Improv Class, part 2

Today was the last day of the three day class. We played 5-6 games all teaching group creativity. I will list some of the games, list some reading resources and describe ultimately what I think are the benefits of improv.


Games

• Draw a picture - pair up with a stack of blank paper and a sharpie pen. Together compose a portrait one line at a time. Each person takes turn drawing one line. If they hesitate they have to stop drawing and name the picture also one letter at a time without hesitating.


• Tell me a story - one person in a pair lists random words for 30 seconds. The second person in the pair tells a story with those words for 60 seconds


• Group storytelling - version 1 - team tells a story one word at a time given a title of the story, a story template and nothing else. Must use english grammar.


• Group storytelling- version 2 - a direct orchestrates a team telling a story. Given just a template and a title, the director randomly points to someone on the team to tell the story and they must continue until another person speaks.


• Red-light, Green-light - metaphorically rich example of story progression. In this game one person is it. People must sneak up to him when back is turned and must stop completely when he's facing them. Mimics the low stake to high tension of a story.


• Party - people take on persona cards and simulate behaviors at a party. Persona cards have a clear objective and descriptive statements of how the person would behave

Some of the games played on day two were zip-zap-zop, count 1 to 20 in a group and low status status.

Benefits: The biggest benefit is improv creates and transforms team culture by shifting people from thinking to doing.

Characteristics of an Improv culture

• Can't hold onto ideas


• Appreciate group think


• Serve the group not yourself


• Good to way to free up creativity and warmup before brainstorming


• Speed


• creates a get out there, jump in and do it culture - the skills will catch up!


• Creating from nothing


• Common language to create shared experiences


• Pay attention to environment


• Honor reality without getting bogged down into it

Story Template
Once upon a time...
Everyday...
Until one day...
because of that/this...
until finally...
(and) ever since then...
the moral of the story is...


Great ideas to think about

• Creating character AI based on low status-high status relationships


• Creating characters that draw their personalities from characteristics of a person with a particular objective


• Create a computer program that illustrates the enemy-defender game from day one


• Integrating these techniques into our daily life.


• Georgia Tech has a Ph.D program in media. Check it out.

Books

• Impro for Storytellers Keith Johnstone


• Impro Keith Johnstone


• Viola Spolin Improvisational for the theater


• Del Close, Halpern Turth in Comedy


• Stephen NachmanovitchFree Play