But -- that's what Un-Scripted MEANS . . . !
OK, this is the weirdest thing.
Maybe not THE weirdest. But still weird.
Sitting at the show tonight in the audience, taking notes, I started talking to the people next to me. Someone in front of me overheard and turned around with an expectant look and, may I say, a challenging grin. "You're the director?" she said. "I have a question."
"Sure thing!"
"How much of this show is really un-scripted?" This question comes up a lot. In fact, it came up at the talkback last week, too.
"All of it!" I proceeded to explain how the show stemmed merely from the suggestions, and how we rehearse the individual skills, but not show stuff.
"How about the storylines?" she asked skeptically.
"Nope! It's all improvised! In rehearsals, we do stories, but once we do them, we can't do them again."
She looked displeased. "Why, then, do you think that we all" gesturing to her two companions "have the same question?"
As the lights went down for the second act, I said, "Hey, I don't know! I'd love to talk more about it, though. I could talk forever!"
OK, so I've been asked before about whether we're really REALLY improvising (YES! we ARE! it's MADE UP!) -- but never ACCUSED. Accused! She seemed extremely annoyed!
And Christian said that after the show she "backed him up against the wall" and questioned him about the same thing, "until she got frustrated and left."
Seriously? I mean, for one thing, tonight's show wasn't the best show we've ever done (sorry guys! :o) it's true! sometimes you're hot, sometimes you're off! happens to everyone)--so why exactly would we 1. Write the show to be just like that, and 2. LIE about it?
It's not like magicians, who just won't tell you. Improvisors are happy to tell you just what we do! It's not magic -- and we're not gonna lie! I'm a terrible liar, for one thing.
Hence, the reason for the blog. Really, nice vaguely German-accented lady sitting in front of me. We're improvising. It's made up. You helped. And if it's a good show (or a bad show), does it really matter when it was written -- either six months ago or six milliseconds ago?
Comments?
Maybe not THE weirdest. But still weird.
Sitting at the show tonight in the audience, taking notes, I started talking to the people next to me. Someone in front of me overheard and turned around with an expectant look and, may I say, a challenging grin. "You're the director?" she said. "I have a question."
"Sure thing!"
"How much of this show is really un-scripted?" This question comes up a lot. In fact, it came up at the talkback last week, too.
"All of it!" I proceeded to explain how the show stemmed merely from the suggestions, and how we rehearse the individual skills, but not show stuff.
"How about the storylines?" she asked skeptically.
"Nope! It's all improvised! In rehearsals, we do stories, but once we do them, we can't do them again."
She looked displeased. "Why, then, do you think that we all" gesturing to her two companions "have the same question?"
As the lights went down for the second act, I said, "Hey, I don't know! I'd love to talk more about it, though. I could talk forever!"
OK, so I've been asked before about whether we're really REALLY improvising (YES! we ARE! it's MADE UP!) -- but never ACCUSED. Accused! She seemed extremely annoyed!
And Christian said that after the show she "backed him up against the wall" and questioned him about the same thing, "until she got frustrated and left."
Seriously? I mean, for one thing, tonight's show wasn't the best show we've ever done (sorry guys! :o) it's true! sometimes you're hot, sometimes you're off! happens to everyone)--so why exactly would we 1. Write the show to be just like that, and 2. LIE about it?
It's not like magicians, who just won't tell you. Improvisors are happy to tell you just what we do! It's not magic -- and we're not gonna lie! I'm a terrible liar, for one thing.
Hence, the reason for the blog. Really, nice vaguely German-accented lady sitting in front of me. We're improvising. It's made up. You helped. And if it's a good show (or a bad show), does it really matter when it was written -- either six months ago or six milliseconds ago?
Comments?
Labels: Great Puppet Bollywood Extravaganza, improv, rehearsal
posted by Mandy at
1:19 AM
4 Comments:
You can't please all the people all the time. And unfortunately all the really bad half-scripted improv out there just serves to create skeptics.
Really, the only way to convince someone that we're really, truly making it up, is for them to do it themselves.
We should have offered her free tickets to another show so she could come back and see how different it would be.
I was just confused -- I didn't realize how confrontational she was until Christian told me she confronted him, too. :o)
And is there really so much half-scripted improv out there that it's what people expect? I've seen lots of improv, but not any of the half-scripted kind at all. Where is that coming from?
"And Christian said that after the show she "backed him up against the wall" and questioned him about the same thing, "until she got frustrated and left.""
lol... perhaps she hasn't really seen any improv so the idea itself...of doing a show without a script seems odd to her. I commend improv actors for diving into the unknown and making choices at the spur of the moment
- Shubhra
I think "half-scripted improv" refers to shows with scripts (for example, Tony & Tina's Wedding) that provides:
** specific characters that are played repeatedly
** specific objectives that must be met by the end of the evening despite how you get there
** a general framework for getting there (use optional)
I'll confess, I love doing this kind of theater but I object to qualifying it as "improv" because it creates this kind of confusion.
Look forward to seeing you at the holiday party!
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