« May 2006 | Main | January 2007 »

June 6, 2006

If you fear failure

If you fear failure in improv, you will fail. Immature improvisers (If you are unclear what I mean here, ask me over a beer) need to embrace the idea that there is no failure. Only by defining all outcomes as success will you have a great show because, and I think this is where I lose some people, it will never go as you expect it to. It's improv, after all.

Even if you are attempting something new or unfamiliar, you have the implicit permission of the stage to act as if you own it, because you do own it. You NEED to own every scene, every moment and every idea that comes out of you and the ensemble to the point of fanatic resolve.

Be greedy with the stage and it's light, be generous with your attention and information and, as Joe so elegantly put it, seductively and playfully get what you want.

Posted by Chuck Charbeneau at 5:07 PM | Comments (2)