Enjoy!

For info on their November visit to Sydney, check out my Workshops page and sign up for my email updates. You will be the first to hear when we have locked in dates and details of their shows and workshops.

Lisa x

I saw shows in LA, Chicago and New York – some great, some not so great, but all gave me a better understanding of the kind of improv I enjoy and the kind of improviser I want to be. One show in particular was so inspiring I asked the performers if they’d like to come to Sydney and work with us! (Check out my workshops page for details on that)

One thing I did realise though, is that Australia has some amazing, world class improvisers. And in the last couple of years there have been great opportunities to learn from each other and perform together, including the National Theatresports Championships in Sydney, Impro Mafia’s Impro Festival in Brisbane, the Impro Melbourne Halloween Classic, and of course the Improvention in Canberra (which was once again a great success I hear). I was very sorry to miss that one, but you know, I was in New York kicking butt at the Del Close Improv Marathon (ahem).

If you are thinking of traveling interstate or overseas to take part in an improv festival or some intensive improv classes I say…

GO FOR IT!

Here are some highly regarded Improv Companies in North America who offer intensive holiday workshops:

Loose Moose Theatre in Calgary (Canada) - http://www.loosemoose.com/school.htm

IO Theater in Chicago (USA) - http://chicago.ioimprov.com/

The Second City in Chicago (USA) - http://secondcity.com/training/

The Annoyance Theater in Chicago (USA) - http://www.annoyanceproductions.com/classes/index.shtml

BATS Improv in San Francisco (USA) - http://www.improv.org/Classes-and-Workshops/Summer-Sessions.aspx

Apologies if I’ve missed any that you know of and think are totally awesome! Please feel free to add to this list in the comments section.

Lisa x

Enjoy!

Interview with Komi Sellathurai from ‘City Hub’:

(1) Could you start by telling us a little about Theatresports?

Theatresports has been staged in Sydney since 1985 and is played in over 100 countries. The set structure of games challenges performers to create instant theatre based on surprise offers and audience suggestions. The result is a spontaneous, and often hilarious, team-based performance. Theatresports and improvised theatre is the inspiration for such TV shows as ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’ and ‘Thank God You’re Here!’

(2) How do you prepare for Theatresports?

Improv classes give you a good grounding in the skills needed to play Theatresports. The main things you learn are to say ”YES” in your scenes, listen to your team-mates and respond ‘in the moment’ to any offers which may be given to you.

(3) Do you expect certain situations? Do you use pre-prepared material?

Certain suggestions from the audience do come up time after time (you’d be surprised how many people want to see scenes set in a toilet!) but we prefer the situations given to us to be fresh and new. We don’t use pre-prepared material but many experienced players know the kinds of things they are good at and play to those strengths (for example, musical games or Shakespearean scenes).

(4) Do you have time to think when doing improv?

Yes and No! You are always thinking but the key is to be focused on the NOW – not trying to plan where the scene is going but just letting it happen organically. Usually once we are given the starting suggestion for a scene we have about 5 seconds before we start so there is not a lot of thinking time.

(5) How did you get involved in improv?

I used to watch Theatresports on TV and we did a few improv games at school. There were also shows at my university which I went to all the time. The big Uni stars at that time are now doing pretty well for themselves (Andrew O’Keefe, Adam Spencer & Rob Carlton). I then started doing Theatresports classes in Sydney and it all just happened from there.

(6) What do you so when you just can’t stop laughing?

There have been a couple of times when I have cracked up on stage, but usually the audience is also laughing so hard they don’t notice you have broken character, or if they do notice they just find it all the more amusing. If you are being true to your character and to the scene, it is actually pretty easy to keep a straight face even when something really hilarious happens.

(7) What do you do when you have nothing funny to say?

You do the most obvious thing your character would do in that moment. Some of the funniest moments in improv come from very real, honest reactions which were never intended to be funny. One of the Theatresports golden rules is “Don’t try to be funny”.

(8) Describe your mental state before you go on stage.

My team and I usually go through some quick exercises like word associations, silly physical games and vocal warm-ups,  which help us get in a good mental space to improvise. I don’t really get nervous anymore but I do feel excited and energised. I also like to take a quiet moment just before I go on stage to get focused and harness my energy into doing a great show. It’s a little bit zen but it works for me!

(9) What would you do if you weren’t a comedian / improv artist?

Well I am a trained teacher so I would either be teaching or dabbling in organised crime. I’ve been watching Underbelly and it looks pretty lucrative. If there was some way to combine those two, that would be ideal, like scamming the kids out of their lunch money in return for good grades…

…I should probably just stick with improv

Click the link below to listen to the Audio Interview with Richard Bennett-Forrest from ‘Improv Insider’:

http://www.improvinsider.com

Lisa x

Tips on how to move from Stage 2 (Improv Grad) to Stage 3 (Mainstage Player)

Many performers find the transition from Stage 2 to Stage 3 the most difficult one to navigate. It is at this stage where you need to prove your worth as a performer, and that requires commitment and a great deal of self-belief.

Here are some areas to work on if you want to become a Mainstage Player (but first go back to my post ‘How to Get on Stage’. All the tips on there are still relevant so you should still be doing all of them!) Now to the new stuff:

Be Consistent

If you want to become a mainstage player, consistency is vitally important, because directors will cast people they know will deliver a solid performance every time. Consistency comes from self-belief, and self-belief comes from experience. It will take some time but if you are focused on what you want you can speed up the process. Consistency is NOT about being perfect. It is about trusting your instincts. Take the time to develop them and learn what they are. Figure out what kind of pre-show preparation serves you best and make it a habit. For example, I always take a moment before every show to close my eyes and focus my energy. You might do something completely different – find whatever works for you.

Develop Your Stage Presence

Stage presence is something that can be developed and improved if you don’t feel like you are a ‘natural’. I think it boils down to 2 things – confidence and likeability. Now confidence doesn’t mean arrogance, it is more about developing a level of comfort on stage. As an audience, it is hard to trust a performer who looks nervous or unsure of themselves on stage. Even if you don’t feel it, learn how to fake an outward appearance of confidence. You’d be amazed how you can even fool yourself! Nor does likeability mean always being ‘nice’ or uncontroversial. It is about being open, positive and fun. You can be as cheeky, rude or controversial as you want when the audience likes you. They will go with you pretty much wherever you take them. Always bring a positive energy to the stage and manifest it in your own personal style. Before you even start playing your scenes, in the opening moments and set up of the show, make sure you stand tall, smile, speak in a loud clear voice, walk with purpose, and use your physicality!

Be Playful

Being playful as an improviser is mostly about letting go of the need for everything to be ‘perfect’. Have fun on stage and learn to embrace those unexpected moments or curve balls instead of panicking that the scene is not going the way you want it to. Play with people you have a great connection with and enjoy the fun of that. Take the pressure off yourself – after all, it’s just improv!

Know the  ‘Culture’

Every improv company has its own culture and style of play. If your aim is to be a part of that, then you need to understand the culture and how things are done. You also need to be visible to the people that make casting decisions. If you are auditioning for shows and ensembles but not getting cast, see if you can get feedback as to what you could do better next time and ask specifically what they are looking for. Watch the current mainstage performers – What qualities do you notice in them? What could you bring to that mix of people that is unique?

Keep Being a Student

Classes can be a great way of stretching your improv muscles no matter how experienced you are. If you don’t have any previous acting training, taking ‘straight’ acting classes can really help develop your performance skills and stage presence. Work on your stagecraft and your voice, take advantage of opportunities to learn from guest teachers and take classes from different groups if you can. There are many different schools of thought on improv out there – why not broaden your horizons?

Speaking of which, I’m off to the US in a couple of weeks doing some shows in Vegas and New York (yay!) so I’m sure I’ll have many more insights when I get back.

I look forward to hearing about how you are going. I’m loving the comments so please keep sharing!

Lisa x

I guess it’s apt for me to be writing on this topic today as I just had a disappointing experience myself. Last night I performed in the Australian National Theatresports Championships (competitive improv), but my team had a less than stellar evening, getting eliminated early on. It was tough because we really wanted to have a great night but it just didn’t pan out for us. Of course in the 24 hours since the show finished, I’ve thought of about a million ways I could have done things differently (and I’m sure my team-mates have too).  In the end, though, I chose to do the following:

- look back on it as just ‘one of those nights’

- remember that every improviser I know has had a night like this at some point in their career

- acknowledge that this one experience does not define who I am nor what I am capable of as a performer

and

- MOVE ON!

I do realise though, that it’s not just onstage disappointments that can affect us as performers. For some people, harsh criticism and negative comments from peers or teachers can cause them to question what they are doing. For others, it is a lack of support (real or perceived) from the artistic company or community that causes them to give up. It is in these instances that your self-awareness & self-belief need to come into play (and if you haven’t read my blog on self-awareness, go back and read it now!).

If you really want to perform and you love it, then you will find ways to do it. Here are some actions I would suggest:

- If you feel like there is a lack of support from the improv community you have joined, find out who is in charge and see if they can help. It could be that you were just looking to the wrong people.

- If you are not getting cast in shows but really want to perform, find a group of like-minded people and put on your own shows! Pay an experienced performer to coach your group so you get better while you perform.

- If you can afford it, travel to different cities and take classes with another group. Many companies have week-long intensive courses that give you some great experience, as well as exposure to different teaching styles and ideas.

- Keep taking classes, studying improv and working on your craft so that when opportunities do arise, you feel prepared and ready to seize them!

If you have any specific questions or problems you are encountering please comment below and I will do my best to help you out.

Lisa x

Tips on how to move from Stage 1 (Student) to Stage 2 (Improv Grad)

The transition from Stage 1 to Stage 2 is pretty exciting because it has a really steep learning curve. You are actually now putting your training into action and getting immediate feedback from an audience.

Here are some tips to make the most of your ‘rookie’ stage time:

Make Contacts

Keep in touch with your classmates (especially the ones you enjoyed playing with) and organise some jam sessions with them.

Get to know the people who run the grad show and make sure they know you’re keen to play.

Introduce yourself to more experienced players. Make sure to tell them how much you enjoy watching them perform (who doesn’t like hearing that??) and then ask them about their experiences in improv.

Watch lots of Improv (Good and Bad!)

Watching good improv can provide you with inspiration for the kind of player you want to be. Watching bad improv can also be pretty educational (in the ‘what not to do’ sense)!

Volunteer your services if you have the time. Shows always need door-people, stage managers, etc. This can be a great way of seeing lots of shows for free. It can also be a good way of making contacts.

Seek Feedback

This will develop your self-awareness  (see my last blog for why this is CRUCIAL!).

Keep taking classes if they are available because now you can put your learning into practice on stage. This could mean moving on to the next ‘level’ or even going back and repeating a class if you feel it would benefit you.

Ask for feedback from your teachers, directors, senior players or mentors (but remember, if it is negative and destructive, ignore it and find someone who can give you positive and constructive feedback).

Take note of your Successes

Each time you play, think about what went well and why. You might start to see connections, such as, you always do well in musical scenes, or your scenes are great when you do lots of physical work or make strong character choices. Start building up your own personal ‘bag of tricks’. Knowing and playing to your strengths is not ‘cheating’, it is smart improv. You can then start to work on your weak areas to become a well-rounded performer.

Don’t be afraid to Fail

When it goes well, it’s an amazing feeling; but there are bound to be times when it falls flat, or just fails miserably. The key is to wipe off those bad nights, learn what you can from them, and get back on the horse. The good nights are more than worth it! (If you never have a bad night, you’re either a natural improv genius, or you’re just not taking enough risks!)

I’d love to hear your opinions, whether you are at this stage now, or whether you have to search way back through your memories to the time when you were first starting out! So please let me know what you think and how you are going on your journey.

Lisa x

So where to start? Well I want to look at each stage individually, but before we get to that let’s talk about the number one key to ensure forward progress through each of the stages. I believe it is Self-Awareness.

Why is Self-Awareness so Important?

Knowing where you want to go is important, but knowing which steps to take to get from where you are to where you want to go is ultimately dependent on your level of self-awareness. It allows you to acknowledge and play to your strengths, whilst being aware of and working to improve your weaknesses. Self-awareness also helps keep you motivated to move through setbacks. If you have an understanding of why you’re not where you want to be, you are more likely to stay motivated to get there rather than blaming external forces you can’t control. For example, an improviser might get upset because she never gets cast in shows, blaming it on the cliquey ‘politics’ of the organisation. Yet this is something she has no control over. If she focuses instead on what she needs do as a performer to get into those shows, she can stay motivated and develop a plan to achieve her goals.

As a performer, you should have an awareness of these 3 Key areas:

1. Your Personality – This includes both your innate personality and how other people perceive you. What sort of performer are you? What sort of performers do you ‘click’ with both onstage and off?

2. Your Habits – Do you find yourself repeating similar patterns or playing the same characters in scenes? Do you always play a particular status? What physical habits do you exhibit on stage?

3. Your Needs – What do you want out of this business and what are you prepared to do to get it? What needs do you have on stage? Do you always go for the gag because you need to be loved by the audience? Do you need to be in control and drive the narrative and direction of your scenes?

How do you get Self-Awareness?

1. Feedback

Good feedback can be hard to get as often the thing we most need to hear is the ‘what you can do better’ type of advice. You need to be ready to hear it. And you need to get it from the right people. Useful feedback is positive as well as constructive – and you need to trust the person giving it to you.

There are two types of people you should avoid when asking for feedback – well-meaning friends, and negative critics. Now of course friends can give great advice but, on the whole, their job as a friend is to support you and stroke your ego. Negative critics seem like an obvious group to avoid but somehow they are always more than willing to offer their unsolicited advice. If it’s hurtful and destructive – ignore it! I know of one improv class who, at the end of their graduation performance, were told by their teacher that they were the worst group she’d ever taught and that the night was an absolute failure. Needless to say none of them ever came back. But at least one of them chose to continue learning and performing through different avenues. He is now one of our top performers in Explosive Minds and will be traveling to Las Vegas with us later this year. Just goes to show that negative critics are not always right!

So who should you ask? Find good teachers and ask for their honest feedback. Seek out people you admire, people who are where you want to be, and ask them about their experiences. You may be surprised to find that most performers are more than happy to talk about themselves! You will probably also be able to relate their experiences to your own journey.

2. Observation

Take videos of yourself performing as often as you can and WATCH THEM. Watching yourself perform is a great way of noticing your habits as well as analysing your stagecraft. A word of caution though – don’t just take note of your weaknesses. It is equally important to recognise and take note of your strengths.

* By the way, I plan to show you some of my old footage as an example so stay tuned for that!*

3. Failure

Don’t beat yourself up if you weren’t your absolute best or if you performed in a show that just didn’t click. This is improvisation we’re talking about here! Hindsight is a wonderful thing and every one of us has thought of a brilliant one-liner / scene ending / character choice etc. either on the way home from a show, or three weeks later when we’re supposed to be working. Learn from your mistakes but don’t stress over them.

I love this quote from Tony Robbins because I think it sums up perfectly how our failures can help us achieve greater self-awareness:

“When you temporarily run aground, remember that there are no failures in life. There are only results. Consider the adage: Success is the result of good judgement, good judgement is the result of experience, and experience is often the result of bad judgement.”

So here’s some homework for you!

Have a look at the 3 key areas of Personality, Habits & Needs and write some notes about yourself. Answer the questions as honestly as you can. If you are getting a lot of ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I’m not sure’ answers, then you need to work on your self-awareness. If you have some really clear answers then you are probably already starting to find some areas to work on.

Let me know how you go!

Lisa x

In the world of Improv, I have observed 4 ’stages’ that most performers go through. You will probably recognise yourself as I describe each stage and the brick walls (or stumbling blocks) that can get in the way of forward progress:

Stage 1 (Student)

You are taking classes through a recognised Improv group or Acting centre, still learning the basics, or you may be at school learning improv from one of your teachers. You may have performed for a small group of friends or family.

Most Students make a fairly easy transition to Stage 2, as most improv courses feed into some sort of performance opportunity. The brick wall that some people face in moving on from Stage 1 usually stems from a bad experience in their first couple of shows, or the feeling that they are not ready to perform. There is a pretty steep learning curve in going from being funny in class to being funny on stage, but once you get that first taste of audience adulation, it can be pretty addictive stuff!

Stage 2 (Improv Grad)

You are invited to perform in the company’s regular ‘New Players’ Night’. You meet other like-minded performers and form teams with them. You watch shows by more experienced players and occasionally get the opportunity to perform with them. You may take classes focusing on advanced improvisation techniques and skills. You may even start developing and producing your own shows for a paying audience.

Many players in Stage 2 find it challenging to move into Stage 3. If you are doing lots of performing but not taking classes it is easy to develop bad improv habits that may be ‘crowd-pleasing’ in the short-term, but ultimately mean that people don’t ask you to perform with them any more. Some performers feel that their improv skills seem to ‘plateau’ in this stage. Stage 2 probably has the highest dropout rate, because at some point you need to decide if this performing stuff is just a fun hobby, or if you are serious about it and want to take it further.

Stage 3 (Mainstage Player)

You are consistently asked to perform in the company’s mainstage shows. When you perform, you feel like you have a higher number of ‘good’ or ‘great’ nights, than ‘bad’ or ‘average’ nights. You get positive feedback from other players and audience members. You find a group of performers with whom you ‘click’ and tend to work really well. You produce and / or perform in a variety of  commercial shows, perhaps travel to Improv and Comedy Festivals in other cities. You may continue to take advanced classes, or have regular jams with your improv buddies.

The move into Stage 4 is ultimately dependent on your decision to go for it. The main stumbling blocks that people seem to encounter are the negative attitudes of other people (“You’ll never make money from improv”), the seeming scarcity of opportunities, and a lack of belief in themselves (there is a lot of guts and determination required to ‘sell’ yourself and your talent in the corporate market).

Stage 4 (Professional)

You get invited to perform or teach in the company’s corporate program. You may even start your own business based around your improv skills. You are asked to represent the company in BIG shows, and in local or international improv tournaments. You make money doing improv!

If you are already at Stage 4, congratulations! It is so great to be able to tell people that you now get paid for what you used to get kicked out of class for doing! Even at this stage, however, I know performers who have lost the enjoyment of improv, or who find themselves doing lots of corporate work, but are rarely asked to perform in mainstage shows.

So where to from here?

Well there is also another level that I would call Stage 5 (Famous!), which many people do achieve, using their improv, acting and/or comedy training to launch a career in TV and film. I haven’t quite managed to crack that one myself but I know lots of people who have, and if that is something you are aspiring to, maybe we can help each other along the way!

So where are you at and what have been your stumbling blocks?

What was the most useful piece of advice you got or action you took in moving from one Stage to another?

One of my goals with this blog is to provide some useful tools and info for people who do want to take their improv to the next Stage, so if you have any questions or areas you would like me to focus on please let me know!

Lisa x

I have been improvising for the last 15 years and getting paid to do it for the last 10 (which is pretty cool!).

I think some of the stuff I’ve learned about improv can help you become a better improviser and take you to the next stage in your career.

So stay tuned as I’ll be adding some great content real soon.

Lisa x