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.

CHARACTERS EVEN AS SMALL CHARACTERS

Even side characters (waiters, police officers, mom/dad, baristas, etc.) can have accents, small vocal fry, body shape, emotions and facial expressions.  Every character should have a life, which may pivot the show off in a whole new direction.

EMOTIONS ARE EASIER TO HEIGHTEN

Being clever/inventing has a ceiling. Emotions are easy to heighten and don’t take a shared reference level.

TRUST

Trust is earned in drips and lost in buckets.

Trust is developed through rehearsal.  It makes everyone on the team feel comfortable to take risks and support.  When trust is weak, there is typically less ensemble work and more scatological humor.

Hasta La Pasta,

-David Escobedo-