The focus of the second improv class was accepting and building on offers. We started the class with a relaxing exercise to get everyone relaxed and into their bodies. We played Bang bang and a clap game to get everyone playful and focused. The clap game also illustrated the principle of keeping the energy going. The gifts game followed to illustrate accepting a blind offer. We played Yes but and Yes and to illustrate the difference between blocking and accepting. The questions game showed how asking questions can be a way of accepting without adding new information. In Improv this is called wimping. Then we played Blind offers to illustrate how physical movement can also be an offer. We ended the class with Yes and story and One word story.
Key concepts
Blocking – Not accepting another player’s offer.
Accepting – Embracing each offer made by other players to advance the scene (Yes and).
Wimping – accepting offers but refusing to do anything with them.
Examples are:
Asking open questions , thus leaving the action to be decided by the other player.
Waffling , babbling without accomplishing any action.
Keep the energy going – In improvisation it is important to keep the energy moving. We don’t stop to analyze, we just accept and move on. If a mistake happens we except it and find a way to use it. If you don’t know what to do, just do anything and trust the process and your fellow players to make you look good.
What struck me in the class was how our one word story improved when we just tried to be obvious and didn’t think too much about what the best word would be to use. When you let go, keep the energy going and realize it is not up to you and your one word to save the story, the group becomes a collective creative force.
Please share some of your thoughts.
Dit was so cool om te ontdek dat ‘n individu deel kan wees van ‘n groter bewussyn wat al hoe sterker raak hoe meer ‘n mens leer om te let go van jou eie verwagtinge.
Ek sien uit na die volgende klas!
Weet nie wie van julle al Pleasantville gesien het nie…dit gaan oor ‘n perfekte dorpie wat in wit en swart verfilm is en soos mense liefde en waarhede omtrent hulself ontdek raak hulle vol kleur karakters. Ek vereenvoudig die storie nou erg maar vir my is dit presies soos Improv in my lewe. Hoe meer ek leer in die klas hoe meer kleur (self awareness) kweek ek…en dis baie cool.