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.

STUDY OUTSIDE INTERESTS

Bringing in exact jargon or experiences with hobbies is great in scenes – especially in scenes that map or are analogous.  It helps with you specifics.

NOISES ARE AS GOOD AS WORDS

We fail when we think words are the way to tell a story.  Stories are told through ideas and moods. Sometimes your character can convey more information with noises or sounds.

ENVIRONMENT/CONTEXT IS IMPORTANT

Where you are, or the context of the situation are great resources in the scene.  Mentally defining the environment is one of the first things I do as an improv performer.

Context can make a boring conversation hilarious, or a tense conversation even more tense.

Ciao for Niao,

-David Escobedo-