We’re focusing on laying a strong foundation to our Improv skit with a simple, strong and clear story that harmonizes with our 4 improv elements and lets them cohesively work together in our skit.
Here are a few great resources to help us think more systematic about plot, narrative and storyline:
Helping Writers Become Authors
The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations
Narrative Theory Todorov/Propp
How To Scat
How to Rap
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4. Word Play
Impromptu Speaking
Body Language
Body Percussion
For this week and the next we’re going to focus on adding a strong physical component to our improv sketch. To that end, Mrs. Belinda Quijada is joining us to help work on fundamentals of movement and expression.
Not only do we have to incorporate strong physical action into our sketch, but we also need to maintain a strong narrative and cleverly incorporate all 4 of our improv elements. In the past, we’ve had a hard time keeping all three of these balls in the air at the same time. To help us build up our 3 core components, we’ll gradually layer on additional elements over our physical acting.
For reference, here are a few great DI Improv performances that successfully incorporate (1) physical acting, (2) strong narrative and (3) clever integration of all 4 improv elements.
Images:
Worksheets:
More in class
We have to come up with names for our Improv Troupe. Here are some good suggestions from an Improver’s blog:
Naming your improv troupe is no science but there are a lot of trends out there. Like band names, these trends come and go and vary by region. I’ll be using examples pulled from here. By the by, if I’m using your troupe name as an example, I’m not trying to single you out for ridicule, you just happen to fit the category.
The Meta
Our name falls under this category, so I’ll start here (though we also fall under The Pun category which I’ll get to next). The meta name is about improv itself in some form. The three Montreal English troupes fall into this one starting with On The Spot, followed by ourselves and Uncalled For. (Note: there are no less than 5 “On The Spot”s listed in the US). Other Examples: Speed of Thought Players, Totally Unrehearsed Theater.
The Pun
We combined two trends in our name so we have to deal with mockery from two angles. Ah, the burdens we bear! In any case, the pun is well worn throughout music band names and improv names are as, if not more, susceptible to this trend. It always seems clever at first blush and who can resist being clever? Examples: Lipschtick, Mile Hi-Larity (from Denver, of course), Die Nasty.
The Zany
Improv is crazy and zany right? So why not pick a name that reflects the wackiness! This is the largest category by far. Animals are typically involved. Examples: Flying Fish Fun Factory, Rubber Chickens, Crazy Monkeys.
(blank) Improv
This is the generic version of the troupe name. Bands have “The (blank)s”, we have this category. Sometimes it’s plainly descriptive, sometimes it has a little colour but it’s the denim jeans of names: functional, simple and neat. A minor variation is to have Improv come first. Examples: Solid Gold Improv, McGill Improv, Laughing Matter Improv, Main Street Improv, Improv Toronto.
The Improv Pun
Related to both “The Pun” and “(blank) Improv”, you have the improv pun, usually some form of the word “improv” forcibly inserted into a familiar phrase or even a random word. This vein has been thoroughly mined. Examples: Mission Improvable (this one has many varieties), Room for IMPROVment, ImproVision, Improvateers, Improvoholics.
The Funny Word
If a word sounds funny, there’s a good chance it’ll get used as an improv name. Stand-up comedians have long abused them so they’re fair game for improvisers, too. Examples: The Omelettes, Bovine Metropolis, Whammo Players, Buttered Niblets.
The Undersell
Improv doesn’t always work. That’s just part of the art. So why not prepare the audience by letting them know about your impending failures with a name that lets you off the hook? Examples: Room to Improv, This Is Pathetic, The Huge Embarrassing Failures, Obviously Unrehearsed Improv!
The Mental Image
The troupe name describes something that immediately creates a (hopefully) funny mental image. Bizarre and incongruous are the keys to this tactic. Examples: Seven Foot Baby, The Angry Beavers, Stick Horses in Pants, Makeshift Robot.
The Random
Don’t want to follow a trend? Just pick some random words that you’d never see together normally. D’oh! This is just as much of a trend as all the others! This category has a lot of overlap with The Funny Word. Examples: Baloney Rodeo, New Kevin, Pool Party Massacre.
Simple Intro to Projecting Voice Onstage
Diaphram Animation
Diaphram Control in Action
More In-depth Talk on Projecting Voice with Diaphram
We talked a lot about pantomime and non-verbal acting/communications. Last year we looked at more traditional mime, but I’d also like to introduce you to physical comedy and some good examples of it.
First, here is how wikipedia defines physical comedy:
Physical comedy, whether conveyed by a pratfall (landing on the buttocks), a silly face, or the action of walking into walls, is a common and rarely subtle form of comedy. It is a clownish exploitation of movement, the most primordial human medium of expression, which predates language and the introduction of verbal humour[citation needed] such as cultural tradition, erudition and word puns. Often sitcoms will incorporate such movements into the scenes but may not rely on it exclusively to forward the story. Often it will be used as comic relief especially during more serious or intimate scenes.
And now, here are some good examples of physical comedy:
The Skittles Guy
Jim Carrey Ace Ventura Slow Motion
Jim Carrey Dumb and Dumber Restaurant Fight Scene
Jimmy Fallon evolution of Hip Hop Dance
Jerry Lewis Bell Hop
Dick Van Dyke
Monty Python Ministry of Silly Walks
Make em Laugh
Lucille Ball Chocolate Scene
Mateo was our official photographer for the day and here are the best of the virtual rolls he shot. It’s a bit incomplete, but his rates were very reasonable.
( Imagination Corporation in da House – Varsity and Jr. Varsity )
( Miah’s Great Team Logo )
( Jr. Varsity practicing Newscast Improv )
( Dash and Miah prepping before the Improv )
( Sabina and Emily Ventriloquist Improv or just BFFs )
( The Pressure Unhinges Fe )
( Experience gives Trey Confidence )
( A Lull in the Battle )
( He Ain’t Heavy, He’s my Teammate )
( Our Assesser Volunteer Pamela Faust’s Wicked Cool Hat )
( Jr. Varsity Team Draws their Central Challenge Improv Elements )
( Jr. Varsity Given the Wrong Central Challenge but Stiff Upper Lip It )
( Last Minute Grooming for the Awards Ceremony )
( Nervous Energy )
( Partying Whoop Gambier-Style )
( Attack of the Feral Pig and St. Pat’s Hat )
( The Waiting is the Hardest Part )
( Imagination Corporation in Formation )
( Awards Ceremony Huddle )
( Imagination Corporation Strong )
( Caught Counting our Unhatched Chickens at the DI Awards Ceremony )
The vote counting is in and the final scores from our Destination Imagination Regional Tournament in Reynoldsburg were just posted late tonight at the Central Ohio Region 4 Website. As we anticipated, it was a razor thin margin between the top three teams. Despite our personal best performances, our Varsity Imagination Corporation was narrowly edged out of 1st and 2nd place and therefore just fell short of advancing to the State Championship on April 11th at the Mount Vernon Middle School.
The good news was that our Varsity team was the only team among the 14 in their division to earn a perfect score in the Instant Challenge part (25% overall score). Our Performance Instant Challenge is actually a far more accurate measure of Improv skills than the Central Challenge which can be prepared for with canned skit fragments. It may be better for overall scoring to go in with well-rehearsed skit fragments, but in real life true Improv skills of quickly thinking on your feet and bending any situation into a funny story in real time will prove of far more lasting value.
Our Varsity team ended with an overall score of 380.7 for 3rd place. Unfortunately, simply forgetting to incorporate one element in our last skit (Symphony location – 15 points) cost us 1st as we were only 4 points short of 1st (and 2 points or 0.5% shy of 2nd place). Incidentally, 380.7 would’ve gotten us first place if the Varsity team was in the next older Middle School division, so I think we competed against quality teams in a particularly talented year.
( One Yard Short in Superbowl XXXIV – New Orleans 2000)
The junior varsity Imagination Corporation came in 6th overall with a score of 344.4 which was a great showing for a rookie team working together for the first time. This team was evenly split between girls/boys, 3rd/4th graders and had kids from wildly differing backgrounds (from drama to a wrestling state champion). Next year the varsity team graduates into the middle school division leaving the junior varsity team to compete in the elementary division alone. This impressive rookie showing bodes well for the future.
Congrats again to our 2014-2015 Wiggin Street Elementary Destination Imagination Teams for a fun season, learning together and new personal bests:
Varsity Imagination Corporation
Westin Porter (5th grade) – Comic Genius
Beckett Pechon-Elkins (5th grade) – Supporting Teammember
Trey Stetler (5th grade) – Passion for Winning
Devin Beckett (5th grade) – Physical Comedy Award
Jon Stebbins (5th grade) – Most Improved
Junior Varsity Imagination Corporation
Dash Lepley (4th grade) – Energy and Enthusiasm Award
Miah Rodriguez-Hedeen (4th grade) – Creative Art Genius
Emily Springer (4th grade) – Drama Queen (in the good sense)
Mateo Pechon-Elkins (3rd grade) – Leadership Award
Sabina Hawks (3rd grade) – Outstanding Rookie
Felix Brooks-Quijada (3rd grade) – Bravery outside Comfort Zone
I’ve gone over the game day tape and have reviewed a number of other winning videos which I’ll share with the teams on our Monday chalk talk and celebration lunch. We’ve been relative purist in our improv training by eschewing canned scripts and point bookkeeping. Instead, we’ve focused on traditional improv exercises and studying professional improv artists (all 4 of them) in YouTube clips like “Whose line is it anyway?” that are child safe (all 4 of them). Without losing the real-world value and spirit of Improv, there is low-hanging fruit we can get next time by slightly adjusting our training to the distinctive point-based DI Improv system.
Finally, we should give a big thanks to our Wiggin Street Elementary academic adviser Ms. Waugh and Pamela Faust from the Provost’s Office at Kenyon College. Without them volunteering as judges at our Regional Tournament yesterday, our two teams would not have been allowed to compete. In addition, without Ms. Waugh’s weekly commitment to Destination Imagination and offer of her classroom, we would not have a place to meet throughout our season.
Wiggins Street Destination Imagination 