Thoughts, Mine & Borrowed, on Make 'Em Ups - an improv blog

HUFFLEPUFF: “As actors, you become an expert at starting over. Every single role brings with it an ignorance and an insecurity, and so you have to approach it with the same curiosity and humility.” –Lupita Nyong’o

and knowing the time to let it go.

Travis McElroy (via gay-yoshi)

Seriously, don’t respond to your partner’s idea with “Eh, I don’t like this.” Even just saying “Meow meow meow” would be better.

- We got in a fight? Let’s split up the room/house with a line. That’s my half and that’s your half. - Two characters accidentally swap bodies - The musical episode - It’s time to shrink really tiny and go into (other character) to solve their sickness! - Character 1 and Character 2 are fighting for the affections of Character 3 (who probably does not like either of them) - The background character-oriented episode - Oh no! (Character) has made a bunch of clones of themself! We need to kill them all. - The episode where a character gets successful/powerful/rich, becomes an asshole, then proceeds to ruin it all - The birthday episode - An episode that turns out to just be a dream - A character dislikes a newly-introduced “adorable” character but nobody believes them until they eventually prove that the cute character is actually evil - The “you saved my life”/lifedebt episode - Holiday episodes - The “how did the censors let them get away with this?” episode

Ancient Improv Proverb (via e-mprov)

Juliet listing reasons to tell Tybalt that really, he’d get along swimmingly with Romeo, so please won’t he give him a chance?

Trevor Nunn, British Shakespeare Master, Tries Something New: Directing Americans, by Alexis Soloski (New York Times, Feb. 2016)

(via anunperfectactor)

Heard at Curious Comedy Theater in Portland, OR.  (via improv-philosophy)

- Del Close (art prints available) 

10.  Commit and take whatever you’re doing to the next level.  Grow, evolve, take risks.

1. You are all supporting actors. 2. Always check your impulses. 3. Never enter a scene unless you are NEEDED. 4. Save your fellow actor, don’t worry about the piece. 5. Your prime responsibility is to support. 6. Work at the top of your brains at all times. 7. Never underestimate or condescend to your audience. 8. No jokes (unless it is tipped in front that it is a joke.) 9. Trust… trust your fellow actors to support you; trust them to come through if you lay something heavy on them; trust yourself. 10. Avoid judging what is going down except in terms of whether it needs help (either by entering or cutting), what can best follow, or how you can support it imaginatively if your support is called for. 11. LISTEN

Heard at The Peoples Improv Theater, NYC (via improv-philosophy)