5 Guidelines for Improv
October 6, 2023
In this TEDx Talk, improv instructor Jennifer Hunter and members of her ensemble demonstrate five fundamentals of improvisation and how these skills are useful in creating a better, more enjoyable life.
The parameters of improv provide structure for performers and serve as a guide as they explore various storylines and characters freely.
Hunter defines improv as “performing without preparation. It’s responding in the moment to the stimulus of our immediate environment and our inner feelings.”
Improv requires being spontaneous and making things up as you go along. It’s a collaboration with an emphasis on ideas that are introduced one at a time by members of the group.
Here are the five guidelines she discusses.
1. Make a connection
Hunter emphasizes the importance of each member of the ensemble getting on the same page while performing. For example, if one person brings up the topic of slaying a dragon, then the ensemble finds a way to fit into this fictitious world.
In this way, improv is very different from stand-up comedy because everyone’s ideas are utilized, and working as a unit is more important than being funny.
2. Listen
Sometimes in daily life, people only half-listen to others because they are thinking about how they’re going to respond. Improv, on the other hand, is a discipline that demands attentive listening from beginning to end.
Performers must acutely focus on a speaker and keenly observe the actions of others.
3. Say, “Yes, and …”
When a performer tosses an idea your way, rather than resisting it, go with the flow. “It keeps things positive, it keeps us generating new ideas, and it opens up new opportunities,” Hunter says.
A series of yeses to others’ ideas progresses the storyline, the fun and the whimsical spirit of improv. Noes, on the other hand, tend to stop things. Beyond saying “yes,” make sure to add something to the storyline–that’s the beauty of “and …” This gives you opportunities to be creative and gives the ensemble something new with which to work.
4. Be in the moment and be flexible
According to Hunter, “There are no bad ideas in improv.” Everything is fair game!
If a performer misinterprets another’s words or actions, go with the new idea as opposed to getting back on track with the original intention. While there can be exceptions to this guideline, it’s encouraged because it maintains the spirit of play.
Play is a skill that often gets lost in the shuffle of adulthood with all that life demands. Think back to childhood and how play happens in the moment–and then be there. Relax and allow yourself to have fun. And don’t feel pressure to be funny.
5. Follow your intuition
“In our daily lives, we often ignore our impulse to contribute to group discussions because we don’t think that our ideas are good enough or smart enough,” Hunter says. “But they are good enough, they are smart enough, and doggonit, people are going to like them!”
That being said, it’s okay if your inner voice lets you down in some way. But don’t allow yourself to be swallowed up by self-doubt. A misstep is simply an opportunity to keep going, better informed. And with improv, you always get more chances.
“We’re all improvisers. We all have to improvise every day,” Hunter says. She believes these five skills are helpful when working with others and for living a quality life in general.
Surprisingly, many people who attend improv classes have no intention of becoming comedians. Some participants seek to apply what they learn in class to their jobs, or they want to liven up their interactions with others in their personal lives. It’s also said that the playful classes are a great way to meet new friends.
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