Improv classes and the improvising improvisers who take them
So, it's no secret that I've been taking improv classes for a while now.
Late last year, I took a 10-week course at Acme Comedy in LA. Their specialty is "long-form improv", improvising a storyline that may last for 13 shows, using scenes about five minutes at a time.
Right now, I am in the middle of an 8-week course with ComedySportz San Jose. They specialize in "short-form improv", games and stuff, using scenes that last maybe two to four minutes, like the kind seen on Whose Line is it Anyway? and similar shows.
A few people make a big deal about liking one or hating the other, but that's another discussion for some other more emotional post.
I'm not entirely sure why I started taking these classes. I think it was peer pressure.
More generously, a few people encouraged me to give it a shot. So far, these classes are some of the most entertaining and useful that I've been to in a long time.
Well, the long-form class is more focused on being a good improv actor: creating a character, how to act on stage, how to react to unexpected elements on there. At first, this seemed like an easy class, but it grew harder to stay on top of things for so reason. In theory, I passed and was recommended to advance to the next level, but the instructor and I both agreed that more experience would be a good thing.
So, I decided to sign up for this ComedySportz class. I've been to their shows before; it's good clean fun, a bit silly, nothing profound. My biggest question was to figure out how much overlap there would be between the courses: these are both Level 1, basic improvisation classes, no pre-requisites.
But, the CSz class is taught in such a different style than the long-form class that there's almost nothing in repetition. So, I'm really learning new stuff each week.
There's one hugely important thing I learned in these improv classes. It was something that was first mentioned in the last week of the LA improv one, and really expanded in the SJ classes. The secret to doing good improvisation: "Don't force yourself to be funny".
There's a deeper meaning in that: the best kind of stage presence is not those people who simply sit there, and try to think of something exactly clever and perfect to say. I've seen people spend up to a minute in pure silence as they try to come up with the right words. Even if they come up with a good line, all the energy and momentum is gone. What's worse, if they're trying to come up with a joke, it will almost always sound "forced", and is rarely worth the effort needed to get there.
This is something I'm trying to work on: it's way easier to just go with the first instinct and resolve to deliver it well and make it work. So far (after trying this approach in few different things), it seems to be more energetic at least, and that's got to count for something.
I don't know what I'll do after I finish this ComedySportz class. I've learned a lot about how to think on my feet and how to react faster, which is stuff I really wanted to do. I'm trying to figure out if I should advance to Level 2 and Level 3, and do this on a more official basis. It seems like fun, but I dunno.
We'll see. I won't reject anything yet.
Late last year, I took a 10-week course at Acme Comedy in LA. Their specialty is "long-form improv", improvising a storyline that may last for 13 shows, using scenes about five minutes at a time.
Right now, I am in the middle of an 8-week course with ComedySportz San Jose. They specialize in "short-form improv", games and stuff, using scenes that last maybe two to four minutes, like the kind seen on Whose Line is it Anyway? and similar shows.
A few people make a big deal about liking one or hating the other, but that's another discussion for some other more emotional post.
I'm not entirely sure why I started taking these classes. I think it was peer pressure.
More generously, a few people encouraged me to give it a shot. So far, these classes are some of the most entertaining and useful that I've been to in a long time.
Well, the long-form class is more focused on being a good improv actor: creating a character, how to act on stage, how to react to unexpected elements on there. At first, this seemed like an easy class, but it grew harder to stay on top of things for so reason. In theory, I passed and was recommended to advance to the next level, but the instructor and I both agreed that more experience would be a good thing.
So, I decided to sign up for this ComedySportz class. I've been to their shows before; it's good clean fun, a bit silly, nothing profound. My biggest question was to figure out how much overlap there would be between the courses: these are both Level 1, basic improvisation classes, no pre-requisites.
But, the CSz class is taught in such a different style than the long-form class that there's almost nothing in repetition. So, I'm really learning new stuff each week.
There's one hugely important thing I learned in these improv classes. It was something that was first mentioned in the last week of the LA improv one, and really expanded in the SJ classes. The secret to doing good improvisation: "Don't force yourself to be funny".
There's a deeper meaning in that: the best kind of stage presence is not those people who simply sit there, and try to think of something exactly clever and perfect to say. I've seen people spend up to a minute in pure silence as they try to come up with the right words. Even if they come up with a good line, all the energy and momentum is gone. What's worse, if they're trying to come up with a joke, it will almost always sound "forced", and is rarely worth the effort needed to get there.
This is something I'm trying to work on: it's way easier to just go with the first instinct and resolve to deliver it well and make it work. So far (after trying this approach in few different things), it seems to be more energetic at least, and that's got to count for something.
I don't know what I'll do after I finish this ComedySportz class. I've learned a lot about how to think on my feet and how to react faster, which is stuff I really wanted to do. I'm trying to figure out if I should advance to Level 2 and Level 3, and do this on a more official basis. It seems like fun, but I dunno.
We'll see. I won't reject anything yet.