3am Improv Thoughts from Jill Bernard from Jill Bernard on Vimeo.

A great video from Jill Bernard. So much good stuff here.

This is probably my favourite
“You’re being vague because you think it’s respectful of your partner’s plans. But she has no plans, she’s improvising. So, name some sh*t so we can move on please.

This is extremely similar to the stories I would write in primary school (actually, it’s quite similar to some of the stories I write now). But what impresses me is the storytelling techniques at work. There’s routine breaking, reincorporation, and internal logic (for example, in the world of axe cop, any time you get someone’s blood on you, you gain their powers).

I think this is (perhaps) another way of looking at Keith Johnstone’s status work. 1st circle is low status, 3rd circle is high status, and 2nd circle is the status player (someone who can adapt their status to the situation). She also makes the connection that it is only in the 2nd circle that one has to be ‘in the moment’.

Edit: Oops! fixed the link.

You can order it here.

I remember Keith talking about Micetro and saying the ideal situation was to play several Micetros over a weekend, as that was the best way to stop improvisers caring about winning and losing. I can certainly appreciate the idea now. I never felt any pressure to jump into a scene, and I never worried if I screwed something up. There was always going to be another chance later.

Flying up tomorrow with a couple of other Jesters to take part.

It’s gonna be intense.

Here’s how it works;
Everyone in pairs, find yourselves a space in the room. Person A is going to play the role of the worst improviser imaginable. Person B is going to play the role of the best improviser imaginable. A, try and make the scene fail. B, try and make the scene succeed. Go!
After a few minutes I’ll swap them over without discussion.
Then we talk about successful strategies for both roles. Then we try it again, encouraging each side to try different approaches, and pointing out that if they can succeed when someone is actively working against them then improv will be easy for the rest of their lives.

It’s impossible to describe all the possible ways this game can go, but I assure you, the first time you see the good improviser flip things on the bad improviser so that it looks like they’re both working together (and making them both look brilliant) you’ll be hooked.

It’s a great proof of the fact that No one can block you but yourself (As Jeff Wirth said in this wonderful but long lost article), and that if you treat your partner like a genius and a poet then they will become one.