I feel like the game is hard to teach. It’s like a wave that forms. You first need to see it, then get on it, and hopefully your scene partners get on too.
At the end, playing game is focusing the discovery and exploration to one particular, out of the ordinary thing. One could say it's even easier to pour all attention to the one thing instead of the whole rest of reality!
So timely, thanks! I'm glad your wrote this now as I was teaching a class and did find it hard to teach game of the scene. I find using videos from SNL & Key Peele can help show this!
I've taken Miles Stroth recently and trying to overthink less, currently. Just find a character that would do that unusual thing and be it. You're still playing the game, but it's built-in into the scene type, everything else is just specifics.
I’ve been thinking about what a Weapons improv form would be— what I wrote up to try is:
Set follows one character at a time in a few scenes. At the end of the scenes, someone new comes in and does something crazy (unrelated to the game so far?). We then cut to their portion of the story, going back in time to what led them to that moment, then further into the future. We repeat with each character until an insane conclusion.
I’m curious if you think that’s too close to a Close Quarters!
People find it hard? Game is easy for me. </troll>
Game of the scene is just whatever the one naturally funny person in class is doing.
UCB: Don't think. Also, our philosophy of improv asks you think more!
I feel like the game is hard to teach. It’s like a wave that forms. You first need to see it, then get on it, and hopefully your scene partners get on too.
At the end, playing game is focusing the discovery and exploration to one particular, out of the ordinary thing. One could say it's even easier to pour all attention to the one thing instead of the whole rest of reality!
So timely, thanks! I'm glad your wrote this now as I was teaching a class and did find it hard to teach game of the scene. I find using videos from SNL & Key Peele can help show this!
Peak improv teacher energy❤️
I've taken Miles Stroth recently and trying to overthink less, currently. Just find a character that would do that unusual thing and be it. You're still playing the game, but it's built-in into the scene type, everything else is just specifics.
Have you tried position play, Will?
I’ve been thinking about what a Weapons improv form would be— what I wrote up to try is:
Set follows one character at a time in a few scenes. At the end of the scenes, someone new comes in and does something crazy (unrelated to the game so far?). We then cut to their portion of the story, going back in time to what led them to that moment, then further into the future. We repeat with each character until an insane conclusion.
I’m curious if you think that’s too close to a Close Quarters!