Mullaney

Improv scene templates: Non sequitur This scene template is a...

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:27:00 -0500

Improv scene templates: Non sequitur

This scene template is a particularly fun one. It feels a little like a trick, but it can have surprisingly delicious results. It starts very much like the Activity to Point of View scene template that I described on Wednesday. One person enters and starts an activity and another person joins that activity. But when the players speak, it’s completely different.

One person starts a conversation

The first person says 1 or 2 statements about whatever topic they like. They can be describing something that happened to them, their state of mind or sharing their opinion on some topic.

Second person says something which is a non sequitur

The second person listens to what the first person says, but responds by talking about something completely different. Again they should use statements and avoid questions (unless they are rhetorical). If one person wants to talk about their job, the other wants to talk about their heartburn. If one person wants to talk about their sex life, the other wants to talk about Star Trek. They do not even need to verbally acknowledge what the other person says.

Each player continues their topic of conversation

When the first player responds, they again talk about their original topic. And when the second player speaks, they are talking about their topic. It’s as if each person is doing a different monolog and pausing as the other one speaks.

Pick one conversation or merge them

After bouncing back and forth between the two topics of conversation for a few lines, one of the players should switch to talk about the other person’s topic. Or in some cases, the player will realize why these two topics go together and merge them. Don’t force it, wait until a satisfying impulse occurs to you about how to merge them. The scene continues forward at this point like any other scene.

Some things to keep in mind:

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Improv scene templates: Activity to Point of ViewOn Monday I...

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:35:29 -0500

Improv scene templates: Activity to Point of View

On Monday I posted a template for beginning a scene that I called You Statements. Of course, you…

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Kevin Hines: Advice for Two Person Improv Teams

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:55:53 -0500

Kevin Hines: Advice for Two Person Improv Teams:

kevhines:

Don’t be fooled by that title. I have no advice for Two Person improv teams. Instead I am asking for other people to give advice.

I’m often asked for advice by people starting their own 2 person groups. I understand this! Will and I perform as the Brothers Hines and are both teachers. We should…

I have coached a fair number of two person groups over the last few years and the only thing I can say is that it’s not very different from bigger groups, except that because there are only two people you can get a lot of reps in a short amount of time. I think 90 minutes is about right for a rehearsal. Just pick 1 or 2 muscles to work on per rehearsal and do lots of reps.

Improv scene templates: You Statements Scene templates can be...

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:01:00 -0500

Improv scene templates: You Statements

Scene templates can be very useful for improv scenes. It’s good to have a simple game plan or strategy to help start a scene. And it’s good to practice those strategies over and over so that they become second nature. There is no single right template. Just like there are lots of good ways to begin a chess game or lots of different successful plays in football or basketball, there are lots of good ways to begin a scene.

Here is one that I like:

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Mind Rideby Mitch Magee I only watched this for the first time a...

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:06:00 -0500

Mind Ride
by Mitch Magee

I only watched this for the first time a few days ago, but I really love it. Mitch has a way of crafting really great weird moments in his short videos. I love the song and dancing. I want to know what a mind pit is.

Mitch has a kickstarter going on right now where he is raising money for a film project. He has a week left and he is really close to making it happen. If you know Mitch and his work and haven’t contributed a few bucks, please consider going over there right now and pledging.

Molly resting from a trip to dog beach.

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:03:17 -0500

Molly resting from a trip to dog beach.

Behavior is a Game, A Workshop with Kevin MullaneySaturday, June...

Mon, 06 May 2013 16:30:19 -0500

Behavior is a Game, A Workshop with Kevin Mullaney

Saturday, June 1, 2013
11:00 am – 3:00 pm
At Upstairs Gallery
5219 N Clark
Third Floor
Chicago
A…

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Hump Night, May 8thHump Night returns this coming Wednesday at...

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:39:08 -0500

Hump Night, May 8th

Hump Night returns this coming Wednesday at Strawdog Theater, 3829 N Broadway in Chicago:
Hump Night…

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Fish Bowl Recordings, by Charlie Darwin's Uncle

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:21:47 -0500

Fish Bowl Recordings, by Charlie Darwin's Uncle:

humpnight:

6 track album

This guy was at Hump Night last night and he was great. I hope he comes back and I hope he keeps writing songs.

We will have shows on May 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th.

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:00:15 -0500

We will have shows on May 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th.

Unsolicited Advice

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:32:34 -0500

larhunter:

The day the new teams are announced, there’s a lot of space taken up on the web for the newly cast: congratulations and what not. But nothing ever really gets said to the people who are cut. I’ve been thinking a lot about that today, so I decided to offer some advice to those people.

1) Feel your feelings
When I was cut from Harold Night, I was devastated. I felt like my greatest dream had been taken from me. I was really sad. Then I was really angry. The important thing to remember is that it’s okay to be angry or sad or whatever you’re feeling. And it’s also okay if you want to take a break from the scene. Give yourself some time to process.

2) Don’t panic
After the initial shock wears off, you are probably going to want to talk to someone, a teacher or the AD, and get a full postmortem on why you were cut. I do not recommend this. It will only send you into a deeper tailspin. Yes, it’s possible that you could get back on a team and yes, the AD/teacher might have some advice, but you know, deep down, what you could work on. Don’t weigh yourself down with someone else’s criticism. It’ll just send you into your head.

3) Pretend this is it
Ask yourself, “if I never got back on a team, what would I do?” Whatever the answer is, that’s probably the best thing you can do right now. If you love improv, you’ll find a way to keep doing it. If you decide you’re done, that’s okay too. Remember, “you are what you love, not what loves you.”

4) You are a talented and worthy person
Otherwise you’d have never been cast. Remember this. It is true.

To those who were cast, congrats. To those who were cut, I got your back.

Chicago Improv Practice GroupA couple years ago, when I first...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:03:41 -0500

Chicago Improv Practice Group

A couple years ago, when I first moved back to Chicago, I started a Meetup group for actors and…

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Hump Night NewsI have a bunch of things to announce about Hump...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:41:35 -0500

Hump Night News

I have a bunch of things to announce about Hump Night. First off, we will be extending at least…

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Second City BoatCo Auditions in NYC

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:55:37 -0500

Hey NYC, please reblog to get the word out

Second City Theatricals is seeking actors for ensembles on Norwegian Cruise Line ships. A ship-specific audition will be held at the Magnet Training Center in New York City on Thursday, May 16th, 2013. Audition will be completely improvised. Performers should be a graduate of a conservatory-level program (such as Peoples Improv Theater, Upright Citizens Brigade or Magnet Theater).

Interested performers should email a headshot and resume to auditions@secondcity.com ON Wednesday, May 1st. Please include “Second City Theatricals – NYC – May 16” in the subject line of your email. Performers not following these guidelines may not be considered for an audition slot. Callbacks will be held on Friday, May 17th.

Second City performers are contracted for 4 months at a time.

The Second City was founded in Chicago in 1959 as a hub for sketch and improvisational comedy, and has held a contract with Norwegian Cruise Line since 2005.

chicago-improv-festival: Send us your feedback on CIF16 We...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:40:40 -0500

chicago-improv-festival:

Send us your feedback on CIF16

We hope that everyone who participated in this year’s festival had a great time. We tried many new…

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Yes please! We want your feedback. What did we do right? What did we do wrong?

Musical Stairs

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:26:44 -0500

Etiquette for starting an improv scene Perhaps you’ve been a...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:32:00 -0500

Etiquette for starting an improv scene

Perhaps you’ve been a part of something like this. It’s time to edit a scene on stage. One player starts to make a sweep edit, and everyone else hesitates before joining them. Finally someone joins from behind at about the same time that the first player waves for someone else to join them. Now there are three people in the scene. They each make fumbled initiations. and the scene continues to stumble forward as they try to make it work.

Or perhaps you’ve done this. You walk on stage and start doing some activity. You say nothing. No one joins for a really long time, perhaps because they can’t make sense of what you are doing. Finally someone does come on stage and immediately says something that contradicts what you have created. You freeze up because you are not sure if you should drop your initiation or say something that clarifies what you were doing and hope your scene partner can make sense of it. You are both extremely frustrated with each other, defensive at notes and begin to plot how you can get the other one kicked off the team.

Maybe you have done this. Continue reading →

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Audition Advice

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:56:39 -0500

iamachilles:

I

You

We

React

Repeat funny thing

Chill:

Let your scene partner provoke youYou’ve probably heard that if...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:51:45 -0500

Let your scene partner provoke you

You’ve probably heard that if you react or behave in a particular way in an improvised scene, you…

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nicclee: improv-is-easy: I coach a lot of improv, and I have...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:43:00 -0500

nicclee:

improv-is-easy:

I coach a lot of improv, and I have a crush on someone who is on one of the teams I coach, so I’m wondering what you would do in this situation. Is there any way to appropriately act on it?

This can be tricky. I truly believe it’s bad behavior to ask out someone you currently coach. It’s like a teacher asking out a student — unprofessional and unfair, since there’s an educational relationship involved which you might be taking advantage of.

Fortunately, there are some steps you can do. I hope you can follow this advice!

First, stop coaching the group. Be professional about it. Even though you’re probably great at coaching, you can no longer be objective about it when you’re crushing on one of your clients.

Second, ask the person out. Now that you no longer have a professional relationship, there’s no conflict of interest in asking them on a date. G’04 it!

If they say yes, enjoy! (If it’s me, I’M DOWN.)

If they say no, accept it with good grace and move on.

In either case, don’t resume coaching the group. Even if they seem OK with it, even if you seem OK with it. In 99 out of 100 cases I’ve seen this go sour too quickly and too easily.

On a personal note (since you asked), I’m very wary of dating within the improv world, although I have made exceptions to the rule (four or five times in 10 years). The trick is deciding when the person actually is an exception vs. when we just really want them to be that way.

I tend to follow the advice of Barney Gumble’s bar napkin:

Your infatuation is based on a physical attraction. Talk to [them] and you’ll realize you have nothing in common [outside of improv].

Also, some wisdom from Jill Bernard’s 3am Improv Thoughts:

You’re probably only attracted to them because you spend so much time together deliberately being vulnerable.

And a quote from me!

Just because they’re hilarious and talented doesn’t mean you’re compatible romantically.

Dating is a minefield, and it’s even trickier when it’s within the improv world, but it’s one we should enter with hopeful hearts when it feels right… which is to say not when you’re being paid to help them improvise better.

Good luck! Now quit coaching my team and ask me out!

Ask improv-is-easy a question!

Great advice, Kirk. I wish I had this problem. Or I don’t? Improv! Dating! Gah!

There is some good advice in this, but I can’t help feeling that it’s a mistake to quit and ask her out.

Are your feelings for her a distraction from coaching? If the answer is no, keep coaching her. Be professional, don’t ask her out. Be cordial and friendly, but don’t go out of your way to do social things with her. For example, don’t stay out til 4 am drinking at a bar with her.
If it is intense and distracting, it’s not fair to her or the team you are coaching. Tell them you need to take a break. Do not ask her out right away. Let time pass. And then maybe at a future date test the waters. At least 6 months, maybe longer? It depends on how long you coached the team I suppose.

But in general, I’d say, get outside of the bubble of improv and meet people who don’t know you as their coach, their teacher or that funny guy on stage. Don’t get a reputation for hitting on people they coach or have recently coached. Trust that if she likes you, that she won’t disappear if you stop coaching her and that six months down the line when you are on more equal footing, something good can begin.

P.S. I think this stuff is hard and I have not always followed this advice.