Now Ye're Talking - to an Improviser

Boards.ie: Niamh

Our next AMA victim volunteer is one of our long time members, faceman

Faceman is an improviser or improv artist. He walks out on a stage with nothing, no script, no co-stars and no idea of how a show will go and creates improvised shows, plays and comedy completely off the cuff for the audience's entertainment.

One of his shows involves taking an audience member who has never seen improv and making them the co-star :eek:

Faceman also teaches improv to anyone who wants to step out of their comfort zone and runs Improv Fest Ireland, Ireland's only improv festival which is coming up later this month.

Ask him anything!

Dozen Wicked Words

Hi,

Did you enjoy Who's line is it anyway? when it was on television


Any particular heroes from the improv world of comedy?

faceman

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

Hi,

Did you enjoy Who's line is it anyway? when it was on television


Any particular heroes from the improv world of comedy?

Whose Line is what got me first into improv. I used to watch it all the time, back in the VHS days. Ryan Stiles was my hero. I'd re-create the games with friends (I was a teenager) without realising the skills behind.

Whose Line is what brought improv to the mainstream, particularly in Europe. However it is also only a small representative of what improv is and can be.

Some of my improv heroes, aside from Ryan include:

Colin Mochrie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q961dViRof4

Susan Messing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VdSJH7HKKU

TJ & Dave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnuohnCNUY4

The Maydays

The wonderful thing about the improv community is how the big names are all approachable and friendly people. (even the famous ones) I've been fortunate enough to host Susan Messing and The Maydays in Dublin to teach and perform and hopefully will have the opportunity to bring TJ & Dave to Dublin at some stage too.

Most recently I got to hang out with Scott Adsit and John Lutz from 30 Rock. Friends of mine have performed with Robin Williams, Kate Walsh, John Cleese and Martin Short.

miamee

So - even though you have *no* script going on stage, do you usually have an idea of how you will steer things? Or do you have what you could call 'templates' for a show, a few ideas of 'do this, then maybe this, then this' or is it completely dependent on the audience or other people on stage? I'd imagine ain a group scenario that there are certain things already planned ahead of time, however loosely. Are there?

Mars Bar

Have you watched Drew Carey's Improvaganza? It's hilarious. It's more musical than WLIIA IMO.

Have you watched the new version of WLIIA?

faceman

miamee wrote: »

So - even though you have *no* script going on stage, do you usually have an idea of how you will steer things? Or do you have what you could call 'templates' for a show, a few ideas of 'do this, then maybe this, then this' or is it completely dependent on the audience or other people on stage? I'd imagine ain a group scenario that there are certain things already planned ahead of time, however loosely. Are there?

No defintely not. Planning ahead is a recipe for disaster. You genuinely have to go in with nothing and see where it goes. In improv we look at finding the "truth" in what we do which means very much being in the moment and being present.

From a "long form" improv perspective, which is more theatrical than the "short form", Whose Line style of improv, there are show formats which may have a structure to follow however the content is always completely improvised. And sometimes, the structures break anyway!

The more I improvise the more i prefer the organic approach of just seeing what happens, especially with formats that traditionally have a structure.

faceman

Mars Bar wrote: »

Have you watched Drew Carey's Improvaganza? It's hilarious. It's more musical than WLIIA IMO.

Have you watched the new version of WLIIA?

I have seen some of it, its similar to Whose Line and uses similar casts.

Incidentally I love musical improv. Improvised musicals are a joy to be part of and I often tell my students, they can be so much easier pull off than a non musical show if you practice enough.

Earlier this year I guested in an improvised musical called "When X Meets Y" in the Florida Studio Theatre, Sarasota. The theatre is a fantastic high profile theatre in Florida and we had a 3 piece band as backing, including a drummer. (Most musicals just have 1 musician playing keyboard and sometimes guitar) It was one of my favourite shows to be part of.

thelad95

Have you ever received a nasty heckle and absolutely owned him/her with a response?

Gaspode

Which of the A-team did you find it easiest to work with? How come you never got hit by the bad guys bullets?

GLaDOS

Ever have an absolute blank on stage?

Loughc

What was your worst & best experience on stage?

kneemos

When will an improv artist say something funny?

faceman

thelad95 wrote: »

Have you ever received a nasty heckle and absolutely owned him/her with a response?

Heckling is more a stand up thing, with improv the audience is more supportive, even a drunk audience! Its infrequent with improv but we do often take suggestions and ideas from the audience.

In my own show, Neil+1, I take someone out of the audience who has never seen or done improv before and make them my co-star. In a way its the ultimate way for that audience memebr to heckle me. I even tell them at the start of the show that he/she can say and do what they want, its up to me to make it work. Its challenging for me as a performer but a chance to to give someone the rush of playing on stage. And sometimes the audience member will try mess with me. I even had someone flee the stage during the show! So I continued the show from the audience!

That being said, a number of years ago I was doing a show at TedFest on the Aran Islands. It was a daytime gig but there were one of two drunk audience members. During our finale musical number, a person dressed as Father Jack in a wheelchair with a bottle of whiskey dangled on a fishing rod tried to storm the stage. We took him on stage and sat on him until the song ended!

faceman

Gaspode wrote: »

Which of the A-team did you find it easiest to work with? How come you never got hit by the bad guys bullets?

Colonel Decker. He was always clear with this intentions. The rest of the A-Team were ego maniacs.

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Ever have an absolute blank on stage?

Not that I can remember, you tend to get lost in your character and in the scene when you are on stage. This comes up alot as a question when i teach and getting back to finding the truth in the moment, i tell people to say how they feel when it happens and use the line, "I have no idea what to say right now". It works in any situation!

Loughc wrote: »

What was your worst & best experience on stage?

I have had so many wonderful moments:

• The improvised musical I mentioned earlier, "When X Meets Y", in Florida. That show was a joy.
• Guesting on the main stage in Second City Toronto a few weeks ago. (Its the theatre where much recruiting for Saturday Night Live happens. Bill Murrary, Tina Fey, Mike Myers, John Candy etc are all alum)
• Playing on stage alongside Paul Vaillancourt in Pennsylvania last year. While no one will know Paul, he performs with an infamous improv group in LA called "Beer, Shark, Mice". You will recognise some of his co-stars from movies and TV here.

I'm quite lucky in that I get to perform in numerous theatres and cities around the world when the opportunity arises.

I haven't had terrible experiences, some shows, especially my own solo show with an audience member, can be extra challenging. I've done shows at non-improv festivals that were tough because we didn't have enough microphones so much of the crowd didn't hear us. But as the cliche goes, the show must go on!

kneemos wrote: »

When will an improv artist say something funny?

Improvisers aren't comedians. We don't do jokes. Comedy is a by-product of the improv. Nothing we say is funny intentionally, but often the audience will find it funny.

faceman

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Ever have an absolute blank on stage?

Just to add further comment from my previous point, the improv mantra is the rule of "Yes, and..." We accept everything that happens, even if they are mistake as reality and build on those ideas. An example as follows:

Improviser 1: Hi John, that's a nice dress you are wearing
Improviser 2: thank you, I'm going on a date tonight and wanted to try something different

So the above scenario isn't funny, but Improviser 2 has accepted the reality of the wearing the dress and has further developed the idea by adding he is going on a date. Now we have the beginnings on a scene, both improvisers have no idea what will happen but they are in agreement with what is happening.

Its about supporting and accepting.

In improv we also accept that things can and will go wrong. One of my teachers used to tell us that a mistake is just the new right way of doing things. There is so much value both on and off the stage with what she was saying!

kneemos

faceman wrote: »

Improvisers aren't comedians. We don't do jokes. Comedy is a by-product of the improv. Nothing we say is funny intentionally, but often the audience will find it funny.

Hmmm.

Teafor two12345

Is this your full time job and if so when did you start to make a living out of it?

Teafor two12345

faceman wrote: »

Improvisers aren't comedians. We don't do jokes. Comedy is a by-product of the improv. Nothing we say is funny intentionally, but often the audience will find it funny.

Jesus I have found my calling.

So how does one start out?

GLaDOS

What do you do (if anything) to prepare for a big show? Any rituals you like to follow before going on stage?

Loughc

Teafor two12345 wrote: »

Jesus I have found my calling.

So how does one start out?

This would be a good start.

http://www.lowerthetone.com/dublinimprov/

I have to so say I'm really interested in giving this course a go sometime, improv has always interested me even if it's wayyyyy outside my comfort zone!

C.K Dexter Haven

Do you feel you need to be a good actor, to do improv well?

(btw, do provide links on improv in general and the festival- looks great- thanks for sharing)

Teafor two12345

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Do you feel you need to be a good actor, to do improv well?

(btw, do provide links on improv in general and the festival- looks great- thanks for sharing)

Following on from this..do you think you need to be a good writer to do improv well :-)??

faceman

Teafor two12345 wrote: »

Is this your full time job and if so when did you start to make a living out of it?

It's not my day job but it is a full time job, if you get what I mean. Between running a festival, teaching and performing, it keeps me busy!

But as wonderful as it is, it's tough to make money from it unless you are working in corporate training. Fortunately my business background combined with the improv credentials has helped me fair well in the corporate space. But I did train in how to be a trainer and coach to ensure I can be the best I can.

faceman

Teafor two12345 wrote: »

Jesus I have found my calling.

So how does one start out?

Take a class or do a course! Then if you like it do more! I'm constantly taking classes with other teachers when I can. You never stop learning and developing. Plus it's shed loads of fun!

faceman

ScienceNerd wrote: »

What do you do (if anything) to prepare for a big show? Any rituals you like to follow before going on stage?

Good question. Every performer and troupe is different. Most troupes will do some sort of warm up to build up the energy and shake off the day's cobwebs! Some troupes will just hang out and shoot the breeze.

When I'm preparing for Neil+1 it's a little different as I'm on my own. I usually do a vocal warm up and take a few minutes somewhere private to do some relaxation techniques.

I tell my students that when they form a troupe to make sure they hang out off the stage to build up their chemistry and repoire with one another. Karaoke does wonders for this!

faceman

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Do you feel you need to be a good actor, to do improv well?

(btw, do provide links on improv in general and the festival- looks great- thanks for sharing)

It's not necessary but it does make a huge difference. Performances can be become more authentic and 'real' and it opens the door to creating more drama on stage and not to mention the polish that you would expect of actors. Some improv schools and theatres make it part of their curriculum.

Flip side of that is actors taking improv classes also benefit greatly. In the US most actors have taken improv classes. In fact many well known actors have either taken improv classes at some level.

Give me having no script over having to learn lines any day!

faceman

Teafor two12345 wrote: »

Following on from this..do you think you need to be a good writer to do improv well :-)??

No it's not necessary. Remember with improv we are creating and discovering in the moment, pulling from our subconscious. I've often done a great show but can't remember much from it because I was in the moment. That's quite common.

The flip side though is that improv is a wonderful tool for writers. From a sketch perspective Second City uses improv as a tool for students to develop their sketch writing. Most of the other improv theatres offer variations on this too.

I'm not a huge fan of sketch as I feel it lacks the magic the spontaneity gives. But most shows in Second City are sketch and were derived for the most part through improv.

This happens a lot on SNL too.

faceman

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

(btw, do provide links on improv in general and the festival- looks great- thanks for sharing)

Will do! Will post some more links and videos throughout the day.

faceman

So first link of the day is an article I just saw this morning about how the rules of improv can apply to real life. Enjoy!

http://thoughtcatalog.com/kim-quindlen/2015/11/15-improv-rules-that-anybody-can-follow-to-live-a-more-fulfilling-life/

locum-motion

faceman wrote: »

... I usually ... take a few minutes somewhere private to do some relaxation techniques...

"Relaxation techniques"
Ha!
That's a euphemism I haven't heard before!

AnonoBoy

I thought I hated improv and then I started listening to Comedy Bang Bang and, more recently, Spontanenation which I love.

Is it just that I hate bad improv?

faceman

locum-motion wrote: »

"Relaxation techniques"
Ha!
That's a euphemism I haven't heard before!

Masturbation before a show is like drinking the champagne at the start of a race.

And its definitely not a euphemism!

AnonoBoy wrote: »

I thought I hated improv and then I started listening to Comedy Bang Bang and, more recently, Spontanenation which I love.

Is it just that I hate bad improv?

Possibly, there are so many different styles and formats with improv. But there are so many wonderful acts/troupes/shows.

I will post some more videos but improv really doesn't translate to video clips. Its very much an experience that must be witnessed live.

A group called The Showstoppers, who are a magnificent musical improv group have a show on the London West End. Those guys are awesome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xqWv6J85pw

King Ten are another hot group, from LA. (Nick Armstrong is teaching and performing in this year's Improv Fest Ireland)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbuLflBcneE

Some other talks about improv that may be of interest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUO-pWJ0riQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYv4vAnnuts

C.K Dexter Haven

Bringing you back to "Who's line is it Anyway", the great Ch4 show of the 80's, can you tell me, the songs, how they hell did they do these so well? It's one thing to do good improv but singing your way through an improv must be a lot more difficult?

faceman

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Bringing you back to "Who's line is it Anyway", the great Ch4 show of the 80's, can you tell me, the songs, how they hell did they do these so well? It's one thing to do good improv but singing your way through an improv must be a lot more difficult?

Greeting from Barcelona, where I am representing Ireland at the "Barcelona Improv Group's International Festival" (BIGIF), the largest improv festival in Europe! Played a killer set last night which has me pumped today!
http://www.barcelonaimprovfestival.com/

Anyway to your question.

faceman

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Bringing you back to "Who's line is it Anyway", the great Ch4 show of the 80's, can you tell me, the songs, how they hell did they do these so well? It's one thing to do good improv but singing your way through an improv must be a lot more difficult?

Greeting from Barcelona, where I am representing Ireland at the "Barcelona Improv Group's International Festival" (BIGIF), the largest improv festival in Europe! Played a killer set last night which has me pumped today!
http://www.barcelonaimprovfestival.com/

Anyway to your question. As I mentioned earlier, musical improv can be even easier than non musical work.

Many people have a fear of public speaking so the prospect of singing too will seem even tougher. And while there are techniques and even structures to approaching musicals pieces, what sells it to the audience is commitment.

As I tell students, the audience will believe it if you believe it. Commit to what you're doing. If you're worried about failing, then fail gloriously!

While most improvised songs will rhyme, equally they don't need to rhyme to work.

Not all of the Whose Line cast liked singing, Colin and Ryan being good examples. In fact Ryan Stiles hates doing improvised songs

What you see on Whose Line though when it comes to musicals is very simple in formatting. Impossible for anything to go wrong.

The video below is taken from an improv retreat I took part in hosted by The Maydays in the UK a few years back. (Apologies for the not so super quality) In the clips the two folks improvised a duet, completely unrehearsed and together for the first time. Hopefully it gives you a sense of how not just funny it can be, but also touching and moving too, not to mention beautiful!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQbkIw3kJWQ

I mentioned the Showstoppers and The Maydays, both are groups that improvise full musicals that includes improvised dance and support sections. While it can often look rehearsed, it never is, and boils down to the commitment the players put in to it. Simple things like supporting your stage partner, patterns and being in the moment are key to pulling it off.

I love improvised musicals. We all love music and the buzz you get when the audience join in with a chorus or even are still singing it after the show is such a rush. And those songs will never be heard again!

Hope this offers some insight!

C.K Dexter Haven

It does indeed Faceman,many thanks for your detailed posts and best of luck in Barcelona

Gloomtastic!

Have you ever improvised a cheese, and what type of cheese did you end up choosing?

Buona Fortuna

Thanks for all the work in the detailed posts Faceman.

The AMA has been a real eye opener.

Best of Luck in Barcelona.

We talk together with our mates, and we make each other laugh frequently, long and loud. But that's just us "having the craic". It's only funny because we're all there, we're all talking and listening together and playing off what each other are saying.

In other words, it's funny, but it's not comedy.

Am I right?

faceman

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Have you ever improvised a cheese, and what type of cheese did you end up choosing?

Probably. *inserts a stream of cheese puns*

faceman

[Deleted User] wrote: »

We talk together with our mates, and we make each other laugh frequently, long and loud. But that's just us "having the craic". It's only funny because we're all there, we're all talking and listening together and playing off what each other are saying.

In other words, it's funny, but it's not comedy.

Am I right?

Yes that makes sense and you could draw parables with improv in that the audience are our mates too and there in on the joke because they're there.

However the dynamic of listening in improv differs than the way we listen during casual conversation. With improv we are actively listening to everything religiously. We can't miss a word, syllable or breath. We have to totally be in the moment and let go.

Improv to me is unusual in that it's not strictly comedy and it's not strictly theatre. It's something in between. We have discussions around this in how do position what we do.

Some people don't like to even call it Improv Comedy, some prefer improvised theatre, some prefer spontaneous theatre.

faceman

faceman wrote: »

No defintely not. Planning ahead is a recipe for disaster. You genuinely have to go in with nothing and see where it goes.

I was made watch Dara Ó Briain DVDs recently and I have to say I only basically liked his "set" but the best part of all his shows is the improv he does off audience members.

Sometimes it is SO good you start to suspect he must have planted people in the audience. But I do wonder is he just doing complete Improv? Have you watched the DVDs? Do you think it is improv or plant?

I find myself asking the same question about the show "Would I lie to you". I know how much of it is scripted - especially when you watch the out take videos - but the true comedy gold come from the Mitchel and Lee Mack improv moments. Is it all scripted? Or do they genuinely pull these nuggets of gold out of their ass that readily that often?

Anyway the real question I wanted to ask - given the number of things like "mens sheds" and stuff showing up around where people are getting into alternative outlets for expressing themselves and enjoying the company of others - is there a market for "improv nights" at all? Where someone just organises a night of improve group entertainment - sitting around drinking and chatting - but the occasional rotaionary onus to get up and do improv alone or with partner(s)?

Id SO go to a club like that all the time. Load of guys and girls sitting around a stage - but with the stage only being half the focus of attention - and the occasional improv idea is thrown out and someone has to step up - and then business as normal until the next one

faceman

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I was made watch Dara Ó Briain DVDs recently and I have to say I only basically liked his "set" but the best part of all his shows is the improv he does off audience members.

Sometimes it is SO good you start to suspect he must have planted people in the audience. But I do wonder is he just doing complete Improv? Have you watched the DVDs? Do you think it is improv or plant?

I find myself asking the same question about the show "Would I lie to you". I know how much of it is scripted - especially when you watch the out take videos - but the true comedy gold come from the Mitchel and Lee Mack improv moments. Is it all scripted? Or do they genuinely pull these nuggets of gold out of their ass that readily that often?

This is the kind of thing that unfortunately can cause confusion as to what improv is. So yes, while its improvised, it's more adlibbing and bantering with the audience. They may be using some of the principles of improv as part of what they're doing, buts it's more casual. Some Stand Up comedians take improv classes to help them with this part of their acts.

One of my teachers and friend, the late Jason Chin of iO Chicago, used to say about improv as an art form; "Short Form improv is the craft, Long Form improv is the art"

Short form is essentially what you see in shows like Whose Line. Game based improv where the skills are applied.

Long form improv is usually more theatrical. There can be a narrative or a theme throughout it. Intertwined stories or certain structures. Shows or sets can range from 20 minutes to full length improvised plays.

wrote:

Anyway the real question I wanted to ask - given the number of things like "mens sheds" and stuff showing up around where people are getting into alternative outlets for expressing themselves and enjoying the company of others - is there a market for "improv nights" at all? Where someone just organises a night of improve group entertainment - sitting around drinking and chatting - but the occasional rotaionary onus to get up and do improv alone or with partner(s)?

Id SO go to a club like that all the time. Load of guys and girls sitting around a stage - but with the stage only being half the focus of attention - and the occasional improv idea is thrown out and someone has to step up - and then business as normal until the next one

Yes. There are already great nights around the country. There's improv in Dublin, Galway, Cork, Limerick, Wexford and Belfast. (Over on the Improv Fest Ireland page I post a weekly round up of all the improv shows that i am aware of that week - https://www.facebook.com/improvfestireland )

Dublin has a weekly show every Monday where each week, different acts perform. It's called The Tightrope.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=454810277977487

I also run a monthly Jam night where people can just turn up and play regardless of experience. It's always a fun night out. We have a Facebook group called "Love! Improv" where people network, share shows etc.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=184133205085120

In Galway you have The Sky Babies who are super talented. They've taken their show to the Galway Theatre Festival to great applaud. They also run a night call Wingin' It where they play with guests.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=567711396585409

Cork has Snatch Comedy who play every Tuesday night and again they're very talented.
www.twitter.com/snatchcomedy

These are just a few examples but as you can there is a growing scene developing across the country. With Improv Fest Ireland opening on November 15th (it runs for a week), many Irish troupes and intentional troupes will be performing and it's always a great place to see strong improv.
http://improvfestireland.com/

Aside from the artistic side, improv is a fantastic social outlet. As I mentioned before, it does wonders for confidence, social skills, speaking to influence. The feedback I've had from students goes well beyond learning the skill. I've had people credit improv training to helping them ask someone out on dates, help them deliver presentations, improved their interview skills not too mention the friendships and even the relationships that have formed through taking classes.

When we improvise, be it in class or on stage, we're in this wonderful shared experience where success is achieved through honest collaboration and support. It's an addictive feeling!

Buona Fortuna

faceman wrote: »

I also run a monthly Jam night where people can just turn up and play regardless of experience. It's always a fun night out. We have a Facebook group called "Love! Improv" where people network, share shows etc.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=184133205085120

Tempting but in an absolutely fcuking terrifying way.

A bit like "I bet you get a great view of the countryside when you do a parachute jump".

faceman

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

Tempting but in an absolutely fcuking terrifying way.

A bit like "I bet you get a great view of the countryside when you do a parachute jump".

It's all about working at the periphery of our comfort zone. That's where the magic happens

When you start improvising you get that nervous feeling in your stomach and you think "OMG I'm about to go on stage and I've no idea what's going to happen. I'm terrified!"

As your experience grows that turns into feeling in your stomach is still there but it's now excitement and you think, "OMG I'm about to go on stage and I've no idea what's going to happen. I'm excited!"

It's highly addictive though. The rush you get on stage and the feeling you get from the audience's response and laughs is truly euphoric.

SkyBaby

Thanks a million for the name check Faceman Yes our monthly night is called Wingin' It, and we welcome visiting improvisers from around the world to play with us in Galway.

What is the most unusual improv show you've ever seen?

Which would you rather have with you in a zombie apocalypse - an improviser or ninja warrior?

faceman

SkyBaby wrote: »

Thanks a million for the name check Faceman Yes our monthly night is called Wingin' It, and we welcome visiting improvisers from around the world to play with us in Galway.

Aww, you guys are great, keep up the great work!

wrote:

What is the most unusual improv show you've ever seen?

I don't think anything is unusual in improv but I have seen shows that have had unusual twists/scenarios as well as shows that have an unusual set up.

I've seen a show where one of the cast members gets drunk before the show and then plays alongside his team. Not a format I would be keen on myself!

Recently in Toronto at the Big City Improv Festival, I caught a two person show from New York where the cast members transitioned the scenes via interpretative dance set to music. Interesting format as the dance moves became the scene inspiration as the music faded. "The Raving Jaynes" was the group name.

At the weekend in a mixer show that I was part in the Barcelona Improv Festival, I played alongside a cast of Spanish, Finnish, Israeli, English, Dutch, German and Lativan performers. We called our show "For God" and used books from the bible, selected by the audience, as our inspiration. It ended up being a blend of misinterpreted religious rewriting of the bible blended with modern popular culture!

wrote:

Which would you rather have with you in a zombie apocalypse - an improviser or ninja warrior?

Always an improviser. People will still need to be entertained when the apocalypse comes!

Although I'd likely be one of the first to be turned into a zombie....

Boards.ie: Niamh

I'm going to close this up now - thank you so much for your time and the effort in your replies faceman!

Don't forget that Improv Fest Ireland begins on 15th November