Story Robot

I remember several years ago, while touring, going to an improv show.
The style of play can be summed up by this little snippet

setting: a fish and chip shop
A: There’s a severed head in this deep fryer.
B: Isn’t it your wife’s head?
A: (unfazed) why, so it is.

Now, this complete lack of emotional response is pretty much always
good for a laugh (there’s a rather fun game called ‘stiff upper lip’
that plays on this), but like so many things that are always good for
a laugh, you’re really selling all your narrative stocks for a quick comedic gain,
rather than letting them grow for the big (potential) pay off.

Whenever I see a scene where people remain unaffected by big events (and as often as not ‘people’ is really me) I always think to myself ‘that was a bit of a ‘head in the deep fryer’ moment’.

Here’s some wonderful advice for teaching youngsters from Emma Brittenden, who is an awesome teacher of drama and improv.

Dress smartly
Read books or do something boring before teaching young ones
Do something silly before teaching teenagers
Smile.
Ask students about their days and listen. Don’t offer advice.
Ally yourself with the students, against the world.
Generally, suggest things directly to pre-teens; suggest things ‘other people would profit by doing’ to teens.
Don’t acknowledge students’ neuroses. Instead, speak generally to students as if they’re acting in the opposite manner.
Praise hard-work.
Praise anything the students do that’s outside of their comfort-zone, but don’t acknowledge that you know it was uncomfortable for them.
Never tell students off: it only makes you look weak.
If a student’s not trying, act unperturbed, back off and spend more time with the rest of the class.
Only mention yourself if in a self-deprecating way, and only if the lesson’s going well.
Practise what you preach.
Associate the class with success. If they’re silly on a particular day, change the lesson to harness this.

Shooting someone in the torso is an open offer. Shooting someone in the head is a controlling offer.

This American Life is one of my favourite things. Here’s the first in a series of videos with host Ira Glass discussing storytelling. As always, he nails it.