “no” can often times stop a scene.