Unwritten: The Improv Show
Unwritten: The Improv Show
Directed by Herbie Barnes
Introduction
This guide was written by Marissa Blagrove. As you scroll through the guide, you will find curriculum connections, themes, and more. We hope you will find this guide to be a useful resource. Should you have any questions or feedback, or have inquiries about the use of this guide (which is copyright protected), please feel free to contact Karen Gilodo, Associate Artistic Director, Education at kgilodo@youngpeoplestheatre.org.
Thematic Overview
Unwritten: The Improv Show is a live, unscripted performance that takes the audience on a fun journey using improvisation. With a guided and thoughtful approach, three improvisational artists will volley ideas, create spontaneous exchanges, and build impromptu narratives demonstrating the art of play, the power of “yes”, and why it’s important to lose the fear of failure. Every performance will be new, exhilarating – and unexpected!
Curriculum Connections
The Arts – Drama
English/Language
Ancestral Teachings
Respect
Bravery
Themes
Freedom of play
Defining the unknown
Building something from nothing
What is Improv?
Improvisational theatre, often called Improv, is a form of theatre in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted. What is acted out is created spontaneously by the performers.
Improvisers keep the following general rules (or guidelines) in mind when performing:
1. Establish the scene (characters, location & conflict).
2. Stay present and always work with your fellow actors.
3. “Yes, and!” – The “yes, and” rule is used to remind actors to build on the offers given by their scene partners in order to keep the scene lively and moving forward.
4. Use physical movement to add imagination to the scene.
Interview with Director Herbie Barnes
Meet Herbie Barnes, YPT’s Artistic Director and the director of Unwritten: The Improv Show.
What do you love most about improv?
For me improv is so much fun. It is also the most satisfying as (a performer) because you are the writer, director, and actor all at the same time. A story can go anywhere.
What got you interested in improv?
Truthfully, I wanted something on my résumé as I was a new actor and my high school teacher sent me down to a free workshop at Harbourfront. Through this experience I watched a comedy troupe called Dr. Jekyll and Novahyde — they were brilliant and I was blown away. I spent the next three years studying every aspect of theatre and improv that I could.
What are three basic skills of improvisational acting?
Storytelling, being positive and losing the fear of failure.
How do you teach Improv?
When I teach, I focus on storytelling. I teach performers to listen to what their scene partner is offering and to build on it rather than to pass it off. Every choice on stage is good and only gets better with what you offer on top of it.
What do you hope students take away from Unwritten?
The three main things they can take away from improvisation are:
- Anything is possible.
- Saying “yes” to something may lead to adventure.
- Taking risks and not being afraid to fail may lead to great things in life.
All of these things make you a better person.
Pre-Show Questions
- What do you already know about improvisation?
- What do you hope to learn or take away from seeing a live improv show?
- What questions do you have for a professional improviser?
Improv Games to Try In Your Classroom
Improv exercises or games are an excellent way for students to expand their creative thinking and to develop their performance skills. It can also encourage community or ensemble building, acceptance and quick thinking. Below you will find a couple of improvisation exercises that you can try with your students in class.
Rules of Engagement
When learning and performing improv it is important as a class to set the rules of engagement. This can take the form of a class contract, where guided by the teacher, students collaborate on what they agree is everyone’s responsibility to keep the space safe and fun (i.e. showing respect, listening, taking turns, etc.). It is important to recognize that improv requires students to bravely offer their ideas and for the group to respect everyone’s voice. However, it is also important the space remain respectful and safe for both the performers and the audience. That is everyone’s responsibility. If an idea is not appropriate, the teacher will move on to a new idea being offered instead.
Word at a Time Story
Instructions:
Ask students to sit in a circle. Give them a title or prompt for a story, for example “The Best Birthday Ever”. As a class, ask students to build their own story with each student getting a turn to say one word at a time. Remind students that the story has to make sense. Everyone has to work together to remember what has already been said, and to try to create a cohesive narrative.
Group Environment
Instructions:
Divide the class into groups of five. One person in each group enters a space and mimes an action that defines the environment. When another group member thinks that they know what the environment is, they enter the space and perform a complementary action. This keeps going until the entire group is in the environment. Remind students that the goal is to create a clear and complete picture of the environment.
Bus Stop
Instructions:
Set-up two chairs “on stage” and have the class be the audience facing those chairs. Ask one student to volunteer as the first performer. Ask the student to enter and have a seat on one of the chairs imagining they are at a bus stop. Then have another volunteer student enter the scene. Each student should take on the role of a character and their objective is to get the other person at the bus stop to leave. The first character at the bus stop will leave the scene when the new character gives them a reason to exit. After the first student leaves, a new student comes in and restarts the scene. Each scene should last less than a minute.
Post-Show Questions
- What skills do you think are important for improvisers to have?
- What did you learn or take away from the experience of seeing this show?
- What do you think makes good improv?