Improv Triangle

agreement, reality, absurdity

is this something?

Let’s talk formulas.

For example, what is it that makes an improv scene work?

Here’s a suggestion: agreement, reality and absurdity.

To put it in more common improv terms:

• say yes,

• play it real, and

• focus on the unusual thing

As a former computer programmer, I love crap like this. I know, I know — just like all comedy “rules” this is AT BEST an approximation. But I like seeing things as systems. I like formulas, rules and abstractions.

It’s fun to try.

Plus, having three rules is fun. Three things means a triangle and triangles are FUN.

I thought of the improv triangle because I was thinking of the “fire triangle” - the three things you need to make fire.

(Also, hat tip to Paul Vaillancourt’s cool book/strategy “The Triangle of The Scene” — which is a DIFFERENT improv triangle, and a very intriguing one. Look it into it, if you don’t know it.)

I think of the fire triangle a lot! It’s so elegant. If you want fire, you need these three things.

So what do you need to make an improv scene?

You need agreement. The people have to be adapting to each other’s choices. If you don’t have agreement, the scene fails to move forward or possible even exist.

You need reality. You have to respect the boundaries of reality. This basically means EMOTIONAL reality (act like human beings), but it also goes for physical reality (don’t walk through tables).

And you need absurdity. The unusual thing. Something unexpected, or heightened, or whimsical.

As formulas go, this is pretty good! Certainly when I’m teaching improv classes, and the scenes are missing something — it’s usually one of these things.

By the way, have you heard of the saying that for all products you can get them cheap, fast or good — but only two? So you can get something cheap and good but not fast, or fast and cheap but not good, etc. Lots of fun diagrams of that saying too, by the way, but it’s usually a Venn diagram.

Well a lot of beginners’ improv scenes have two of the three elements of my improv triangle.

They have agreement and absurdity but no reality: these are loud, silly, fun scenes where everyone is going “Wow, that’s the BIGGEST PIZZA EVER! Yaayyyyy!”

Or they have reality and absurdity but no agreement: this is when you have a bunch of stand-ups saying funny ideas but refusing to adapt to what the other person is saying. Lots of “Well, I don’t know what say about your idea, but here’s more about MY idea.”

OR they have agreement and reality but no absurdity. They’re saying yes, and they’re playing it real — but no one is feeling confident enough to get silly. Lots of “We should go on vacation.” “Okay, how about Disneyland.” “Yes, I like that.” You could also say this is “lots of yes without any and.”

If you can only have two, the best to have are agreement and reality. You can often leave out absurdity, because the fact that you are improvising ensures that SOMETHING will be weird.

Second best combo is agreement and absurdity with no reality. It’s annoying (to me) but it does WORK. Broad silly scenes with lots of agreement can be infectious.

Reality and absurdity but no agreement does not work. It’s just actors fighting and ignoring each other.

But the best improvisers do ALL THREE in ALMOST EVERY MOVE THEY MAKE. They adapt to the last thing said. They ground it emotionally. And they heighten the absurdity.

Someone says “Nice day, isn’t it?”

And the seasons improviser will say “It is, it is (agreement). Days like this really put you in a good mood. (emotional reality) Maybe… too good. (absurdity).”

Anyway, I like the improv triangle.

By the way, for those following the writings of Will Hines across different platforms, I USED to suggest an improv pyramid!

art by Caitlin Sacks

For the pyramid I was expressing priorities. Agreement is most important, then reality, then absurdity (game) and then I threw on heightening because, I don’t know, when you’re talking pyramids it just kinda feels like you should have four levels.

But I dig the improv triangle better.

What are your favorite improv formulas?

My teammate Susannah likes “hearts, smarts and farts” to describe what an improv scene needs.

Billy Merritt likes “pirate, robot, ninja” (see the book we co-wrote about this metaphor.

That’s all. Happy Holidays!

Plugs, Fresh

• CBB Presents: Hi(nes)! I’m(prov) To Meet You! - This is a podcast where I run improv exercises for the characters of the CBB world. It’s behind a paywall (comedybangbangworld.com) but my biased opinion is this is worth it. For this episode you have Santa Claus (Paul F. Tompkins), Ebeneezer Scrooge (Neil Casey), The Grinch (Ryan Rosenberg) and a character from a Hallmark Christmas movie (Vic Michaelis) doing improv.

  Plugs, Ongoing

• Screw It, We’re Just Gonna Talk About Comics - Comic book podcast, hosted by my brother Kevin and I. We are preparing to do a series on legendary comics writer Keith Giffen!

• Clubhouse Fridays - WGIS’ weekly improv show. Fridays 7pm at The Clubhouse. Free!

• The World’s Greatest Improv School: The improv school I run with Jim Woods and Sarah Claspell. We’ve got classes online, in LA and even a few in NYC!

• How to Be The Greatest Improviser On Earth - My improv book, available at Amazon. Kindle or print. It’s a hodge-podge of advice I wrote in 2016 about doing improv. If you’re broke and want a free PDF version just email me and I’ll send it over.