-
Continue reading →: How Improv Is Like EuchreHuman beings learn by making associations between things (e.g. Pepsi is like Coke, except without all of the good taste*). Improv is analogous to a great many things; herein I consider one specific example – Euchre. I was in Boise, Idaho for a wedding this past weekend, and had the opportunity to…
-
Continue reading →: The First Rule of ImprovWhen you take improv classes, you start off by learning the rules. The first, and most famous, rule is to say “Yes, And.” You may have heard of it if you’ve seen Yes Man, read Bossypants by Tina Fey, or ever had a friend take an improv class.` There are a lot of principles encapsulated…
-
Continue reading →: Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk – Creating CharactersI’d like to preface this by saying this is a much longer post than usual, but it is 100% worth the read. As promised, I would like to share a technique for creating new characters for each scene you do. I’ve heard many improv instructors provide this simple instruction for creating…
-
Continue reading →: How to Spot an ImproviserHappy Monday Funday! Here’s a cool video that some of my improv friends showed me. It’s a reminder of how important good object work is. Enjoy!
-
Continue reading →: The Art of Listening to Your PartnerI came across this article today, and thought it sounded a lot like what I’ve been working on in my improv scenes lately. Sounds like maybe improv can help you be a better lover too! Here’s an excerpt from “The Art of Listening to Your Lover,” published by Psychology Today: In our fast…
-
Continue reading →: Why We Create CharactersI’ve seen two main approaches to characters in improv scenes: playing characters that are just slightly different versions of ourselves (“Excited Randall” or “Despondent Randall” or “Sensual Randall”), or playing characters that are physically and vocally distinct from ourselves. The latter are generally more memorable, but can often devolve into…
-
Continue reading →: 3am Improv Thoughts from Jill BernardI just saw this video tonight and thought it warranted sharing, for all the other improvisers out there who might not have seen it yet. Enjoy and apply!
-
Continue reading →: The Problem with FearAbout a month ago, I went out for a walk. Early on, I passed a stranger on the street who held eye contact for slightly longer than normal, so I said “Hello” and he said “Hi” back. Even something as simple as that, just being acknowledged by a stranger, had…
-
Continue reading →: Liam Neeson Does ImprovWell, I know that I had said last week that I would start posting warm-ups on Monday, but then I realized that Monday Funday might be a better way to start off the week. Instead, I’ll be targeting Wednesday’s to cover various improv warmups. For the few of you who…
-
Continue reading →: The Difference Between Stand-up and ImprovI started a new tumblr site for posting images depicting the differences between stand-up and improv comedy. Here’s the first in the set! Update 1/27/2025: Will Hines wrote a terrific article on stand-up versus improv, including this insightful quote: Improv feels primarily REACTIVE, and stand-up feels primarily PROACTIVE. Stand-up is…
Hello,
I’m Randall
Welcome to Improv Everyday, where I write about improv and what it has taught me.
Let’s connect
Tags
acceptance blocking but characters clarify class commitment confidence connect control courage denial discovery energy ensemble eye contact failure fear focus heighten importance improv improv classes inspiration in the moment lessons from community liam neeson listening mistakes no point of view questions raise the stakes relationships specific status stuck teaching trust truth in comedy video warmup word association yes and zen
Categories
Improv Everyday 