Put the "Theatre"

Back in Improvisational Theatre

By Jill Mueller 

As I watch an improv show, I often see two talking heads in darkness, backs turned to the audience, inauthentic emotion, and inside jokes I don’t get.  I’m tempted to walk out.  There are some funny moments - a witty joke here and there, a reference to George W. Bush, but on a whole, I’m confused, and I don’t care about the characters on stage.  This is my fear of the future of improvisational theatre. The apocalypse is coming!  

So many performances I have attended, I’m struck by how many improvisors are in the audience.  It’s becoming incestuous!  How are we to grow as an art form if the only people that come to our shows are improvisors?  How are we to sell our shows out, make money, and most importantly become a respected art form?  There are so many forces against us.  First of all, the average person wants to spend his money on something he knows is going to be good (excellent).  Just as one looks at reviews for movies, and flips through the Zagat for a good restaurant, people want an experience that will be worth their time and money.  Why would someone come to see an improv show, even if it is only $5-10, if there is a well-known play, Cats two blocks down? 

Sure we bring the whole bohemian vibe to our shows. This community thrives on living on the edge, expecting anything.  But even so, if we’re going to attract this population, we need to keep them there.  How do we do that?  Simply, we give them a compelling theatrical performance, whether comedy or drama.  If we’re trying to sell them on the idea that we’re going to create something spectacular right before their eyes, we need to REALLY give them that something spectacular.  When I direct a show, I want my audience to leave disbelieving what they saw was an improvised show.  I want to be called a liar, a scam artist, because my improvisors’ long-form was so believable that it could potentially go straight to Off-Broadway.  The improvised script is ready for publication!  I want my audience to keep coming back, just to show them that we really are creating a new show every week.  That each one is engaging, compelling, artistic, and most importantly brilliant. 

Sure, I like being wacky on stage just as much as the next improvisor, but does this keep our audience coming back?  Does our audience like and respect our work?  I teach long-form improvisation, and I continuously ask my students what feelings come up for them as they witness their fellow improvisors’ scenes.  I do this because theatre is an emotional connection with the audience, not just an intellectual one.  As an actor, you are taking the audience on an emotional journey.  By allowing yourself to be open to an emotional exchange, the audience is able to project their past relationships, memories, wishes, and desires into your character. They live through you.  This experience is incredibly powerful, both for the actor and the audience.   

So how do we as improvisors emulate the desired power of the actor?  We are asked to do so many things on stage:  support our fellow players, create an engaging story, and sustain a believable character, not to mention add sound effects, edit scenes, justify, and on and on and on.  Aaaaah!!!!!  How do we elicit authentic emotion from our audience if we are so concerned about all the jobs we have to do?!!

Well, there are some simple steps to start with.  First of all, relax.  Ease into your scenes.  Let your instincts lead you organically.  Trust the process.  There is nothing worse than watching two improvisors saturated with anxiety, flailing their arms around for something, ANYTHING!  Or WORSE, witnessing a scene inspired by an improvisor’s insecurity.  This anxiety may look like a player cursing for a laugh, or sexualizing his/her scene partner, possibly even ducking out of the scene after an inaudible line.  See what it feels like to jump from the plane and float down to earth in your parachute.  Commit, trust, and allow your players to catch you as you land on solid ground.  Amazing!  Second, be yourself.  Make your job a little easier by using yourself as an instrument.  Instead of grasping for witty plot-lines and characters, utilize powerful material from your life.  Audience members are drawn in as they witness an actor’s personal story. Humans are naturally intrigued by the human experience.

As an exercise, I ask my students to give a monologue about a life event that has transformed them.  Without fail, I have felt deep authentic emotion for every monologue I have witnessed.  Also, I ask my students to play people from their life, or to spend some time people watching and putting these subjects on stage.  It is amazing how multi-dimensional these characters are, it’s as if they had completed an in-depth character analysis before class.  Third, spend some time training as an actor.   I think it would be a great injustice not to teach improvisors acting skills.  I don’t know how many times I have seen an improvisor with his/her back to the audience.  If we want respect, we have to implement the techniques and traditions of the theatre.  Let’s get back to our roots.

Here are some simple changes that could further demand respect as theatre artists.  Rather than call groups of improvisors troupes or teams, why not ensembles?  A troupe or team implies a sports mentality, a competition, warfare.  We don’t want to go to battle or have foam fingers pointing at us during scenes.  We want our audience to respect and appreciate us.  An ensemble connotes an intelligent cooperative group of artists.  The same goes for the term coach, let’s call ourselves directors.  Show respect for this art form by having shows on a proscenium stage, with lights, sound, and a clean house.  Take care of your instrument, dress professionally, and keep yourself in shape, physically and emotionally.  Before each show, warm-up your voice and stretch.  Make an effort to connect with your fellow improvisors, expressing that you trust their instincts and creativity.  I don’t know how many shows I’ve seen with guys looking like they just rolled out of bed holding a beer in one hand, and a cigarette in the other, cursing at me in a scratchy voice.  Come on improvisors; let’s put the “theatre” back in improvisational theatre.  Who knows, we just might get some of these corporate financial geniuses in the audience and make some money doing this brilliant art form we all love.