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ACCEPT INFORMATION: YES AND..
When you get a piece of information from another actor, first, accept it as fact and second, add a little bit more information to it. If somebody tells you that you're wearing a hula skirt, tell them yes you are, and that you made it right here at Club Med. Keep doing this long enough, and you'll have a scene full of fascinating facts, objects and relationships. Fail to do this and everyone will hate you, even your parents.
ADD HISTORY
The swiftest way to add reality and depth to a scene is to have the characters call up specifics from their common history. A simple exchange such as:
“Are you trying to get us arrested?”
“Like the time we ran naked through the Yale-Princeton lacrosse game?”
though just a few words, provides a great deal of information. The audience and actors now can infer that the characters are college boys, they are troublemakers, they are educated, they are in New England, they drink to excess, they have police records, they are old friends, and much more. With one sentence, the amount of information the improvisers can now draw on has grown greatly.
I find it extremely helpful. Especially in case of emergency like running out of things to say or getting tough tests from girls. Instead of trying to come up with something cool/smart ass to say the whole trick is to take what she says/does and use it to add something more to it and take it further.
you feel like you run out of things to say for some reason?
- you're not so talkative are you? it's fine we don't have to talk let's just stare in each other eyes like two mime artists.. can you beat me in that? can you convey you emotions just using your eyes? come on show me how you...
- this silence is so uncomfortable i'm gonna throw up in a second... if you don't want to join me then you might want to step away...
- it's so loud inside my head with words that i should've said.. as i'm drown in my regrets i can't take back the words i never said [it's a chorus from lupe fiasco song]
- yeah i know i suck at talking to girls.. i'm so self conscious and shy that right now.. i'm probably not even looking in to your eyes when i'm saying this.. i'm really trying to be cool.. i go to these therapies every tuesday but they don't help at all.. can YOU help me?
- [she drinks something] i wouldn't drink that.. last time we drank those we woke up something outside.. you don't remember but i do cause you looked ridiculous in that haircut..
- [you look at her stomach] i hope you don't have belly ring i'm crazy about those things if you have one don't show it to me now.. not now.. i'd get on my knees and lick it..
the girl tests you?
girl: you clothes are weird
you: yes i told my grandma to not buy me more clothes but she's not listening to me and buying me more.. she even threatens me she will die unless i wear those.. i will tell her to buy you something too.. but it's ok i'm sexy and i know it..
girl: you're not getting anywhere
you: yeah i know ive been living in friendzone land since forever and fail to go abroad to pussy land everytime i speak to a girl... it's so depressing.. i hate myself, my dick hates.. i thought you're my last chance for love and now you tell me this.. omg... i will listen to some emo music and cut myself in the corner crying
girl: you're player
you: yeah i played football when i was in primary school.. i was the best striker.. one time one team bought me orange juice to make me play for them.. i'v never felt so appreciated in my entire life.. thank you for bringing those memories back..
stuff like that. it's massive relief when you know you can come up anything on the spot, flip it like pancake and change emotions like that in a second. as it unfolds you get amused the girl gets amused and the whole tension dissipates and the interaction flows from there. and the best part is that you're not afraid of any silence in the conversation and nothing the girl might say affects you negatively in any way. it's all just more fuel to your fire.