The System of Theatrical Improvisation
Subtitle: Ukrainian publisher presents the essay "The system of theatrical improvisation,” a result of ten-year experience of actor Stanislav Hlushko in the "Black Square" theater, Kiev. Improvisation by itself is not a novelty. It is known from performances of the antiquity by strolling comedians, Commedia dell'arte performers in Italy... A myth was created that improvisation should be prepared, and there is no other way. In the middle of the last century, Viola Spolin and Keith Johnstone began to develop improvisation techniques… This book describes a fundamentally different approach to improvisation, free of any restrictions. Systematically described are the basic laws of existence of an actor in spontaneous improvisation, fundamentals of improvisational dialogue, structural improvisation, and various playing situations.
Publisher: Dmytro Strelbytskyy
Published: July 31, 2014
Place of publication: Kiev, Ukraine
Table of contents: title: Ukrainian publisher presents the essay "The; title: system of theatrical improvisation”, a result of ten-year; title: experience of actor Stanislav Hlushko in the "Black; title: Square" theater, Kyiv. Improvisation by itself is not a; title: novelty. It is known from performances of the antiquity; title: by strolling comedians, Commedia dell'arte performers; title: in Italy. Stanislavsky wrote about improvisation,; title: Michael Chekhov and Meyerhold applied; title: improvisation, but in all these cases it was about; title: structural improvisation where the actors are forbidden; title: to depart from the script and guidelines of the design; title: director. A myth was created that improvisation should; title: be prepared, and there is no other way. In the middle of; title: the last century, Viola Spolin and Keith Johnstone; title: began to develop improvisation techniques…; title: This book describes a fundamentally different; title: approach to improvisation, free of any restrictions.; title: Systematically described are the basic laws of existence; title: of an actor in spontaneous improvisation, fundamentals; title: of improvisational dialogue, structural improvisation,; title: and various playing situations.; title: This would be good material for drama schools,; title: as psychological training, as an independent form of; title: theatrical art, and is intended for professional; title: directors, actors and amateurs involved in theater,; title: students of theater schools, and all those who have; title: some idea of the theater and who are interested in; title: applying this methodology in practice.; title: STANISLAV HLUSHKO; title: THE SYSTEM OF THEATRICAL; title: IMPROVISATION; title: Theatrical improvisation is the activity of a; title: person acting as a playwright, director, and actor at; title: one and the same time.; title: PREFACE; title: What is theater? What purpose does it serve?; title: What would it be like if it always astonished its; title: spectators? It is probably impossible to answer these; title: questions but one of the main objectives of theater, as; title: well as art in general, is to convey content into form, to; title: fill the consciousness of the spectators with new; title: experiences by telling them a living history about; title: themselves, to compel them to empathize, to be; title: surprised. It could evidently be achieved by means of; title: theatrical improvisation as something new in; title: circumstances where classical forms of theater prevail,; title: something that gives maximum freedom of expression; title: to actors, and where the spectators would be an energy; title: factor in the performance. Live theater, live actors, live; title: performances.; title: This essay is based on the acting experience with; title: an improvisation theater and expresses the author's; title: personal view.; title: CHAPTER 1; title: THREE KEYS TO SPONTANEOUS; title: IMPROVISATION; title: Spontaneous improvisation is the primary; title: foundation of an actor's skill. When children start to; title: play, they do not need a playwright or a director —; title: everything is happening spontaneously, easily, by itself.; title: The same spontaneity of expression is inherent in; title: adults, especially if they are actors. It is only later there; title: appears someone who takes away all the "superfluous,"; title: and simultaneously makes them not free, but the; title: essence of acting is nonetheless in improvisation.; title: Spontaneous improvisation is the foundation for; title: structural improvisation, and, generally, any form of its; title: kind. Actors, in this case, are absolutely free, there is no; title: script, mise-en-scène, director's directions, costumes,; title: settings — all this comes into being during the act.; title: Music in spontaneous improvisation is also absent; title: because its presence can prevent actors from creating; title: and periodically changing their own tempo and rhythm; title: of acting, which cannot correspond with that of music.; title: Only imaginary items are used for interior details; title: and stage set up.; title: Spectators take seats around the stage so the; title: actors are saved the trouble of having to think what part; title: of their body is turned to them. As shown by many; title: years of experience, the position of the stage in the; title: center of an auditorium is a fundamental issue.; title: Attempts to play spontaneous improvisation on stage in; title: its classical form proved less successful. The need to; title: control one's body and to constantly face the spectators; title: deprives actors of indispensable freedom of mind and; title: body, without which improvisation is impossible.; title: The actors are beyond the action area but the; title: spectators can see them.; title: After about a moment's pause, one of the actors; title: steps forward and initiates the play. Can two or three; title: people start to act at the same time? They can, but there; title: is very little likelihood of them understanding each; title: other and justification of their behavior under the same; title: given circumstances, while respecting their logic or; title: being organically illogical. Therefore, it is more; title: reasonable that a single person begins acting. In this; title: case, the fellow actors will have time to observe and; title: comprehend the actions of the first. This does not mean; title: that two or three actors may not step forward at the; title: same time at the outset if they have wide; title: improvisational experience enabling immediate contact.; title: From this point on, three keys to spontaneous; title: improvisation, or three basic principles, come into play; title: and if used properly, improvisation becomes; title: interesting.; title: The first one is an IDEA.; title: In this case, the meaning of this word differs from; title: the classical understanding adopted in theater and; title: dramaturgy.; title: An actor steps forward and starts doing; title: something thus putting forward a situation, which must; title: be an extreme situation and which must have an; title: immediate resolution (a suicide, the struggle for; title: survival, a monologue about an unhappy love affair,; title: confession before one's death, etc.). Extremeness; title: sometimes does not need to be manifest or literal — the; title: action can be neutral — extremeness must be felt inside; title: and be expressed in counterpoint to facial expression; title: and plastique. The spectators should understand that; title: "something is happening." Generally, the character's; title: attitude to the situation makes it extreme — any; title: situation may be portrayed as extreme, and vice versa,; title: an extreme theme may be treated with indifference,; title: though this can be interesting in some cases as well.; title: Anyway, internal inertia, if it arises, could last for the; title: rest of the acting. That is why it is desirable to create; title: suggested "hot" circumstances at the beginning.; title: Can improvisation begin with a situation that is; title: not extreme? It can if the idea, with which an actor; title: appears, is rather interesting. Then the extremeness; title: should be used by another actor or at least the next one.; title: Sooner or later, the situation should be intensified, a; title: problem of choice should be created — there must be a; title: conflict as a catalyst for further development of the; title: plot. Also, the original idea must contain an event ("war; title: broke out," "she left me," "dad died," "he'll come here; title: soon"). The event may not happen right now, it may be; title: kept in an abstract future, but it must be offered as the; title: necessary impetus to the development of the situation.; title: What can be done if there is no idea, but you have; title: to act? Step forward and do something, in other words,; title: act and the idea will come later. The actions can be of; title: any kind — logical, comprehensible to others —; title: illogical, inexplicable, abstract, but in any case; title: interesting. If the actors get carried away, the play for a; title: long time can be generally devoid of extreme situations; title: and events. A simple dialogue "about nothing" could be; title: interesting for a longer period of time if the actors; title: believe in what they are playing. A prolonged absence; title: of a clear understanding of that what is actually; title: happening on stage, what it is all about, may arouse; title: interest of the spectators and it is sometimes not; title: necessary to "show one's cards" but ultimately desirable; title: to justify the play by making it clear.; title: On this basis, a character, a place of action, the; title: acting problem for the next period of time, and the; title: attitude to what is going on (or has occurred) comes; title: into the picture. The actor, who started the play, should; title: answer the questions: "Who am I?" "Where am I?"; title: "What am I?" "What do I want?" for himself and, most; title: importantly, for the fellow actors and the spectators.; title: If the first actor could not do it quite persuasively,; title: that is, he or she appeared with no idea and could not; title: answer any of the above questions, then the second or; title: third actor should do it, and the other actors should; title: support this idea as the most interesting. The difficulty; title: is that neither the scene nor the attitude to the proposed; title: circumstances, and especially the acting problem, can; title: be in most cases retained through the entire play; title: without any changes, — fellow actors will not let you; title: do that. But answers to the above questions should be; title: known at any time.; title: Coming up with an idea, an actor must have a; title: general understanding of what part his or her fellow; title: actors could play and how could they step forward, i.e.,; title: to act as a playwright and director, with the rest of the; title: actions reserved for other characters to step in. To mean; title: such a locale and circumstances, into which nobody can; title: step except the first actor, is not a good practice, with; title: rare exceptions.; title: It is important not to overload the Idea with other; title: ideas and to explain everything. The essence of that; title: what is going on must be made clear in an intelligible; title: way — other actors will tell the rest. If, for example,; title: the first actor says to the second, "Come tell me," then; title: the second has a wide range of ideas that can be chosen; title: — almost any scene and any character — a; title: teacher-student, boss-employee, father-son option, etc.; title: If the first actor says "Garrison, today I called your; title: parents to school after you broke a window last night in; title: the staff room and burned the front door, so your dad,; title: being a major industrialist, will renovate the whole of; title: our school and make present me with a car.", the other; title: actors do not have such wide choice. It is feasible to; title: narrow the realm of the play as much as possible if; title: there is a novel idea prepared and the actor knows; title: exactly what he or she will do next. In most cases it is; title: impossible to predict the development of the action, so; title: it would be correct to keep the latitude of the action as; title: wide as possible.; title: Though there is a combination of an actor, a; title: director and a playwright in one person, that person on; title: stage must hold a slight lead as an actor, but offstage, a; title: playwright and director must prevail when he or she is; title: watching the action and is deciding on options for; title: advancing the scene.; title: Offering an idea, an actor must decide on its; title: genre, other actors entering the action must naturally; title: support the actor or change the idea radically if the; title: situation as a whole might benefit from this, or create a; title: mix of genres.; title: The second key concept is a FELLOW ACTOR.; title: Once the second actor steps forward, there must; title: be a contact between the first and second actors, and it; title: can occur only as a result of careful regard for the; title: fellow actor, what is a guarantee of success in; title: improvisation when people listen, hear, and that; title: somehow affects them. With changes, the plot is; title: developing and theoretically can develop endlessly if; title: the partners are attentive to each other.; title: The second key concept can replace the first if the; title: first one has failed. If there is no prepared idea, and it; title: did not occur after the beginning of the scene, it can be; title: borrowed from the fellow actor or the fellow actor's; title: idea can be played, or one's own idea may be invented; title: by making a start from the fellow actor's acting, or both; title: devices can be brought into play at the same time.; title: Along with this, it may happen that a contact; title: between the first and second actors has not been; title: established but if the lack of a contact is inherent in the; title: idea itself the situation will benefit from this.; title: The third key concept is a CHANGE.; title: An actor can change only in acting — internally,; title: verbally, and physically. Going through these three; title: kinds of changes not only directly in respect of the; title: fellow actor with the aim of changing the fellow actor,; title: but also changing one's own self, the actor will; title: indirectly affect the fellow actor, who will be obliged to; title: change, if the fellow actor has acting experience. For; title: example, a character that has a stage speech defect or; title: physical disability will be more interesting fellow actor; title: than the one devoid of any such qualities. These; title: changes occur in plastique, a facial expression, and; title: voice.; title: It is important to clarify what constitutes an; title: action in improvisation. A definition of this concept; title: may be divided into two parts: 1. an Action is the; title: change of oneself and 2. an Action is the solving of an; title: acting problem. These two definitions can be merged,; title: but may exist independently of each other because,; title: firstly: you can change yourself without acting problem; title: and your fellow actor as well, and secondly, the; title: understanding of the acting problem may come after the; title: actor began to act, that is, first, I appear and start; title: cleaning a machine gun, charge the cartridge clip, and; title: then realize that I am a professional killer and I need to; title: kill the girl, whom I love, etc.; title: Regarding the second definition, it is natural that; title: the acting problem, as a rule, is directly related to the; title: fellow actor(s) and, solving the acting problem, the; title: actor's action one way or another is aimed at changing; title: the actors. In the case where an actor acts alone, for; title: example, lays bricks or is fishing, all his acts, one way; title: or another, will be linked either to the prehistory of the; title: relationship, or with future relationships, or with; title: imaginary character's. If you are acting and the fellow; title: actor persists in his refusal to change, the ways of; title: influence must be changed; you must look for one that; title: will change the fellow actor.; title: Is it possible to solve the acting problem without; title: doing anything? It is, if the acting problem is to do; title: nothing, though inactivity must be interesting. In this; title: case, inactivity is a dramatic device and an action; title: intensive by contrast follows it as a rule. For example, a; title: man is standing on the stage and gazing into space. He; title: is motionless, silent, thinking of nothing special. A; title: second actor appears and tries to speak to him. The first; title: does not respond and the second makes it an event for; title: himself to change himself because of the partner's; title: inactivity and begins to vigorously act. Then the first; title: says: "I'll never talk to you because you are a; title: scoundrel." The situation gradually clears up for the; title: second actor and the spectators. Another example: A; title: first actor steps forward, lies down and begins to play; title: the role of a "dead body." You would think that he does; title: not act, but in fact, his inactivity is information and an; title: event for other actors who can appear as policemen and; title: start outlining the dead body with chalk, questioning; title: neighbors, relatives, etc.; title: But, if the second actor says, "Mike, why you; title: have got drunk again?" Then the first actor "comes to; title: life" and begins to play a drunk, or he may as well; title: "insist" that he is a "dead body" and remain motionless.; title: A dramatic device is a prolonged invariability of; title: behavior followed by a change in contrast to this; title: behavior.; title: In the course of improvisation, everything can be; title: turned into a dramatic device, even an unsuccessful; title: actor's acting. For example, someone can not leave the; title: scene for a long time — goes, comes back again, etc.; title: Finally, returning for the fourth or fifth time —; title: explains the reasons for his or her departures, arrivals; title: and provides the fellow actors with an event that is in; title: counterpoint to the previous theme, mood, tempo and; title: rhythm.; title: The most important kind of change is a change in; title: the overall pace and rhythm of the scene. Actors need; title: to feel it, and periodically change it when the play gets; title: too monotonous. Typically, this is associated with; title: bringing in new acting ideas. In the classical theater; title: with the immutability of individual characters, this is; title: offset by changes in light, sound, scenery, and staging.; title: In spontaneous improvisation, an actor acts as a; title: director during the play, and must, at regular time; title: intervals, make changes in his/her own acting and in; title: that of others', make improvisation interesting, anyway; title: until the situation runs out completely. If this happens,; title: you need to offer a new situation by doing it carefully,; title: without breaking but attaching to the previous topic so; title: that one smoothly flows into another. First you need to; title: find a contact, clinging to trivial matters, detail, and; title: then propose a new dramaturgy and, if necessary — a; title: genre.; title: Along with this, if the play came to a standstill; title: and is no longer interesting, it is sometimes possible to; title: break the scene sharply and immediately give a new; title: event as the starting point for a new topic. For example,; title: the first actor appears on the stage and begins to float in; title: an imaginary sea. A second actor approaches the first; title: and says: "Your Majesty, the Princess is dead!" The; title: first actor is obliged to accept the offered new; title: circumstances and place of action, and having departed; title: from the event to build a scene on, at the same time; title: justifying his own previous movements. The second; title: actor may help the first one to justify the movements,; title: "Sorry to interrupt your exercises," and so on.; title: Generally, everything that was going on before the; title: fundamental change in dramaturgy or genre must; title: somehow be justified, bound together even if it is; title: impossible to bind. If, for example, I went with the; title: phrase "to be or not to be" and try to stay with it not for; title: fun, and my fellow actor that just has appeared says —; title: " Who let the patient from room 6?" Then I have to; title: accept a new genre and there is nothing particular to be; title: justified here. But if I played a mentally ill person and; title: suddenly began a monologue of Hamlet, and Gertrude,; title: Claudius approached me, I have to somehow give the; title: spectators a hint about the change from a madhouse to; title: "Hamlet," that is, to justify the change.; title: Local changes in a scene must be contrasting —; title: if the first actor is sad, then the second is happy, if the; title: first is fast then the second is slow. The protracted; title: comic situations are well changed to a seriously; title: profound theme.; title: An important component of improvisation is the; title: acting against a fellow actor when an actor's question is; title: answered illogically, the answer being not the one he or; title: she expected. Or the statement of the first actor is in; title: contrast to that what the second actor has said, and he; title: (the second) must justify his or her previous remarks.; title: For example, the first actor says, "How's your brother?"; title: The second replies, "My brother died," the first says, "I; title: saw him today!" Then the second replies, "He died five; title: minutes ago," the first says, "I saw him a minute ago!"; title: the second replies, "That was our third twin, he came; title: today from America," and so on.; title: Freedom in spontaneous improvisation does not; title: suggest there are no limitations. Actors impose; title: limitations on their own and adjust them, as may be; title: necessary.; title: CHAPTER 2; title: BASIS OF IMPROVISATIONAL; title: DIALOGUE; title: All the aforesaid can be put into action by using; title: the so-called molecular level of improvisation, that is, a; title: dialogue between two partners. It consists of three; title: parts: an Event, Estimate, and Extension.; title: The first actor says, "War broke out!" This is an; title: event. The second actor makes a surprised and tragic; title: face and says, "So, I'll be conscripted!" This is an; title: estimate. "We must flight!" says he and starts to pack; title: up his things. This is an extension, which is also an; title: event for the first actor who makes an angry face (this; title: is an estimate) and says, "I'm going to call the police."; title: This is an extension, and the second actor who became; title: angry can grab a chair and try to hit the first actor on; title: the head (this is also an extension). To put it another; title: way, the extension of the second actor is a new event; title: for the first actor. The following extension of the first; title: actor is a new event for the second actor.; title: Sometimes after an event, an extension; title: immediately follows as an exception. This is possible in; title: very rare cases, inasmuch as the attitude of that actor; title: who adds the extension toward what is going on is; title: incomprehensible.; title: Sometimes the actor who has given an estimate of; title: an event has no time to put forward an extension, for; title: his partner has made the first actor's estimate an event; title: for himself and gives his own estimate and extension.; title: For example, the first says: "Mother died." The second; title: gives a sigh of relief and starts smiling. Then the first; title: actor cries, "So that's what you're up to!" — pulls out a; title: gun and tries to kill the second.; title: In difficult situations when the play comes to a; title: standstill, the actors must make anything an event for; title: themselves. For example, a person goes first, looks; title: around and says, "No one here!" This is an event to; title: depart from. An evaluation can be both logical, peculiar; title: to the majority of common people, and paradoxical,; title: what is no less interesting for the fellow actors and the; title: spectators.; title: The scene comes to a standstill when an actor; title: does not make an event for himself out of what he hears; title: or sees — it leads to lack of contact between partners.; title: One should not offer many events at once — an; title: evaluation is lost, since it is not clear what exactly; title: needs to be evaluated.; title: In improvisation, the concept of contact and; title: dialogue is always directly associated with the Event,; title: Estimate, Extension. There are exceptions, when a; title: fellow actor in a dialogue has no events and is working; title: to create an atmosphere in the presence of contact, but; title: this can be a limited period of time, since improvisation; title: need to constantly change and evolve, one way or; title: another, using the Event, Estimate, Extension. This; title: applies equally to the situation when there is contact,; title: but no dialogue, that is, actors play in silence: in the; title: first place, sooner or later, the dialogue will appear,; title: hence the Event, Estimate, Extension, and in the second; title: place, estimates and extensions can be given without; title: words — by facial expression and plastique.; title: What is primary in this structure? The event; title: seems to be, but in fact we will know about the event as; title: an Event only after the availability of an Estimate, that; title: is, where there is no estimate, no events. In other; title: words, an actor makes Something an event for himself; title: by evaluating This Something, though he or she may; title: refuse to estimate This Something, no matter what; title: "event-triggering" This Something might seem on the; title: face of it.; title: In some cases, the estimate may be positively; title: negative, that is, first someone is grieving over the; title: death of his beloved wife and then begins to laugh; title: justifying the behavior either by insanity or some; title: hidden hatred of her.; title: Such a scheme in this case should be taken as the; title: scheme and only. There is no need to bring it to an; title: absurdity by making every word of your fellow actor an; title: event and adding an extension every second. This is a; title: rescue key, which must be used with a sense of; title: proportion.; title: The technique of getting out of a "hang"; title: condition is a framework, which has to be covered with; title: the inner content of an actor and the underlying acting; title: problem, which actors try to perform.; title: An event is a play stimulus.; title: An estimate is an attitude toward an event that is; title: going on; the estimate can be of any kind, but; title: expressive and clear.; title: An extension is a response to an Event expressed; title: in concrete actions that change and develop the scene.; title: CHAPTER 3; title: STRUCTURAL IMPROVISATION; title: Improvisation is a state of absolute freedom of; title: creativity, at least as close as possible to this state.; title: Structural improvisation is deprived of this freedom:; title: there is a place of action, event, costumes, scenery,; title: music, characters, acting problems, the order of priority; title: for appearing on stage, but no text — it is born in; title: acting proceeding from given circumstances and; title: objectives. The very phrase "structural improvisation"; title: is paradoxical. Acting is limited, but the limits are in; title: themselves transparent. Success in this case depends; title: solely on the presence of the actor's contact, careful and; title: cautious attitude toward the fellow actor, a rich acting; title: experience. It is necessary to accurately explain the; title: actors their acting problem and to check whether they; title: understand them. In the statement of objectives, a; title: conflict of interests, provoking confrontation, should be; title: considered. Acting problem should be effective. If the; title: acting problem is all right, you need to come up with an; title: arsenal of means by which it will be realized, — to; title: come up with your own background — "who was I; title: before I met this man?" or "what brought me to the; title: meeting?" etc. Come up in two or three different ways; title: to solve your acting problem and to affect the fellow; title: actor. To answer the question "What am I? (in relation; title: to what is going on), in what temper, mood will I be; title: and how will I change in the course of my existence by; title: the end of the play?" this is the range of these changes.; title: Here, in contrast to spontaneous improvisation,; title: where the creation of a character is almost impossible; title: because of the rapidity and unpredictability of the play; title: changes — an actor can think over his or her character.; title: One can develop an idea that would put a fellow actor; title: in an uncomfortable situation, force him to get out of it,; title: improvise, even act contrary to the general script (but; title: not too much), that is, to play against your fellow actor.; title: To prepare some small props: flowers, glasses,; title: notebooks, handkerchiefs, etc., which can be effectively; title: played up.; title: There must be as many actors in structural; title: improvisation as necessary for a complete story. In this; title: type of improvisation, it is impossible to enter; title: far-fetched characters, because a reasonable acting; title: problem cannot be easily thought up for them.; title: Any initial availability of the proposed; title: circumstances makes improvisation structural, limiting; title: it, and simultaneously providing a base, from which to; title: push off improvising. With good knowledge and; title: understanding of the material, the actor improvising on; title: the material is able to more vividly, unconventionally; title: put the character and the general idea of the work into; title: action, irrespective of whether it is well-known play, or; title: a story thought up five minutes ago.; title: In extended structural improvisation, the plot,; title: culmination, and outcome are necessary. Improvisation; title: as a role-play exercise can exist without such; title: constituents or it can have some of them, according to; title: the stage director's aim regarding the exercise.; title: CHAPTER 4; title: ACTING INVOLVING SPECTATORS; title: In this case, a key actor, who is a person familiar; title: with the specifics of improvisation and who has a; title: preliminary agreement with the actors, appears on the; title: stage and explains the spectators what is going on and; title: asks them to think up a place of action, an initial event; title: and a few characters. Once the actors have decided on; title: the main points, that is, who are they, who goes first,; title: and so on; they begin to take turns asking the spectators; title: questions, thus obtaining colors to be added to selected; title: characters, a favorite color, hobbies, place of; title: employment, a favorite quote, favorite actor. You can; title: ask for a joke or nightmare story to desirably use all; title: this afterward in the game, one way or another.; title: It is important not to seek to play only what is; title: offered by the spectators. Using the setting and events; title: suggested by the spectators, you must play your own; title: story — listen to your fellow actor, seek contact, act; title: first of all your own way, occasionally make play with; title: the responses received from the spectators. Otherwise,; title: the jokes quickly come to an end, but the scope of the; title: acting has not been established yet, thus there is a; title: "hang" in the result.; title: Acting "the acting involving the spectators"; title: should combine the skills for spontaneous and; title: structural improvisations, and if nothing comes out of; title: structural improvisation, spontaneous improvisation; title: must be resorted to by combining the spectators'; title: suggestions and actors' own play ideas.; title: CHAPTER 5; title: ACTOR; title: By the highest standards, none of the rules of; title: improvisation can be absolute, since in practice the; title: ratio of rules and exceptions is almost equal.; title: Improvisation is a balance of extremes, in any case this; title: balance is the goal — perhaps elusive but true, the state; title: of the total process, and the result is not so much the; title: performances, though they are significant as well, as; title: the actors themselves with the unique experience of the; title: liberation of the mind-body system, with self-control; title: skills and the control of others in an extreme situation,; title: since even acting is an extreme process.; title: An actor in an improvisational theater is a person; title: who is with certain reservations on the border between; title: normal and abnormal state of mind. Too normal state; title: does not allow acting be interesting, bright. Too; title: abnormal will allow acting be interesting and bright,; title: but not for a long time.; title: The improvisational theater needs personalities,; title: i.e., attention-drawing personalities because of their; title: mere existence. Cogency, importance of spoken words,; title: no matter how nonsensical they could be, largely; title: depends on the strength of personality. In this case,; title: actors must remember that improvisation is a collective; title: creation, and there are no winners and losers. An; title: ensemble of actors is required as internal turmoil; title: instantly affects their acting, it is almost impossible to; title: hide. On the other hand, even such stuff can be played; title: up in improvisation. If the conflict between actors has; title: not gone too far, it can become the source of acting; title: energy and the creation of the truth of behavior.; title: One of the main qualities of an improvisation; title: actor is her or his erudition. This person needs to know; title: everything — at least to plausibly mimic omniscience; title: — from discussing the latest political news to; title: pronouncing deep philosophical thoughts based on; title: personal experience or observation. A person of strong; title: power, responsiveness, courage and creative; title: impudence, developed fantasy and imagination, and; title: most importantly — loving self — can undo almost all; title: of the rules of improvisation because he or she becomes; title: interesting by the mere fact of being on stage.; title: Is it possible to use in improvisation the; title: principles of the theater of experiencing advocated by; title: Stanislavsky? Is it possible to "live" improvising? You; title: can try, but in most cases, the attempt is unsuccessful,; title: at least in the context of the form of improvisation; title: described above. The rate of performance and its basic; title: rules do not allow doing this. Spontaneous; title: improvisation is rather a theater of performance; title: (Bertolt Brecht's epic theater), sometimes turning into a; title: craft and occasionally with a strong desire of actors; title: themselves into the theater of experiencing.; title: As a rule, especially at an early stage, actors use; title: subconscious "garbage" as a performance material off; title: the top of one's head. There is a psychological relief; title: during performance — a kind of "cleansing" of; title: consciousness. One must live it through and, in due; title: course apart from unattractive everyday life, learn to; title: pick up subtle and profound themes. However, one; title: must not begin improvisation with serious, deep living; title: but only as a rare exception. From the start, actors are; title: trying to play feelings, but this can not be done by; title: definition. Just because it is impossible. One must; title: create the extent of acting and then, through the; title: situation, go to the feeling. It is only natural that from; title: the standpoint of human nature a feeling is a primary; title: emotion. The first actor can come up with a very; title: powerful energy premise, but the spectators will; title: understand its orientation and meaning only after the; title: actor begins to act, that is, after he or she comments on; title: the feelings with a situation. Then the next feelings, to; title: which the situation has given rise, should be even; title: brighter, stronger, more intense, of a range wider than; title: that of the previous feelings that had given rise to this; title: situation. In effect, the development must be from that; title: of smaller to larger significance: from superficial; title: sincerity to deep, from lesser to greater finesse, from; title: lesser to greater loudness. There is no need to raise the; title: standard too high from the outset, otherwise it will be; title: necessary either to raise the standard even higher,; title: which is sometimes impractical, or to lower, which is; title: undesirable. If the standard is held unchanged, the; title: spectators will be bored. It is impossible to find oneself; title: at a depth without passing the surface levels. In; title: improvisation as well, there could be neutral everyday; title: phrases or a bright, positive emotional outburst. In any; title: case, in the beginning, it is better to make the spectators; title: believe, establish trust with the spectators, and only; title: then open your heart, play at the breaking point of; title: sincerity, otherwise the spectators will not apprehend; title: and appreciate the sincerity. A too "serious" beginning; title: sometimes leads to the "sagging" of performance. First; title: of all, the spectators and actors not all are able to take; title: at once offered "serious" circumstances, and in the; title: second place, the situation often has nowhere to; title: develop, there is nothing to gain from changing the; title: genre into a lighter, comedic one, while left intact, the; title: performance becomes monotonous, no matter how; title: profound it may be, or the situation exhausts and comes; title: to an end. Improvisation should not be commenced; title: with clownery, but a sincere emotional peak better be; title: reserved for the end of the performance segment.; title: An actor should begin with the most essential; title: thing, without preambles and opening remarks (if the; title: preambles and opening remarks are not a dramatic; title: device), and express the essence and preferably with an; title: extreme situation. There is no paradox here — an; title: extreme situation in the beginning should not be too; title: extreme — it is during the play that the actor needs to; title: bring himself or herself to extremes, but ease, gaiety in; title: the beginning should not become mockery as a; title: "sketch". An extreme situation should be offered as a; title: dramaturgy, but a state of extremity, or in any case, its; title: maximum, will come as the actions and attitudes of; title: actors in the first place to the situation itself, and; title: secondly, to each other on the situation background.; title: In improvisation, the actors, being completely; title: free, can afford to be absolutely sincere, proceed from; title: their own feelings, but sincerity in an improvisational; title: performance is an exclusive thing and cannot be put on; title: a conveyor. It makes sense for an actor to try doing it; title: once, memorize this experience and spontaneously use; title: in the play.; title: There is another mistake where instead of; title: engaging in human relationships, in any case moving in; title: this direction, actors play only the situation, linger over; title: its details of dramaturgy, bringing to the fore domestic; title: problems instead of internal problems. In this case, the; title: profoundness is lost, the performance becomes; title: averaged because its theme, by the highest standards,; title: does not excite and does not cause either the actors or; title: the spectators to empathize with any character, even if; title: skillfully played.; title: The thematic aspect of improvisation, its; title: ideological and spiritual direction are entirely; title: dependent on the cultural level of the actors.; title: Sometimes, a discrepancy between the cultural levels of; title: the actors results in discord in acting, there is no; title: general truth of their conduct. Foul-mouthed and; title: fighting actors undoubtedly create special, unique; title: situational acuteness for each other, but from an; title: outsider's viewpoint they look strange. A switch to; title: naked naturalism is usually the result of inability to do; title: anything else, and this will lead, with rare exceptions,; title: to an even greater impasse. Like a fly caught in a spider; title: web and trying to escape, getting even more entangled,; title: the actor who does not know what to do and therefore; title: unconsciously driven into a riotous conduct, runs into; title: even greater ignorance. Naked naturalism is ugly and; title: unattractive if lasts for a long time. In improvisation; title: naked naturalism can be used as an action stimulus, as; title: an exception, no more than that.; title: A stage director of improvisational theater must; title: be an improvisation actor, that is, he has to have rich; title: improvisational experience of acting. It is one thing to; title: watch improvisation without getting involved in it and; title: notice the actors' shortcomings; and it is quite another; title: thing to understand the cause of these shortcomings and; title: recognize the ways of overcoming them on the basis of; title: your own acting experience.; title: The word "director" is not quite appropriate in; title: improvisation, a more exact word would be; title: "trainer-educator." Being of vital importance in; title: rehearsals, a director's function must be minimized on; title: stage. In improvisation, negative experience is very; title: important when an actor is receiving training while; title: playing to a full house, and then, as a rule, follows a; title: qualitative leap in the actor's skills in subsequent; title: performances. While acting, the actors should be left to; title: their own resources, so they get trained and develop; title: their skills. One can not be taught to improvise, but one; title: can learn if given the chance, because the presence of; title: spectators in itself is an extreme situation and; title: experience of any kind gained by the actors in such; title: situation is valuable. Interference in the experience and; title: an attempt to manage it are the acts of robbing the; title: actors, depriving them of an opportunity to gain; title: experience.; title: Improvisation is the phenomenon of uncontrolled,; title: self-sufficient, growing in its own self-addressed; title: dynamics, not tolerating outside interference because; title: one can not be beyond the situation and at the same; title: time control it during a performance — one can either; title: be in a situation, that is, to be in overall energy aura of; title: the play directly participating in it or out of the; title: situation, being a spectator, watching from the outside.; title: It is impossible to trigger this mechanism before; title: spectators, by artificially making it better, because it; title: needs to stop the whole system, take it apart and take; title: care of every detail, that is, to work with actors in; title: rehearsals where the director has the opportunity to; title: teach and the actors have the ability to learn, being; title: ready to apprehend information, so that they not only; title: can go wrong but immediately correct the mistake.; title: CHAPTER 6; title: ACTING; title: What is there that the actor will select as a; title: "director" and "playwright" at the moment of an; title: improvisational acting so that is only true way for the; title: most successful continuation of the acting? Any way; title: will be correct if the choice is made spontaneously. If; title: from "five" hypothetical options for the acting the; title: "third" one is selected, it means that this one is the best; title: and only correct. At this time, it is the best expression; title: of the collective consciousness not only of those acting,; title: but also of the spectators as an externally passive but; title: internally active component of an improvisational; title: performance. And if it were the "first" hypothetical; title: option chosen, then it is the best, since the spontaneous; title: choice of the actor is guided not only by logic and; title: rules, but also by intuition and feelings. One can say; title: that everything going on is right, for if it were wrong, it; title: would not have happened. In this case, can the actor; title: make a mistake by making this a spontaneous choice?; title: He or she can, but only from the perspective of an; title: outside observer. From the standpoint of the actor at the; title: time of the acting, he or she is always right anyway, for; title: he or she gains unique experience and learns to use any; title: situation creatively. Can the actor himself become an; title: outside observer of the acting? The actor can, by; title: watching videotapes of his or her acting.; title: The level of acting by improvising actors as; title: compared with improvisation as such is a relative term,; title: since the success of a play happens by chance and; title: depends on subjective factors: actors' mood, the; title: presence or absence of recent improvised acting; title: experience, the general atmosphere in the theatrical; title: crew, etc. This acting level apparently must result in the; title: creation of performances of a high artistic value, works; title: of art, and acceptance of them as such in a professional; title: environment, rather than average theatrical clichés; title: placed on the conveyor belt. There are of course such; title: things as experience and talent that make up the acting; title: level of each actor, which, in turn, with regular acting; title: practice and a number of subjective and objective; title: reasons of course is growing, but all this is not one; title: hundred percent guarantee of success and is not a; title: solution for the failures because this level is growing; title: slowly owing to the frequent absence of the; title: above-mentioned subjective and objective reasons for; title: the growth. On the other hand, this level is still rising; title: and does not allow the actor to go down below a certain; title: level, due to accumulation of acting experience.; title: There is no place for rehearsals as such in; title: improvisation because there is nothing to rehearse. It is; title: the same thing as rehearing orgasm. An act is; title: instantaneous and is based on the accumulation of an; title: acting material, but not on its fine-tuning. Technique is; title: improved rather than the theme of a play. In rehearsals; title: actors are training their nervous system to the; title: conditions of spontaneous changes, but the skills of the; title: actor in this case are not the skills of repetition, but; title: rather the skills of accumulation and technically; title: competent giving back in the right place at the right; title: time. It is easier to learn to act well without spectators; title: than in their presence, therefore bright, innovative; title: acting ideas should better be tried to a full house.; title: Repetition of improvisation as a rule is doomed to; title: failure especially if it is spontaneous improvisation.; title: Actors stop wondering at anything. Looking at this; title: action from the side, one can see it all like a bad; title: rehearsal of a poor performance. Instead of thinking,; title: listening to partners and organically finding a way out; title: of the "awkward" situations, the actors make up their; title: minds to not only repeat the previous theme, but the; title: previous success as well if they enjoyed it. As a result,; title: there is neither the first nor the second. Waiting creates; title: a tension that prevents a bright and interesting acting.; title: Mind is limited to previous experience, but the; title: experience itself cannot be reproduced as an exact; title: copy.; title: But nevertheless, repetition sometimes, in rare; title: cases, is acceptable if the actors fill the previous idea; title: with a new content, and, the longer it takes from the; title: moment of realization of this idea, the more likely is its; title: successful repetition. What is at issue in this case is a; title: repetition in general terms of subject matter of the; title: acting when the first actor sets the situation, but in no; title: case trying to copy anything. The number of major; title: moves of dramaturgy in improvisation is not unlimited,; title: and sooner or later the actors will still begin to repeat; title: themselves in a varying degree, but it is important that; title: this happens unconsciously, spontaneously. The special; title: purpose repetition is a blind-alley way of developing; title: acting skills in improvisation because the actors in this; title: case do not need each other and are not interested in; title: each other. Why look for a contact, listen, be attentive; title: if we generally know who will follow whom and what; title: will be said? Human nature in all cases tends to choose; title: the easier way, which in this case is not the correct one.; title: Careful planning, a maximum of prepared scenes and; title: minimum of freedom is structural improvisation, and it; title: does not make any sense to mix it up in spontaneous; title: improvisation (with the exception of "the acting; title: involving the spectators").; title: Trying to do something serious, an actor once in a; title: while indulges in farfetched significance, pretensions to; title: the depth that does not exist in the reality of his or her; title: inner self, uttering phrases that are understandable only; title: to him or her self. In this case the actor has to stop; title: inside and answer the question: "What do I want?" If; title: the answer is found, then the acting problem should; title: become the basis of inner feelings. One can not play the; title: emotional state — one must play attitude — this is; title: what causes a clash between the characters and; title: develops the situation, and achieve the state through an; title: attitude.; title: It is not desirable to play improvisation with a; title: purpose, i.e., play only seriously or just make; title: somebody laugh, just about love, etc. The purpose may; title: be one — to find a contact with a partner, and what; title: color will dominate is impossible to predict and there is; title: no need to predict. By creating inner sets, setting the; title: mood for any particular genre, the actor initially limits; title: itself, in the sense of inability to a priori maintain that; title: acting for which he or she is not geared up, but the one; title: a fellow actor can offer. There are no serious or; title: frivolous themes for acting — our attitude toward them; title: makes them as such — any theme could be played any; title: way.; title: Along with this, if an actor has changed his or her; title: overall acting mood by making it more serious,; title: profound, that is infrequent in improvisation, fellow; title: actors must not be at least prevented from doing this.; title: What is to be done if you start acting seriously, but; title: your fellow actors are not conscious of your seriousness; title: and mock at you? Ignore humorous mood, go your own; title: way by taking no notice of the jokes. If you're; title: convincing enough, the other actors will be forced to; title: accept this.; title: Generally, the way out of the hustle and bustle of; title: the scene is a pause, a counterpoint. At a pause, the; title: acting of the actors is comprehended and perceived. A; title: pause can result from an increase in the speech rate,; title: actions with a subsequent change of tempo-rhythm. A; title: word uttered after a pause is never unnoticed. This is a; title: mechanism of the nervous system functioning that; title: prevents a person from perceiving information without; title: pauses. A pause initiates intrigue, paves the way for a; title: revelation, but if there are no intrigue and revelation,; title: there is no need for a pause because it creates false; title: significance.; title: Energy exchange between an actor and the; title: spectators is going on the principle — the more one; title: gives the more one gets. In order to give energy, one; title: must initially have it. If a person onstage is weak, not; title: self-confident, she or he has no energy, the spectators; title: begin to eat up the actor. The scene alone increases the; title: fundamental principle — those who are weak get; title: weaker, those who are strong get stronger.; title: Before the performance, an actor must position; title: correctly his or her mind and body, calm down as much; title: as possible, and bring consciousness to ordered; title: readiness. If an actor on stage is capable of running and; title: screaming, he or she will be able to stand and speak, if; title: the actor can stand and speak, he or she can lie and be; title: silent. The ability to run and scream is laid in the ability; title: to stand and say — the ability to stand and say is laid in; title: the ability to lie and be silent, and it depends on this; title: ability. What determines the ability to lie and be silent?; title: It is an independent state, i.e., the original; title: self-sufficient existence, the foundation of any activity.; title: One can lie and say nothing for a very long time, but; title: cannot run around and scream much longer, therefore,; title: an action following a rest is more energetic. An inner; title: stop is the only correct way to renew vigor of the actor; title: in improvisation, it is the initial stage anyway. Then,; title: when the actor has power, the power can be released,; title: creating a power-sharing with the spectators and fellow; title: actors, but in the beginning of this exchange, the actor; title: needs to "rest" before the acting, though a stop of; title: existence can be made at any moment of the acting.; title: In improvisation, the actor must be attentive, and; title: if possible control all the action space — there is a need; title: to spontaneously create a counterpoint to the conduct; title: and position of the actors on the stage. If all are; title: standing, to sit down, all are screaming and running; title: around, to stop and begin crying, etc. There is a need; title: for a contrast, different acting speed. One cannot; title: approach the fellow actor too close, unless there is; title: something important to announce. If you came very; title: close, create an event, if there is no event, do not go; title: near.; title: If two actors are in the same tempo and rhythm,; title: then the third one, while approaching them, must act in; title: contrast to them with a different tempo and rhythm, a; title: different temper, different plastique, etc.; title: For example, two actors talk about love, talk; title: slowly, without ruffle or excitement trying to get the; title: feel of the situation, but it cannot go on for long,; title: someone has to change the acting, to speed up, to create; title: an emotional outburst, which, in turn, must be justified; title: and organic. This is not always easy and not always; title: necessary, because the conversation may have some; title: artistic value in the form in which it exists, therefore,; title: there should be a third actor with bright, juicy story; title: about prices on the market, the dollar exchange rate,; title: weather, etc. When he or she (the third) goes off the; title: stage, the conversation will continue. There is another; title: option. The third actor may be relevant to the topic of; title: conversation and join up with the topic, remaining in; title: the action, but also in contrast. In this case, the third; title: actor in most cases can not join up until the first two; title: have dealt with the situation at least in general terms,; title: that is have figured out who they are, what their; title: relations are, what they want, etc.; title: There is a need of a conflict, on which theater in; title: principle is based. No conflict must be created; title: artificially for the sake of the conflict. It must be; title: justified. The conflict arises from a difference between; title: the stands in life, behaviors, different speeds of; title: characters. Hence, initially, there must always be; title: present a position, which needs to be defended — for; title: any reason, even if it is, in principle, wrong in terms of; title: common sense. For example, the first actor comes and; title: says that everything is already dead and in fact there is; title: nothing and nobody. The second actor may get into an; title: argument with the first one and assert that the first one; title: is mad and everybody is actually alive. Sooner or later; title: one of them will have to accept the reality imposed by; title: the fellow actor and to abide by the law of the reality,; title: but it must be justified from the point of view of the; title: world just created, and if the arguments of the other; title: side are quite weighty and convincing. One must be; title: able to find interest in everything that happens and, at; title: any time, to set off one's own contrasting position; title: against that of others. Emotional "frigidity" of the; title: fellow actor cuts the ground from under the other actor.; title: In this case, there is a need to change the ways of; title: influence — to move from a conversation to physical; title: actions (justified within the framework of a theater) —; title: to force fellow actors to change.; title: Addressing a fellow actor, one must begin with; title: the most essential thing without an unnecessary; title: preface, (unless the preface is a piece of the action),; title: play concentrated life even if it is absurd. The actor; title: who has offered a new idea for acting must wait for the; title: reaction of his or her fellow actor, for example, when; title: an actor has asked a question, he or she must wait for; title: an answer as long as is necessary, without attempting to; title: answer the question or comment on it. This creates a; title: pause necessary at times and provides an additional; title: opportunity to reflect on the scene situation. In turn, the; title: second actor must answer to show his or her attitude; title: toward the fellow actor, and the reaction of the fellow; title: actor is not necessarily expressed in words. It is; title: desirable to create an atmosphere of history of; title: relationships with no special explanation for the viewer,; title: to create the truth of the conduct through small things,; title: details, seemingly inconsequential, but, sometimes, in; title: the end, principal. Even doing nothing, one has to be; title: interesting, that is, to act, as a counterpoint to the; title: general tempo and rhythm, creating the counterpoint in; title: one's behavior.; title: Talking about abstract philosophical or social; title: things, it is desirable to talk about the real people and; title: events. By and large, any ideas and concepts must be; title: reviewed at the time of the acting. An actor should be; title: surprised, and then should reappraise any value. This; title: does not mean that one has to play people who are; title: dumb and supposedly not understanding what is going; title: on. Rather — cleaner, touching, naive, than you really; title: are. Such person is well aware of everything, but makes; title: it an event for himself or herself and changes,; title: sometimes dramatically, evolves as a character; title: reinterpreting his or her previous life experience.; title: Theatrical improvisation often turns into a verbal; title: "ping-pong" — people standing and talking, at best —; title: walking, at worst — sitting. This should be avoided by; title: activating the body, thus helping to express the text by; title: plastique. People talking about unrequited love and the; title: man, telling an anecdote, will move differently, as a; title: man walking with an empty suitcase and a man — with; title: a suitcase full of money.; title: It is important to perform plastique by using; title: macro and micro movements, which are always more; title: visible and expressive.; title: Nothing can be wrong if it is interesting. When; title: there is no plastique at all in the acting and it is not; title: boring, there is no point in adding it artificially. You; title: can not move for the sake of the movement itself —; title: you need to be carried away by the acting problem and; title: sometimes departing from it, to justify the plastique; title: figure. In structural improvisation, an actor can afford; title: (and should) plan their behavior, including an; title: expressive movement, or, during the acting, divert his; title: or her attention away from the fellow actor and the; title: objective for the sake of a bright movement. In; title: spontaneous improvisation, gestures can not be; title: objective, since the rate of change will not make it; title: possible both to hear the fellow actor while solving the; title: acting problem and to deliberately demonstrate the; title: range of plastique, but if the acting problem could not; title: be determined, then a bad "farfetched" plastique is; title: better than a good "slack."; title: One should play what will be right in terms of the; title: overall situation, technology rather than what I, as a; title: human being, think right in this life situation or what I; title: thought beforehand. Sometimes it is the same, if not,; title: you need to choose something that is the most; title: interesting and a correct direction in terms of any; title: further development of the situation.; title: If the apparent conflict does not work, you need; title: to play against the fellow actor, to give an unexpected,; title: paradoxical assessment of the events, while the fellow; title: actor can make this assessment for himself or herself an; title: event, the fellow actor can also accept this paradox for; title: granted, the phenomenon that goes without saying,; title: which also will be interesting. In any case, it is; title: impossible to give many events at once — the fellow; title: actor will not have time to react — the truth of conduct; title: will be lost as a result.; title: Falling down, loss of consciousness, these; title: constitute one of the most extreme rescue cases in the; title: deadlock — they will come up to you, begin to look; title: into the matter, etc. Another option is a sincere; title: recognition of something, a certain frankness of; title: hopelessness. You can tell about your dream or what; title: you saw in a sleep. The only thing that is not to be done; title: is to complain to the spectators, to talk about your; title: acting difficulties under the pretence of acting. Such; title: pseudo sincerity makes a weak impression, destroys the; title: magic of the theater.; title: When an actor comes across an unfamiliar topic,; title: of which he or she has no idea and has never in his or; title: her life encountered, the actor must use imagination; title: and act with absolute certainty, demonstrating; title: "expertise". Even if, from the standpoint of common; title: sense, it would look ridiculous, the actor's confidence; title: will make the spectators believe. What is important —; title: there should not be averaged words, evaluations, and; title: behavior.; title: Difficulties arise when one is playing surrealism; title: — nothing is clear, but one needs to act — then one; title: must act and everything becomes clear. As already; title: mentioned, it is enough for the first actor to go forward; title: and start doing "something." With the advent of the; title: second actor and the establishment of a contact, the; title: situation will be clearer.; title: In improvisation, stupid questions should be; title: avoided, such questions as "What is it?", "Who are; title: you?", "What are you doing?", "What's happening?." It; title: is assumed that you know what's going on and who he; title: is. There is a need to be patient and be attentive to the; title: partner. Exceptions are cases when these questions are; title: used consciously as a dramatic device, or they are; title: really needed.; title: In rare cases, you can break your fellow actor's; title: acting if his or her actions are absolutely; title: incomprehensible to you, and you think your idea is; title: more appropriate, and identify a new scene, event, and; title: your relationships. In extreme cases, other fellow actors; title: will be able to define and justify all this. Your fellow; title: actor will be obliged to accept and play the proposed; title: new circumstances, unless, of course, he or she does; title: not want to break down your idea with his or her new; title: idea. The correctness of the first actor has an effect,; title: although it may be compromised if it is justified; title: according to the dramaturgy, that is, a sudden drastic; title: change in the situation and theme is advantageous and; title: the subsequent idea is better than the previous one. It is; title: important not to make the fellow actor out a fool by; title: starting a debate on the proposed circumstances that; title: you do not like, but those that have already been thrust; title: upon you by the fellow actor. They must either be; title: accepted and given at least some assessment or, if the; title: situation is difficult or boring, which in principle; title: should not be the case, one may impose one's own; title: circumstances and, if possible, without breaking what; title: the fellow actor has said but making a start from that; title: point. If you were called a general, do not deny it, but; title: say that you were reduced in rank and now you are a; title: janitor. In most cases, it is desirable to adapt to the; title: already proposed circumstances, developing and; title: complementing them.; title: One way to clarify the situation, for example in; title: the case the fellow actor's actions are not clear, go; title: forward and act the same way. In any case, you need to; title: go forward and help the first actor because it is easier; title: for the two of actors to tackle the problem. If the two; title: fellow actors did not understand each other (Who were; title: they? Where were they?), and they realized that they; title: did not understand each other, then that idea, which; title: would be more understandable to the spectators and the; title: more justified and convincing, must be kept on.; title: In improvisation, there is always a leader — he or; title: she is usually an actor of stronger energy, more; title: experienced and talented, "imposing" his or her offered; title: circumstances more often than other actors. In order; title: that the acting does not become predictable from; title: performance to performance, one must be able to give; title: up leadership at any time. However, if someone has; title: already taken a leadership role, others should not; title: interfere with him or her and must adapt to his or her; title: acting.; title: The maximum number of actors who can; title: simultaneously be in the action space are three or four.; title: When there are more, they stop to hear each other,; title: confusion begins. On the other hand there can be any; title: number, but in exceptional cases, when required by the; title: idea, for example, when playing a kindergarten, or; title: parents' meeting, etc.; title: It is important to timely enter the scene and go; title: out when you are no longer needed. How do I know; title: when it's the "time"? Feel, have an intuitive sense of; title: harmony and disharmony, avoiding long-term; title: oversupply of extremes, changing yourself and; title: compelling your fellow actors to change, acting as a; title: director for yourself and others. Do not go out the; title: action space in silence and to "nowhere," this action; title: also needs to be justified in the context of the dramatic; title: concept — "I'll be back in ten minutes," or "I was; title: called to the center," etc.; title: By and large there is no place for slacks in; title: improvisation because man thinks faster than speaks or; title: walks, and if a slack nevertheless occurred, it means; title: that the actor analyzes his or her own thinking process; title: too much and excessively strains himself or herself.; title: Sometimes there is no need even to think —; title: appropriate text will come by itself, just go forward. A; title: play in improvisation often occurs at the level of an; title: acquired habit — instantly and unconsciously.; title: In improvisation, there are transient characters; title: who adjust the play in the right direction and create the; title: required space for certain situations. An actor may; title: appear once as a "smoking passerby" and never again; title: go onstage in this action stretch, but may come back to; title: stay in the play, to become a principal actor.; title: The actor who starts the play and offers an idea; title: should not hide behind empty, abstract phrases; title: providing no information, transferring responsibility to; title: a fellow actor, although the fellow actor cannot take; title: responsibility, because the action space is already filled; title: with something, but it is not clear what that; title: "something" is. If you intend to make an offer, do make; title: it, if you do not have ideas, better not go onstage at all,; title: not the first anyhow. But, paradoxical enough, as an; title: exception, you can sometimes go onstage completely; title: blank, relaxed as much as possible, the mind-body; title: system set free, and just play a stream of consciousness.; title: Other actors can help the first one who does not; title: understand his or her role to demonstrate the value of; title: his or her acting. If an actor adjusts herself or himself to; title: the current acting situation, it is desirable that the actor; title: goes forward with an invented acting problem and; title: specific idea in the context of this acting situation. In; title: any case, an improvised monologue or dialogue should; title: not turn into one continuous code. Despite the fact that; title: the actors supposedly or really understand everything,; title: the spectators must understand something as well.; title: Sooner or later, the specifics should appear. The; title: spectators must be taught, accurately and; title: understandably, what is really happening and who these; title: people are.; title: If you want to change the scene of action, with; title: the theme remaining, all the actors simultaneously; title: leave the acting space and reappear or there are new; title: actors in other offered circumstances that are directly or; title: indirectly related to the previous topic.; title: Everything the actors use in their actions in; title: spontaneous improvisation is fictitious. Various; title: objects, changes in space and the location of the actors; title: relative to each other, changes in height, climbing rope; title: and cliffs, falling into the pit — everything must be; title: carefully and accurately followed up and played,; title: allowing no inaccuracies and not making the fellow; title: actors out fools.; title: For greater reliability, it would be good to; title: combine the offered idea with any process, physical; title: action for two (three, etc.), and the situation wins if the; title: process and subject of the conversation do not go with; title: one another, or better contrast each other. We load; title: weapons — talk about love, rob graves — talk about; title: painting, etc. It is desirable that both the subject and; title: process develop, lead somewhere, and even possibly; title: cross at the end.; title: The ability to complete improvisation when; title: necessary is no less important than the ability to start, it; title: is not unnecessary anyway. The play is terminated by; title: an external action of either the director or someone; title: else, but it can be done when the actors come up to the; title: coda. As a general rule, it is the introduction of an; title: event, a certain outcome of the situation or an; title: expressive plastique figure, the final monologue. Here,; title: the situation can be closed and brought to an end with; title: the same material that was used at the beginning, or the; title: actors simultaneously leave the acting space in an; title: organic and reasonable manner.; title: A difficulty of spontaneous improvisation is in; title: almost complete absence of real characters on the stage,; title: while attempts to create them, result in an inability to; title: retain them. This task is complicated in conditions of; title: improvisation, but solvable, if the task is undertaken; title: consciously without using clichés, repeatedly playing; title: the same thing, replicating "I am in the offered; title: circumstances". An actor allows herself or himself to be; title: led by the spectators, using well-trodden, familiar; title: paths, stopping to train her or his imagination, taking; title: no trouble of the process of thinking about the acting; title: and creating something new, even more profound.; title: Proficiency stops developing and comes to degradation,; title: which is not always readily felt, so the spectators are no; title: longer surprised. Having played "seriously" and "not; title: seriously", having repeated herself or himself several; title: times, having exhausted every possible topic, the actor; title: gets exhausted and comes to a creative crisis. It is; title: beyond one's power to play the old material and; title: nothing new appears to cross one's mind owing to; title: inconsistency of the degree of consciousness; title: development and the scope of personality, on the one; title: hand, and the degree of sophistication of the material to; title: which the actor lays claim, on the other. If one cannot; title: carry the burden one is trying to bear and to do this; title: nevertheless, one needs to take care of oneself outside; title: the theater. There is a need to obtain a body of; title: information and all kinds of experience that would; title: allow creating something on a completely different, a; title: higher spiritual and intellectual level.; title: In acting, it is desirable to avoid straightforward; title: and brute decisions — a gay is necessarily mannered,; title: all Americans are fat, etc. Any cliché makes a feeble; title: impression of improvisation, rendering it predictable.; title: "Bad" is not always only "evil", "good" — not in all; title: cases should be kind. It is undesirable to say — "I love; title: you", better to say — "I am sad without you", etc.; title: Another destructive tendency of actors in; title: improvisation is laying claim to their fellow actors, an; title: attempt to assess the degree of their sincerity in acting.; title: There is one who says "I do not believe you and; title: therefore will not play with you, but if you change, so; title: will I." At first one has to understand the extent of his; title: or her sincerity, and if it is deep enough, the fellow; title: actor, sooner or later, will feel it and adjust to that one; title: actor. If everyone demands of oneself without trying to; title: assess oneself, the strong then will save the weak, and; title: everybody will act in one direction. To paraphrase the; title: famous joke, we can say: "Section One: The fellow; title: actor is always right, Section Two: I the fellow actor is; title: not right, see Section One." One should not directly; title: demand that the fellow actor behave as the one desires; title: — this should be shown by personal example. It goes; title: here about fellow actor of approximately equal talent; title: and expertise.; title: If all your fellow actors left the acting space and; title: you were left alone, do not deliberately talk to yourself; title: (if it is not a dramatic device) telling "stupid" spectators; title: why you were left alone and that you are going to do; title: next — this should be done carefully, by slight hints,; title: letting the spectators to do some more thinking about; title: the situation and having acquired the experience of a; title: conversation with yourself, or actually start doing; title: something only occasionally uttering some scraps of; title: words or sounds. Another option is to directly address; title: the spectators with a monologue, describing the; title: background of your relationship with the fellow actor(s),; title: or, having arbitrarily changed the time, to explain; title: what just has happened after the events. In any case, if; title: the actor for some reason was left alone or walked off; title: the stage first and was not supported by his or her; title: fellow actors from outside, this actor must act and be; title: interesting for a long time by inventing for herself or; title: himself newly offered circumstances, establishing; title: contact with an imaginary fellow actor, material; title: objects, spectators or acting as a fellow actor for herself; title: or himself.; title: An actor in improvisation can be either cheerful,; title: sad, illogical, paradoxical, obscene, profound, angry; title: but, what is important, not boring, totally taking any; title: action suggestions on any topic and in any genre. Then,; title: improvisational ideas, which seem absurd at first; title: glance, become interesting and captivate spectators.; title: CHAPTER 7; title: "SOMETHING"; title: There are scarcely any solution and rule of; title: improvisation. Any principle, when apparently true, can; title: be refuted if a new, more interesting creative solution is; title: found as a result of this, therefore, the techniques; title: described above may not be absolute. If within this; title: structure of improvisation, it is appropriate and; title: necessary for the actor onstage to find an answer to the; title: question "Where am I?", "Who am I?", "What I want?",; title: "What am I?"; then in another, these issues may appear; title: to be optional, especially if the "structure" is devoid of; title: any feature of a structure. Then, it is another; title: improvisation, existing under other laws, or in general,; title: regardless of any kind of laws.; title: If you move from technology to the "ideology" of; title: improvisation, everything here is more complicated. If; title: improvisation in general is the foundation, successful; title: improvisation is "higher aerobatics", the ability to let; title: oneself go without losing control of the situation. Can; title: everybody learn to improvise? Theoretically yes,; title: practically — no, at any rate, the rate of creative growth; title: will slow in the absence of necessary qualities and; title: internal content. "Yes" because the original freedom is; title: given to all. Freedom of mind and body. Soul and spirit; title: if you like. Initially, by nature, man is free and not "not; title: free," as well as healthy, not sick. "No" because; title: "something" interferes with freedom, and at the same; title: time, this "something" in most cases causes a person to; title: play. A rare exception is an overabundance of energy; title: and its sublimation for creativity. Though in this case,; title: this overabundance is often a result of limitations in; title: some other spheres of human nature. When, in most; title: cases, you need to play? When it is intolerable,; title: disadvantageous, uncomfortable to be oneself, and one; title: hides his true self or the one wants to achieve some; title: objects by manipulating or deceiving others, this just; title: shows an inability to get the desirable in a natural way.; title: People who constantly act get tired and tire others. A; title: mask of success and cheerfulness is put on the weak,; title: sad, and scared; and sad becomes even sadder. But one; title: cannot deceive oneself, and the person studying; title: improvisation must go to the real Self instead of from; title: her or his Self, trying to create an artificial Self, on; title: which to improvise as a "genius." Somewhere inside,; title: somebody's real Self is slumbering and requires the; title: release, hopes to be realized, sometimes, not in very; title: many cases, becomes the basis of the acting, but in; title: most cases, is rejected.; title: With regard to the actor's skill level, there is a; title: question of the amount of the above-mentioned; title: "something" — if it is large, one will not succeed in; title: improvisation, if not, one will become an acting; title: catalyst. What happens if the "something" is removed?; title: The person stops playing. Having returned to the; title: original state of freedom, people lose the motivation for; title: the acting. There is no way to development, nothing; title: needs to be proven. Thus, we can say that the main; title: qualities of an actor-improviser is the availability of; title: energy, some scope of personality, and, paradoxically,; title: some inferiority complex, which would motivate to be; title: other than one's self, but not absorbing actor's nature; title: completely. Then incompatibles combine, and the; title: eternal paradox of theatrical improvisation comes; title: easily.; title: S. Hlushko. 2010