Counterfactual Thinking in Improv

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[ad_1] I’m taking a Science of Well-Being course online with Yale. Last night I did a fabulous show with The Maydays at IMPRO Amsterdam. We got a standing ovation and were called back on stage to bow again. I had loads of compliments in the bar and yet, all I wanted to do was go…

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New Year, New Curriculum | Improv As Improv Does Best

New Year, New Curriculum | Improv As Improv Does Best

[ad_1] It’s 2020, my friends. And my curriculum needed to get with the times. Goodbye, Dukes Of Hazzard. Goodbye, s/he, his/her, him/her, etc. 2020 brings new exercises, new insights, and new clarifications for teaching. Links have been updated on the Class Materials page, but they’re also here. Enjoy! Intro to Improv Curriculum 2020 (PDF)Character & Relationship Curriculum…

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A Terrific Tag-Out video example

A Terrific Tag-Out video example

[ad_1] “Who do you tag out?” I’ve asked improvisers. “Keep the Crazy,” some reply. Have more fun with a fun character. It’s a fine thought. “Change the catalyst,” I say. The audience loves watching improvisers affected by imagined reality. When we heighten the reality we force the affected character into a heightened reaction. So when…

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More about Improv: Genre Guru: Tips for Playing Horror

More about Improv: Genre Guru: Tips for Playing Horror

[ad_1] It’s the season when many a good improv group says to itself, “Let’s do a horror show!” To help you scare responsibly, here are a few tips. Take your time at the beginning. Most horror movies have a slow build. There is also a bit of time before the scary things start happening. Use…

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Improv Blog

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[ad_1]  I’m an improv teacher, but from December to March, I took three months off to walk the South Island of New Zealand. Part of my job is helping people push past their comfort zones to find the absolute joy on the other side. I could have just sat there and told my students –…

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How To Talk To Strangers

How To Talk To Strangers

[ad_1] Talking to people who I know is hard enough. But ask me to talk to strangers? Well, I’d rather be doing calculus problems.  Imagine, though, that I don’t have a choice. Imagine a world where I cannot choose calculus over conversation. Then, I focus on asking good questions and follow ups, which takes some…

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IMPROV OLYMPIX HISTORY BY DAVID SHEPHERD

IMPROV OLYMPIX HISTORY BY DAVID SHEPHERD

[ad_1] In 2007, David Shepherd’s cousin suggested he write up the three most important programs of his life. First one David tackled, was the Improv Olympix (originally called the Improv Olympics, before the Olympic Committee threatened a lawsuit), which David co-created with Howard Jerome. David never got around to writing up the other two programs,…

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Improv Blog

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[ad_1] We often state how long we’ve been doing improvisation for in years as it’s a simple way of summing up our ability, but it’s pretty easy to tell how much improv someone has done or what level they are at in the first warm up game. Brand new: Visibly worried about getting the game wrong,…

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It’s Hard To Say No

It's Hard To Say No

[ad_1] I was at a wedding this weekend. The father of the bride got up to speak. He started talking about perspective. About how when you’re born, after the first day, everything you know about the world is what happened in those first 24 hours. After the second day, your perspective encompasses the first 48.…

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