How to Be the Greatest Improviser on Earth by Hines, Will -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Preface Introduction

Small but Grand What Does Improv Teach You?

Some Terms

Yes And Denial Top Of Your Intelligence The Unusual Thing / Game of the Scene Justifying / Saying Why If This Is True, Then What Else Is True? Suggestion / Initiation / Walk-Ons / Tags / Edits Gifts / Endowments / Pimps Del Close / Openings / Second Beats / Harolds / Connections

Be Present

Become The Most Riveting Person On The Stage See It Land, Let It Land Be Comfortable With Silence Reps

Be Present Exercises

60 Seconds of Silence Only Numbers Doing “Zip Zap Zop” Correctly Warm-Up Scenes Word Association / Follow the Follower

Be Changeable

What Must Have Already Happened? Be Committed, Not Attached Keep the Music, Change the Lyrics Every Line Is An Offer Half-Offers Empathy

Being Changeable Exercises

Character Matching Pass the Card La Ronde

Fighting Well in Scenes

Don’t = Do Make the Accusation True Reject Solutions Argue That The World Is Flat Sympathetic Disagreement

Exercises for Fighting In Scenes

Supervillain / Mastermind Own It A Real Reason

Be Brave

Know, Care, Say “Find the Love” “I come to an improv show to be blown away.” Don’t Make It About Money Don’t Let The Straight Men Win You Do Not Have To Be Picked Up

Be Brave Exercises

I, You, We Confessions Blow Them Away Follow the Follower / Sound and Movement Compliment/Boast

Top Of The Scene

Start Chill Look at Each Other Starting With Object Work Downstage Right Initiation Etiquette The Inbound Pass Yin and Yang Don’t Be Allergic To The World References

Top of the Scene Exercises

Practice Tough Beginnings

Difficult People

Playing With “Bad” People The “That Guy” Phenomenon Difficult Offstage

Be Authentic

Ground It Playing It Real: Ping Pong Table Metaphor Saying No: Pumping the Brakes You Already Know The Real “Why” Memento and Split-Brain Experiments Take The Local Sanford Meisner On Acting Be Yourself What Would YOU Say? The Second Big Choice

Be Authentic Exercises

Truthful At All Costs Object into Point of View Start General, Get Specific How Did You Become a [Blank]?

Be Funny

Surprise Patterns Be Ironic Be A Good Voice of Reason Be Unnecessarily Specific Care Joy Name The Funny Thing Initiating With Premise Shoulds Conclusion

Be Funny Exercises

You Wanted To See Me? The Samurai

Be Healthy

Chill The Fuck Out You Will Never Figure This Out You Must Appreciate The Good In What You Do How Do I Get Out Of My Head? Don’t Quit Because of a Rut How Should I Approach My Improv Audition? Foxhole People Friend Team Team Meetings Don’t Drink Too Much

Exercises for Being Healthy

Have Richer Source Material Better Listening

Thoughts on Conventions and Forms

Conventions The Harold The Monoscene Montage An Unfair List of Pet Peeves and Personal Preferences

Final Thoughts

Is Improv A Road To Nowhere?

More About The Author Acknowledgments

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