Last week, I began a new Level 1 Improv Comedy session. During the general question answering time, one of my students asked me if Improv was basically Comedic Tourettes. Basically its the idea that you just blurt out what comes to mind. My answer was decided "No!"
But I can see why he asked the question. When I was with Just Us, I felt like I was surrounded by comedians with tourettes. Back when I started performing improv, I would always psyche myself out by hoping I could be funny. I would worry about whether or not I could make people laugh or just look boring on stage. What if I don't say the funniest thing in the scene? What if I don't say anything funny?
Since its improv, you can come up with things to say or do before the show. You have to come up with that comic gem on the spot. I'll be honest, I'm not that good. I'm not that fast.
So what do I do? I know I've talked about this before but it always comes back to basic storytelling. When a scene starts you have to know your telling a story with 2 or more other people. Can you set in motion a scene that has legs behind it? Will your scene have a direction to go in? Are the choices that I'm making guide the scene to a logical end or am I just looking for moments to be funny?
When does the story get funny? The comedy comes with the gimmick of the game begins to infect your scene. When the change of emotion cause the scene to go in a different direction or the random lines causes the character to make a change in attitude.
So no. Improv is not comedic tourettes. I'll submit that very few performers can truly be funny coming up with random thoughts off the top of their heads.
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