Improvisation
theatre is when a group of people/actors make up scenes as they go. They usually
pick a topic for the skit and then they make up scenarios, dialogue, and props
right then. The key to improvisations making things up as you go along. The
actors feed off what the others say and do to make a skit. Improvisation is usually short sketches that
last anywhere from a couple seconds to 10+ minutes and they can cover any
variety of topics. But, improvisation is not limited to acting it also is used
in music, dance, and pretty much any type of the theatre arts. Improvisation
dates all the way back to the 16th century from the Commedia
dell'Arte form theatre in Italy. But, it is a timeless art form that is used very
frequently today.
Going
to a smaller comedy improvisation show would include the audience sitting
around a stage most likely at individual tables. Then actors come out make their
introductions and they pick a topic or a scenario to start with. One show in
particular, they had a speaker and she made up a story, and as she told the
story the other actors had to act out what she was saying. An improvisation
performance could be presented in a wide variety of ways; it could have the actors
picking topics out of a hat or sometimes they will even ask the audience for
topics and use the audience members in the skit. At the end the actors come out
and take their bows just like any art performance.
This
shows a class in the middle of acting out the scene. You can see some of the students jumping in
the air acting out the topic while others are sitting around watching. The girl
in the grey sweater seems to be midway between thinking of her next move in
reaction to theirs. I love this picture of improvisation because it shows them
practicing in the classroom with a lot of smiling and laughter making it out to
be a fun lively experience.
This
picture is of the actors in the middle of a skit on the comedy television series
Whose Line is it Anyways. It was an improvisation show that had 4 actors and
they would get a topic and have to act it out and be judged based on their
performance and winner was chosen at the end of each show.
The video
is a clip of the television show Whose Line is it anyway. the host is picking
names out of a hat and the actors are performing the topics in front of a live
studio audience. It is all comedy skits and very hilarious.
FACTS
Up until 1968 Britain required all theater scripts to be approved by the Lord chamber's office, so improvisation shows couldn't be done on the spot.
There was a Comedy League of America National Tournament in 1988, which features competitions of improv between different states.
Work Cited
Felner, Mira, and Claudia Orenstein. The World of Theatre: Tradition and Innovation. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon, 2006. Print.
"Improvisational Theatre." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 03 June 2012. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improvisational_theatre>.
Roehl, Bernie. "General Information about Improvisation." ImprovComedy.Org. Improv Comedy. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. <http://www.improvcomedy.org/general.html>.
