THIS IS A SERIES BY DAVID ESCOBEDO THAT OFFERS A SIMPLIFIED PERSPECTIVE ON THREE BASIC OR SMALL ELEMENTS OF IMPROV. THERE ARE SURELY WAYS TO DECONSTRUCT AND FIND EXCEPTIONS. IT WOULD BE HARD TO FIND ANYTHING IN IMPROV THAT OPERATES UNIVERSALLY. THESE ARE OFFERED AS ONE PERSPECTIVE THAT MAY HELP SOME PEOPLE, AND ARE JUST TIPS OF THE ICEBERG WHEN IT COMES TO THE CONCEPTS.

VOLUME

Speak loud enough for the people in the back row to hear you. This includes when you “whisper”…

LEVELS

If your last character was standing, maybe your next character sits.  Maybe your first character stood straight up, and your next character leads with one specific shoulder.

Drama is the choice between alternating forces. Loud/quiet, high/low, close/far, gravel voice/soothing voice, high pitched/low pitched, lots of movement/stillness … there are tons of options.

NOBODY IS A STRANGER

Pretend like you know.  Always.  It leads to the game or pivot in the scene.

One of the best moves I saw was in Santa Monica at M.I.’s Westside Comedy. Two people came on stage they were acting cagey and suspicious. Jay Sukow grabbed Patrick McIntyre and entered as a couple strolling through the scene.  Immediately one of the cagey pair holds up an object work gun and yells “give me your wallet!”

Jay took his time and said “… Darren?  Darren from Lamaze class? Of course. Here, have my wallet.”

And a scene that would have been adversarial strangers (bickering/negotiating), instead became familiar friends and the scene skyrocketed.

Ciao for Niao,

-David Escobedo-