8 Advanced Improvisation

Tools to help you improvise richer, funnier, more substantive scenes is what this here chapter is about. Sometimes I use this motto to describe improvisation: "Improvisation, always different, always the same."

Although improvisation is making it up as you go along, and there are no two scenes alike, there's a particular set of moves that people usually resort to. If I gave 100 pairs of improvisers the loca­tion suggestion of "cave," ninety pairs are going to do a scene about how to get out of the cave. Nine out of ten scenes that take place in a submarine will have at least one person raise their hands to the periscope. Hot air balloon scenes: How to get to the ground. Bowling scenes never take place in the bowling alley office, always at the alley The hand goes up to indicate the ball in someone's hand, the person bowls, then both people in the scene look at each other to determine whether it was a strike or not. Then the other person bowls, and if people are clever they will hold one hand to the side, palm down. Air blower. If I only watched improvised scenes to get my informa­tion in life, I would think that:

The only thing you do in a graveyard is dig graves. There is a guru on every mountain.

People at bus stops talk about buses, then try to seduce one another.

People at train stations talk about trains, then try to seduce each other.

The only thing people do in boats is fish.

Bakers only roll dough in a bakery.

Pizzas are thrown in the air at all pizzerias, all the time.

People are on their knees praying at all times in every church.

All people who work in laboratories are insane.

All doctors do is tell people that they have a short time to live.

People say "shhhh" most of the time in libraries.

Always different, always the same.

The reason that improvisation is often within the same general realm of choices is because people have very similar associations when they hear a suggestion. Graveyard brings up shovel and dig. A submarine makes you think of a periscope. Common associations. The following are ways to break that up and create uncommon, more exciting choices.

Opposite Choices

Make an opposite choice in your scene. Make a choice that seems opposite of what you think you should make. Too many improvisers go for the "appropriate" choice, or the choice that they think will be appropriately funny. If you're given used car lot as a suggestion, it is expected that you might immediately try selling a car to your partner on stage. Most improvisers go there. It's expected and appropriate and seems like it has potential for some laughs. Problem is, it's typical. Imagine how refreshing it might be to have these two characters as coworkers at a used car lot bitching about their girlfriends. No buying or selling, we would expect that. By making this unexpected choice we automatically create something as more exciting. We already and immediately bring it to the less mundane, and more theatrical, choice.

Now what does that do to your head? It puts you in a wonderful world of discovery, as opposed to playing out the all too familiar used car negotiation scene. Even though the audience gave you the suggestion of used car lot, hoping that you would go in to the buying/selling premise because that's how they associate the comedy as well, it's not true that that is where the greater comedy lies. By making that opposite choice for them, you immediately surprise them.

If you've seen a few husband-and-wife scenes, think about how many of the characters argue in those scenes. That's pretty ordinary. Now imagine how delightful and surprising it might be to see a hus­band and wife do a scene about how much they love each other, or how silly they are. When you make this quality of choice, you're put­ting yourself in unfamiliar territory. As that may be a little scary, it's also more exciting: for you, for your scene partner, and for your audience. It also shows up smarter. You're a step ahead of the audi­ence if they subconsciously or even consciously predict a choice on your part, and you completely surprise them with something other. It gives you a little instant credibility and probably a better founda­tion for a funnier, richer, more surprising scene.

The same thing also applies to character choices. All too often improvisers bring out the same old typical expected character choices. Pirates that say "Arggh," priests in confessionals, and gay men who are effeminate are common character choices. If you are given the suggestion of accountant, try not to immediately go to a tax session. It would be surprising and delightful to see this accountant at an ice cream truck, then filter accountant things through the pur­chase of an ice cream cone.