#springfield improv

These are notes from a recent Springfield Improv “Home Team” rehearsal, coached by Scott Kirchner. The rehearsal was largely focused on feeling and following the emotional energy of the scene, which I found fascinating, enlightening, and incredibly useful. I hope you do as well.

The scene needs more than just action. Action is excellent, but we need to care about the characters.

We can have silly stuff happen if the audience is emotionally invested in the characters. There needs to be an emotional connection.

You can use feelings and perspectives from your real life to add specifics that enhance the relationship of the scene.

When someone says something big, have a realistic, believable reaction.

At the top of the scene, someone needs to make a big choice, and their partner needs to emotionally react to it in a believable way.

Pick up on games and bits quicker, and repeat them.

If the first game move you make is grounded in reality, the audience will buy into future moves that are crazier. The audience needs to buy into the reality of the scene.

The emotional intensity of a scene can fluctuate. For example, you might be in a heated debate, then rest and talk about mundane things for a moment.

The energies of the two players can be confrontational and butting heads, but that doesn't mean constant yelling. The players need to be in total agreement, and pay attention to emotional cues.

Be aware of the scene's energy, and how the energy fluctuates. Notice the pattern of fluctuation.

 Exercise: Two person scene. One player leads emotionally, the other follows and matches. The first player should make many big emotional choices throughout the scene. The second player matches and justifies.

The easiest type of scene to play is full character agreement scenes. Scott has laid the foundation with these scenes.

The next level is characters who butt heads, but players who are deeply connected.

In a full agreement scene, we are always matching our positivity towards each other.

We can match any energy. We must be fully aware of our partner's emotional state, and support it.

Emotions can shift moment-to-moment. This happens when we react truthfully to each individual moment.

Matching energies, and allowing them to fluctuate, results in… 

Scenes feeling real.

Players being more connected.

The player who made the initial choice feeling more confident and supported.

Arguments that feel like they're coming from a place of connection and reality.

Any scene where the players are fully connected and yes-anding each other is an agreement scene.